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Thread: Starting tool selection...

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Northern Virginia
    Posts
    42

    Starting tool selection...

    As I see that buying the tools is an Abyss all its own ("What the heck - just give me the Sorby Grand-PooBah Turning Master 15 piece set for $900!") what is the recommendation for a decent starting tool collection?

    I'm mostly interested in bowl turning, but I will be doing some bonkers and I do have orders for some magic wands from my smallest in-house customers.

    I picked up a set of 3 bowl gouges ('Benjamin's best' - 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2") at the woodworking show and they seem pretty decent for something I'm going to learn how to grind on...

    So for the bowls I probably need to add a parting tool and a round nose scraper?

    For the 'spindle' stuff should I add a small gouge, a skew, and a square scraper?

    Suggestions?? Any recommended brands, places to buy, etc. that will be good quality and won't break the bank?

    FYI - for sharpening I have recently picked up the Woodcraft Slow Speed Grinder, Wolverine Jig and Vari-Grind - gonna be fingernail grinding those gouges soon!

    I know, I know, no pics....didn't happen...

  2. #2
    Woodcraft has some stuff on Closeout. http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=412

    It's a start. The hooks are in!!!!
    ~john
    "There's nothing wrong with Quiet" ` Jeremiah Johnson

  3. #3
    First off I don't reccomend people buy sorby ever without a really good reason. It isn't that I don't like sorby tools, I do own several, but there are usually other options to considder that make more sense to get. Why get a $65 m2 hss diamond parting tool from sorby when you can get an m2 hss diamond shaped parting tool from PSI for $13. Or for that matter why spend 475 for a 5/8" m2 bowl gouge when you can get a crown pro pm ellsworth gouge that will stay sharper at least twice as long for $10 more. Or for that matter why buy a sorby m2 anything that you can get in asp 2060 from hamlett or packard for less. Sorby has its place but it isn't the be all end all. Buying a sorby tool is usually like paying for a new cadilac and coming home with a pontiac... It may be nice and get the job done but in the end you probably could havedone better if you really looked at what you were buying.

    Secondly if you got the new PSI bowl gouges then congrats. What they used to call bowl gouges were nothing more than long spindle gouges, but recently I have heard talk and seen one pick of a true bowl gouge from them with a deep flute and decent fingernail grind from the factory. The old long spindle gouges could be used for turning bowls, heaven knows I turned a few hundred before I learned the difference; what a pleasant difference that is.

    The tools from PSI aren't really as bad as some of the stuck up tool snobs would have you believe, the biggest diffence between them and a sheffield english tool is fit and finish. Take a look at this review http://www.theturnersshop.com/turnin...eaptools1.html

    He also has seveal other good resources and tutorials his site is really worth checking out.

    The main thing you have to decide with PSI or any other the other brand of tool is how much is your money and time worth to you. You won't end up with bad tools if you went hog wild with sorby, but I think it is a mistake to do so simply because of the name.

    As for which tools you should get, I would get as many good tools as you can afford. The HF hss tool set is a great first purchase. the skew is worth the $40 and the set is usually cheaper if you print out the online price and taqke it into the store they will price match. The second set of tools is the PSI long and strong at $70 These are a little sturdier but can be used in conjuction with the other quite well. those are where I would put money into sets

    Individual tools I would buy as you get a bit of practice include

    1.5" scraper from PSI it is a cheap finish scraper that can't be beat for price or function. If you find yourself doing a lot of boxes get another one for a straight grind.

    HSS Tenon tool from PSI this tool is as good for design work or clean cut tenons as any of the name brands and at $10 1/3 their cost as well.

    A good bowl gouge. Assuming that they pawned the spindle gouges off on you (a pic for us will let us know) you are going to want a good bowl gouge. There are many options here and I think the best here is to decide what your budget allows. If it doesn't allow $85 for a high end bowl gouge from jerry glaser or bob sweazey then go with the lower end and get the best deal you can on an m2 hss gouge like P&N or something from packard or one of the store brands like artisan or pinnacle. Either go all the way or stay at the low end of the price scale.

    The final piece of good bowl turning equipment is a heavy duty scraper. There are some options and both have their merrits. A thick heavy steel scraper is going to tire you out and give you a great turning experience For the money you can't beat packard on this. Another option for a scraper that lasts and last is a carbide one. check ebay for carbide turning tools from joe at $34 each these are wonderful tools and a several online reviews of them. I bought the cutters separately for my shop made scrapers and hollowing rig but I have used to tools and really liked the feel.

    If you bought the sets I mentioned then you are completely set for all your spindle work.

    While there is no right answer for getting a chuck something you are going to to want to eventually I will say nova is the most verastile and cost effective of the available chucks. However i will pass along the chuck advice my mentor gave me after spending a many months waffling over whichchuck to buy, "buy a damned chuck and be done with it." There isn't a brand of chuck on the market that can't do everything the other brand does with only minor variances. 5 years later I am still using my original nova chuck and more often than not with the now 2" jaws that came with it. I also have a g3 and supernova and sn2 as well but find that whatever chuck you get used to will probably be the one you use most often and prefer out of confortability ( like a good pair of boots.)

    With the basics down I am going to disuade you from a practice you seem to be heading towards parting the bowl off at the chuck. I cringe every time I hear someone say parting tool and bowl in the same sentence. Working with a tool anywhere near your chuck is a very very bad idea, not only is there a great probability that you will screw up the bowl being gut stabbed with a parting tool that hit your spinning chuck isn't something you to happen nor the more likely proposistion of it going through your hand. First off being gut stabbed (or having your hand impaled) hurts more than you can imagine and is a permanent hurt. Secondly there isn't anyway you make the story or the impressive scarring sound cool. Making a bowl for my wife when I did something stupid and dangerous will never sound cool, heroic or make you look like you have any common sense.

    Past the basic advice on what to buy and what not to do there is a further list of what to make for yourself.

    To go along my piece of advice of what not to do in bowl turning either buy cole jaws, make a longworth or compression/donut chuck.
    Last edited by Brad Hart; 05-09-2006 at 8:28 AM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Northern Virginia
    Posts
    42
    Quote Originally Posted by Brad Hart
    First off I don't reccomend people buy sorby ever without a really good reason.
    Yeah - my Sorby reference was a joke - they are beautiful but no way am I going to drop that kind of money starting out.

    Quote Originally Posted by Brad Hart
    Secondly if you got the new PSI bowl gouges then congrats. What they used to call bowl gouges were nothing more than long spindle gouges, but recently I have heard talk and seen one pick of a true bowl gouge from them with a deep flute and decent fingernail grind from the factory.
    The ones I got are heavy, long, and have a deep flute. They don't have a true fingernail grind ATM, but I'm going to Vari-grind them into submission...

    Quote Originally Posted by Brad Hart
    With the basics down I am going to disuade you from a practice you seem to be heading towards parting the bowl off at the chuck.
    Not I! The parting tool is strictly for fine tuning the tenon (getting a slight dovetail on it) and maybe some grooving. In my bowl class we used Cole Jaws and a compression chuck for turning away the tenon and that is the route I'll go as well. I think the G3 chuck and Rikon lathe are the direction I'm going...

    Thanks for the other advise and links as well - I will check them out!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Goodland, Kansas
    Posts
    22,605
    Scott what Brad said. All of my tools except for 3 are PSI tools. They have served me well thus far and have had no problems. The other 3 are pinnacle and are cheaper tools but good tools. My 3/8" bowl gouge from them is one I use a lot. It has the longer handle and cuts great.
    Bernie

    Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.

    To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone.



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