first set of chisels required??

[skeetoids]

Hi,

My personal advice is by the best tools your money can buy.

The chances are your going to get hooked so I wouldn't bother waisting a £10 on a tool that you'll probably want to raplace soon anyway. Also, even if you don't stick with it the more expensive tools will have a higher resell value.

The thing is, it's your cash and your choice, sometimes lots of advice about this thing can confuse you but eventaully you make your choice and go for it.

Cheers,

Lee.

 

[mikec]

Hi,

I also bought the set mentioned by Lee and I still use all of them.

Whatever you decide get good quality.

Best wishes for the long slope ahead

Mikec

 

[gandy]

i call myself a a novice turner, because i only make one iteam (lots of jewellery, no bowls, platters, etc )

when i started i got the small set from crown, and a roughing out gouge again from crown, they where well worth the money, and im sure i'll buy crown tools again (although un handled) they are well made, have have lasted well.

i may buy the odd tool from axminsters own line as a gap fill for a tool i think i may not use often, but other then that, i cant offer anymore help, good luck! and have fun

 

[big soft moose]

I would only really say one was necessary if you start doing bowl work or using green timber / turning with bark on etc. While you are learning and using smallish diameter prepared spindles I think it is OTT

I tend to disagree , even a piece held between centres can come off and give you a nasty whack - when i was starting out I had a piece of rosewood 2" square between centres, and it came off and hit me in the teeth hard enough to cause a dental bill that ran into three figures.

Anyway - When i drop the wood off to XC next week I will stick one of our old strimmer visors (with integeral ear defenders) in the sack too so thats that item taken care of for a while anyway.

 

[big soft moose]

Morning Tony

Welcome to the slope.

I would recommend this book ...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Woodturning-Fou ... 1861081146

Lots of useful stuff in it, including advice on gouges.

Cheers

Dave

I'd second that recomendation - I would lend you my copy but i've already offered to lend it to petersk

 

[UnicycleBloke]

I bought the Sorby set of six, and have used all of the tools. £99. The only issue I have with them is that my inexpert grinding means they likely won't last as long as they should.


Al

 

[PeterSk]

I reckon that that £10 Perform tools from Axminster actually are very useful, they're cheap enough that you can grind the end away to your heart's content trying out different shapes, especially on curvey gouges.

Then once you've worked out what shape you like you can buy a better quality tool and transfer the shape without grinding away all your expensive steel in the process

 

[xc-mtbr]

must admit i'm quite drawn to these at the moment they would allow me to sharpen without the worry of ruining expensive tools, they would also serve as to deciding exactly what i would purchase when upgrading as i would (should) have more of an idea about what i'm doing.

Also moose i purchased that arbor and a load of sandingpads to go with it today from axminster.

 

[skeetoids]

Hi,

I would avoid cheap tools at all costs, the idea that you'll get any sort of satisfaction from them is nonsense.

Are you really going to be that bad at sharpening? I don't think so. Why waste a £10, just cough up the readies and by a proper set.

This idea of buying 1 tool, then another, then another is illogical and obtuse, usually cause folk are stingy to shell out on quality tools.

Sorry for the rant but you can never spend too much on a quality tool!

The idea of spending a little as some sort of test is also dumb in my mind, know what you want, research and commit, stick with it, learn it, master it.

Btw, i'll give you 10 cheap, cs lathe tools for free and I bet you a £10 you'll be buying a quality set within a month!

Reply here or PM me if you would like me to send you the tools.

Cheers,

Lee.

 

[big soft moose]

Hi,

I would avoid cheap tools at all costs, the idea that you'll get any sort of satisfaction from them is nonsense.

Are you really going to be that bad at sharpening? I don't think so. Why waste a £10, just cough up the readies and by a proper set.

This idea of buying 1 tool, then another, then another is illogical and obtuse, usually cause folk are stingy to shell out on quality tools.

Sorry for the rant but you can never spend too much on a quality tool!

.

yes and no - I agree with you that carbon steel turning tools are a waste of time and money.

However I'm not sure that its true that you can nver spend too much on a quaulity tool - the diference between a hamlet or crown bowl cgouge and a robert sorby or henry taylor can be 20 or so notes - but the hamlet/crown ones are perfectly okay even for proffesional work - and to an extent after a certain point you are just paying for the name.

so while its true that there is no point in buying cheap tat - there is no need to spend the national debt either.

 

[Bodrighy]

Can I step in here and put in a plea for carbon steel tools. Everyone is knocking them. That is all there was for a long time and some incredible work has been produced with them. OK so it means you need to sharpen more often but you can get a really sharp edge very quickly. I use a couple I got for a pittance on Fleabay for small work and don't need to sharpen at all until the job is finished. You are all making them sound like the devils tools and they aren't. Used properly they are fine

pete

 

[sparkymarky]

a similar thread to one i posted a couple months back, i got a set of sorby tools from ebay (as seen here https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/goug ... ht=chisels gouges) if you are patient then a quality set from ebay can be aquired at a reasonble price which will do to start, then build on your collection once your skill devolps and you know what you need to devolp.
hope this helps.

 

[Silverbirch]

As BSM suggests, Crown, Hamlet (and Record Power) are perfectly good brands of decent quality and they are easily available at good prices. They are robust and well finished, capable of top quality work in the right hands.
Buying brands such as these will leave you that wee bit extra in your pocket to spend on other kit (which you`ll soon discover you need!)

Good Luck

Ian

 

[Deejay]

Morning all

Lee, you say

'The idea of spending a little as some sort of test is also dumb in my mind, know what you want, research and commit, stick with it, learn it, master it. '

The point is that at the moment Tony doesn't know what he wants. It may be that whatever he buys , the grinding angles suit him 'out of the box'. If they don't, it's better to grind away at cheap steel than waste an expensive tool. DAMHIKT.

I also agree with Bodrighy that CS tools are not a complete waste of time. I was given an old bowl gouge which takes a really sharp edge for a final pass over awkward surfaces.

If I were Tony I'd take up your kind offer of your unwanted CS tools and then build up a collection of better quality stuff.

Cheers

Dave

 

[Bodrighy]

As with most hobbies you can get hooked on new tools if you aren't careful. Buy tools as you need them. To start you need a roughing gouge, spindle gouge, bowl gouge, parting tool, which can do most things. Get Keith Rowley's book as well and go through that doing all the exercises. Different bevels etc is very much a matter of personal preference so don't just go by what we all say. With those three tools you should be able to do most spindle and face work you want to at the start and you can add as you go along. If you feel brave a skew is a really useful tool as well. If you find that you really like turning and want to start doing other things or bigger things you can add as you need.

Pete

 

[guyandzoe]

I imagine you have already made up your mind what to get.

I dont do spindle work but for bowl work I would start with a mid sized bowl gouge (i like the superflute style of flute) to give some ability to work well over the rest. And then you need something to make the recess/shape spigots to hold the wood on the chuck. I use a skew on its side as a scraper.
You might find a small (no bigger than inch to start) full round scraper useful to eliminate the bumps and dips but they arent a necessity despite what the books may tell you.

Follow what your teacher says and read as much as poss to begin with. Then bearing all that in an open mind make your own mind up as you go along as to how you do it best. Apart from safety there is no need slavishly to follow anyones instruction or methods.

I have no opinions on what to buy as far as quality and makes carbon v HSS is best for an absolute beginner. Just get something and just make shavings.

 

[NikNak]

Now you see it....

now you dont.....

Tony came this afternoon and went away a very happy man.... well at least i think he did..?

He reckoned he was going via Axminster Tools on the way home to buy some chisels...



Nick

 

[big soft moose]

Can I step in here and put in a plea for carbon steel tools. Everyone is knocking them. That is all there was for a long time and some incredible work has been produced with them. OK so it means you need to sharpen more often but you can get a really sharp edge very quickly. I use a couple I got for a pittance on Fleabay for small work and don't need to sharpen at all until the job is finished. You are all making them sound like the devils tools and they aren't. Used properly they are fine

pete

theres nothing wrong with carbon steel per se - especially in experienced hands like your (or mine for that matter) - however the fact that they dont hold an edge for long and blunt easily is not ideal for a beginer who wont necessarily realise the tool is going blunt until he starts to get grain tearing (and maybe not then) - also the repeated trips to the grinder arent great for building enthusiasm for the hobby.

Also those tools off ebay that I was demonising its not just a matter of them being carbon steel - they also have crappy handles offering very little grip and which arent long enough to give good tool control - plus i would be willing to bet that the tang etc is quite short and quite possibly the fit between handle and tang may also leave a lot to be desired.

I agree that its not worth spending out hundreds on chisel when you are first starting (or quite possibly ever) but a decent set of crown or hamlet HSS wont break the bank and will give a beginer a more satisfactory experience as an intro to the hobby - they also hold their value better if he decides turning isnt for him and wants to sell them on.

 

[Bodrighy]

I agree that cheap tools are not only a waste of money but can be potentially dangerous. I remember being given some cheap tools when I started and ended up with a roughing gouge going at right angles were the tang bent. The CS tools I have bought have been old, 'vintage' ones. I must admit with two I rehandled myself. I use them as I said on small spindle work like my crochet hooks where I find the edge stays long enough to do the whole thing.

Pete

 

[xc-mtbr]

right update,

Fetched the lathe pictured and yes im over the moon and it now has pride of place in my shed, (well,all the space to be honest my sheds tiny lol) Thanks NikNak.

Axminster was shut so no chisels yet. boooo

I reckon im gonna get three individual chisels crown seem to offer the best value for money i can see from axminster.

so its gonna be a RO gouge, spindle or bowl gouge???? and a parting tool

any opinions on these and maybe sizes would be excellent