Man Cave

[fenris]

Hello the forum! I've been a lurker but recently got back into turning after a couple of years of not having time to turn (changing nappies!) so have now totally emptied and rearranged the garage to make a man cave! Have to keep half the garage dust free for children's toys, drying clothes and storing non tool things! Nice to see an active forum for wood turning that's UK based!

" yes dear, of COURSE I'll be doing house DIY jobs using the tools in here". Ahem!

I swapped Lathes from an older small lathe to a new Axminster 1hp jobby, very similar size but a bit more ooomph and larger over the bed, building that alone was an exercise in weight lifting! No more excuses but to stick on the now very light dried 12x3 oak blanks i was using to weigh down the lathe!


Couple of questions.

I need to get hold of a couple of new tools, are the Cryo (spelling Kryo?) tools much better than the standard HSS (and can they be damaged by overheating on a white grinding wheel? That's what I like most about HSS, almost undamageable, even by fools like me!

and

Any brand recommendations on tools Record Power Crown Henry Taylor or Axminsters own stuff?

Basically I need a Parting Tool, Round Nosed Scraper, Skew Chisel and possibly a beading tool (don't know though as how the heck to you sharpen one?!?!?!) for doing captive rings!

 

[Spindle]

Hi

Robert Sorby tools every time for me, however their Gold Standard titanium nitride plasma coated tools don't warrant the additional expense in my opinion, I don't notice much if any improvement in edge retention - they are still HSS so are heat tolerant.

Regards Mick

 

[CHJ]

Hamlet or Crown are my pick-up brands, handle length/tool balance suits me, as do a couple of Record brand, can't say I like the handle proportions of the Sorby I have, but that's a personal thing, if I make my own handles to fit unhandled steels I pick up from Ashley Iles at the shows they are more to the hamlet pattern or proportions.

I think you need to handle the tool samples from each supplier and see if they feel balanced in the hand, I know that's what has been the decider with me rather than brand name in my latter purchases.

For hobby use I don't see the benefit of paying extra for the slight improvements of differing friction reducing finishes or exotic steels, in eight years and some 1500 items turned I have not managed to use up any of my initial run of the mill HSS gouges.
If I put something on the lathe that I perceive as being a challenge to the basic HSS I resort to using a replaceable TCT cutter.

I tend to put spare cash toward another tool type or chuck accessory when and if I find a task I can't safely do or get frustrated using exiting tooling rather than think about buying 'gold' standard versions.

On the subject of your 'can they be damaged' I should think no more so than your HSS but you might find grinding wheel wear a little higher.

 

[tekno.mage]

I find that Ashey Iles turning tools seem to hold their edge the best - but they are expensive unless you buy them unhandled at shows or manage to pick them up second-hand. I prefer to buy my tools unhandled as (aside from them being a bit cheaper) I often find the supplied handles not really suitable for me, so would make my own in any case. Having said that, I quite like Crown tools and their handles are mostly ok in terms of length, shape & weight. I also have some Hamlet, Record Power and Sorby tools and all are quite satisfactory - although bowl gouges of different makes do have different flute shapes and you may prefer a certain shape over another. In terms of prices - I find Sorby rather expensive and don't like their handles much - often Crown & Sorby make a very similar tool - in which case I'd go for the Crown version as they are normally somewhat cheaper.

 

[henton49er]

I have a mixture of Crown, Sorby and Henry Taylor tools. I prefer the Henry Taylor ones for keeping their edge, balance in the hand and good value for money. I do have one of the Crown cryo bowl gouges, and do not find that it keeps it's edge much longer than the standard HSS version.

I sharpen my Ashley Iles beading tool with a diamond file - it never goes near my Sorby ProEdge sharpener.