I would like to buy one high quality tool for my new 766. If you were to buy just one, what would it be. They are fairly expensive so I want one that I will get the most use from.
I like to turn bowls and after getting used to larger pieces I want to try large vases.
Also, i'd like to try a tool rest that is round steel instead of cast and flat. What would you recommend as a first purchase, again, getting the most use from it. Thanks.
Contributor
If you really want a "round bar" rest, then Best Wood Tools is the place, but I think you will be much more satisfied with the Robust rests, as they allow you to get in closer to the work, especially shear cuts with the wing and handle down, which produce a much better surface and less sanding.
For starters, I would get the 15" comfort rest and perhaps a low profile rest. You need a total height of 8.75" [top of rest to bottom of post.] If you did not bore out the banjo hole to 1" then I would encourage you to do that, but Robust can make your posts from 25mm stock, but not boring out the banjo hole limits the aftermarket accessories you can use, as most come with a 1" post.
Of course they also have outside curve bowl rests, inside curve, and the 14" j-curve is great for deep walled vessels like vases.
Last edited by Roger Chandler; 05-18-2017 at 7:11 AM.
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Contributor
Bill, by insert tool I am thinking you mean carbide. I haven't used them much, but have heard the Hunter tools are among the best. I have several hand made ones that I am not a fan of. I do use the EW detail tool. However my go to tool is the Thompson 5/8 bowl gouge. My previous bowl gouges were inexpensive and the Thompson is a huge step up. I wouldn't be without it. I also like the Thompson scrapers.
the Robust tool rest are the best IMO. If I were buying them one at a time I would buy the 12" straight (15" for a larger lathe), inside bowl, 4" straight, outside bowl, and J rest.
When working I had more money than time. In retirement I have more time than money. Love the time, miss the money.
Yes, that's what I meant, William. Insert tools is all I used when I was working in the shop. After looking at the prices of new inserts I think I'll be a little more careful with mine. In the shop most broke before they wore out because the cuts were deep.
So, you'd go with a boring tool first? Is your Thompson 5/8 bowl gouge an insert tool? Boring out the inside is where I struggle the most to sharpen the tool right.
William, is your Thompson 5/8 bowl gouge a "V" or a "U" design?
Contributor
Mine is a V. I'm just not into carbide. You put a fresh edge on a tool really great. Carbide doesn't change other than getting worse over time. Some people love carbide, I'm just one who doesn't. I have only turned with bought inserts. From what I am told the Hunter inserts are the best. I have never tried one.
When working I had more money than time. In retirement I have more time than money. Love the time, miss the money.
Moderator
Bill,Originally Posted by Bill Jobe
I've used and tried a lot of carbide tools. Mike Hunter's tools are NOTHING like the others. The cutter is extremely sharp and can be used in the bevel-rubbing mode just like a sharp spindle or bowl gouge. There are versions for deep and smaller hollowing. I have most of what Mike sells and if I could buy just one I'd get the Hercules - the small one is my favorite since I do a lot of smaller work. The large one might suit you better. John Lucas has some YouTube videos on using the Hunter tools.
For more conventional tools, it is hard to beat those from Doug Thompson and, I hear, dway. I don't have any dway but I have most of what Thompson makes and I get a great deal of use from the spindle and detail gouges (and spindle roughing gouges). I have the bowl gouges too which are also good.
As for tool rests, the Robusts are my favorite. The rod at the top is small and hardened steel. I don't use my cast iron and Best Wood Tools rests any more.
JKJ
I can certainly understand that, John. The tool rest on the Grizzly is no harder than the one on the HF mini. Very little use and it's time to smooth and wax it. ( that is the correct product, isn't it? Wax? I've just been using candle wax from Walmart.
Please steer me in the right direction if that's not appropriate.)
I'd think a reputable company would ship their lathes with steel tool rests, but....
Contributor
Asain manufacurers all put cast iron rests on their lathes.....even Jet & Powermatics.
Remember, in a moments time, everything can change!
Vision - not just seeing what is, but seeing what can be!
Moderator
Any kind of wax should work as long as it's slick and not sticky (beeswax might be, never tried it on a tool rest). Some use paste wax like Johnsons. I usually applied Renaissance Wax after filing and sanding. I've never felt the need to wax a Robust rest.
I think companies ship cast iron rests because they are cheap to make.
One little tip - I got one rest from Jet that had some visible porosity, small voids. Voids are not uncommon in cast iron but in this case it was on the working edge on top of the rest. Rather than try to file and sand it away, I just filled in the bubbles with JB Weld and used it that way for over 10 years.
JKJ
Member
Far as I'm concerned if you are dinging up your cast iron tool rest you are doing something wrong. Cast iron tool rests generally cost more than steel ones.
"One little tip - I got one rest from Jet that had some visible porosity, small voids. Voids are not uncommon in cast iron but in this case it was on the working edge on top of the rest. Rather than try to file and sand it away, I just filled in the bubbles with JB Weld and used it that way for over 10 years."
Back when I was working in the shop there were various length bars about 2 and a quarter in diameter made out of steel that were turned on CNCs. One day right after unloading a finished bar and was loading loading another, my back was turned away from the finished load I heard a loud "pop". When I looked back I discoversed the newly turned bar had snapped in two. The 2 broken ends had what appeared to be a crystalized surface. Very unusual. Kept the guys from the lab entertained for some time.
Contributor
I couldn't tell from your post how new you are to turning. I am very new, turning only about 6 months. I wanted to learn the basics of turning and not worry about the sharpening skills at this point, so I went with carbide insert tools; a smaller set first, the full-size Easy Wood tools (a detailer, finisher, and rougher). I love them but found the finisher is really a great tool for at least small bowls. The full-size tools have a lot of reach but I would guess limited for narrow vase-type turnings. For narrower bowls, I generally drill out the inside with forstner bits on the lathe, then finish up with the EW Finisher. I realize that these methods may not be for the purist but, as a beginner, it allowed me the opportunity to get into turning with minimum gouge sharpening skills and equipment (finally just mastering my chisel and plane blade sharpening skills). I enjoy the turning and don't really have to worry about sharpening at this point. I did buy a skew which I'm slowly learning to use and a dovetail chisel to make recesses in the bottom of bowls for my Nova chuck. I would highly recommend the Easy Wood tools, especially if you are relatively new to turning; the Finisher is really a great tool for turning bowls; at least for me.
Last night I grabbed a piece from my osage orange stash and turned it down to remove all bark and white (sap) wood. Wound up with a piece about 18" long. Decided I liked the grain so much I decided to make a vase with a recessed lid (out of sight).
Then I cut a recess on the end for the chuck, then parted that at about 2.5-3" for the lid. Then I began the difficult task of hollowing it out. In short time I knew my sharpening skills were not going to get it going down 12" or so.
Having said all that, I think I want a carbide tool for deep Hollowing to be my first carbide buy.
Any suggestions as to the right brand? None of the ones I found online looked like they'd do the job, but that's what I'm looking for.
The non carbide tools look great and I'm sure they would do the job quite easily, but I know I'd just ruin it the first time I tried to sharpen it.
Moderator
Bill, I don't think you should worry about sharpening the little HSS or tool steel bits commonly used in hollowers. They are extremely easy and very forgiving to sharpen. They are basically small scrapers in a heavy handle. You can sharpen them on any grinder either mounted in the tool or removed. You basically put some kind of curve on the front at an angle and leave the top flat. Look at the cutters the other John Jordan sells for his hollowers:
P5267942.jpg P5267941_2.jpg
The hardest thing is holding the bit since it gets hot! JJ also sells a little jig the works much like the Wolverine varigrind and a bunch of other jigs. This one holds the little cutter and you simply swing it back and forth to get the curved front. There are pictures of it in use on this page but you could make one simply enough:
http://www.johnjordanwoodturning.com...ening_Jig.html
You might take a look at his hollowing tools. I bought a set (and extra cutters and the sharpening jig) and they are well made and the handles are nice.
If you have one of the CBN wheels with the radiused edges sharpening these cutters while in the handle is easy too - these cutters are the reason for the radii. It's intended to hold the tool straight towards the wheel (against an angled platform) and move it left and right off the edge to grind the curve on the front and a little on both sides without having to swing a long handle left and right.
JKJ
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