need some turning chisels - advice please?

[nicguthrie]

I'm on a fairly tight budget, I've spent most of what I had to spare on my Lathe and other parts for my workshop, but the guy that was going to provide me with a decent second hand set of chisels recently pulled out, and I have no tools to go with my lathe!

I'd rather buy new hand tools, as my wife has severe OCD and I'd be unable to take second hand ones into the house if I wanted to spend some time patching them up or whatever (were talking proper medical OCD) The set I was going to get was from a friend that had them since new, so she'd have been ok with them.

I'm a little at a loss. The set I was getting was a 5 piece Robert Sorby HSS set, but that's water under the bridge. As a beginner I think I'd like HSS ones so that I don't have to worry so much about "bluing" the metal while grinding, and I'd like at least for my first set, to not go over £100, so can anyone advise me on a good beginner set, and where to buy them? All I've found locally is Faithfull brand, and I'm not sure about the quality of those.

Any advice is welcome, links appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Nic.

 

[Spindle]

Hi

Slightly over your £100 budget but I'd recommend holding out for the Sorby starter set:

https://www.turners-retreat.co.uk/produ ... g-tool-set

They were the first turning tools that I bought and have been in use without issue every time I've turned since, the quality is very good. I think you will find that you will use every tool in the set fairly regularly, (unless you intend to only venture into bowl work).

Regards Mick

 

[nicguthrie]

Oh, and I forgot to mention, I plan on pen turning, bowls, small lamps and such, all pretty small stuff. I've bought an Axminster 1416VS lathe, which I think is classed as a Midi lathe? It's without stand, I'll be using it directly on my bench top.

Is it worth getting a Midi set of tools? or Even a micro or small set - since I'm planning mostly small work? I don't know if maybe these are what I should get, or whether they may be just there to pull additional customers, as so many options are for so many things, and no better in use than the standard size.

I'm here to learn, so feel free to instruct

Thanks for the feedback so far.

Nic.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Any money you save by buying a set will be offset by your having a couple of tools you'll never (or very rarely) use. Pay attention to what's actually in a set : make sure there's a chance you'll use all of them.

 

[Spindle]

Hi

I have several mini sets from Sorby but I only ever use them for minature work so I wouldn't recommend you start with them.
A midi set may suit you if you have limited space over the bed however I would think you would be better with full sized tools.
Regarding having little used tools in sets - from your ambitions there will be no tool you won't regularly use in the Sorby set I recommended.

Regards Mick

 

[paulm]

Have a look at Toolpost and other retailers for a 3/4" roughing gouge, 3/8" spindle gouge, 3/8" bowl gouge, and a parting tool which should be all you need and will do most things initially. You can add a skew and scrapers later if you find you need them. Don't bother paying extra for the premium brands, it is arguable whether they offer any benefit in practice for hobby turners and maybe for any turners, beyond slightly better aesthetics and finish.

Brands like Hamlet and Crown for example are perfectly serviceable and cost less.

You should be able to pick up those tools for significantly less than £100 all together I would expect.

Cheers, Paul

 

[Sheptonphil]

Hi

I also am new to turning and this forum, and also purchased the AW1416VS (The lathe was the white model, now re-branded trade and selling over a hundred pounds dearer).

I went to Axminster and picked it up on New Year's Eve just gone. I also purchased the Axminster HSS set of six gouges (axminster code 400228) and a crown pen set (111067).

I have been in the workshop six or eight times since mainly turning Beech and Sycamore from my wood store and pine posts from a bed factory. The wood is over two years old and really dry. The gouges and chisels work brilliantly as long as kept sharp. They do a lot of work before losing their edge. However, I think I should have spent a little more and bought the Crown full size set, buy cheap, buy twice!

As I knew I wanted to turn pens I bought the pen set at the same time, and have made three pens so far, in Beech, Pink Ivory and Burr Elm. The smaller set really helps with finer work.

I now know what all you peeps on here mean by the slippery slope.

The lathe turned out to only be half what I spent that day, and have since been letting the moths out on a regular basis with the other little extras, the Tiger 2500 sharpener, pen sets and blanks etc..Oh, need a new drill for that set! And on it seems to go.

I am really inspired by Nev's progress and can only aspire to improve as he has done in little over a year.

Will upload a few pics of my starter efforts when I work out how to.

Phil
Shepton Mallet, Somerset.

 

[Jensmith]

I have a small set of chisels as i wanted to turn miniature items but they are only really suitable for very small stuff. I got those off Ebay for about £12 a few years ago and actually they've been very good. Made in Sheffield. Hold their edge nicely. I did use them for pen turning initially as it was all I had but roughing down the blank is slow with small tools!

Other tools I have include a Crown roughing gouge which has been good quality and I got for christmas a Ashley Isles skew after really liking the handling of it and other Ashley Isles tools when I had a days tuition with Richard Findley. I got that from Workshop Haven and they even ground the edges off at the manufacturers to make it a rounded edge skew. Can't fault the service and it has a lovely feel to it, nicely weighted and not too expensive. Might be worth a look.

Otherwise, go with Crown.

 

[Neil Farrer]

I turn a lot of pens and I could get away with just one tool, Ashley Isles H60M miniature continental spindle gouge. Its on page 37 http://www.ashleyiles.co.uk/Catalogue.pdf two other tools I us frequently are the H60 continental spidle gouge (page 29) and the H54, Reg Sherwin roughing gouge (page 30), but could easily do without the last. They are also good value, particularly if you manage to pick them up at shows where they are always offered around 20% below list.

 

[M P Hales]

Only been turning a short time but have only bought Crown tools and find them very good if that helps.
M

 

[nicguthrie]

Wow, thanks for all the input. Lots to think about there.

I had originally looked at the crown brand as an option, but got a little carried away by all the choice! Couldn't think where to start, whether at the cheap end, or to invest in some of the more expensive and "posh" sounding cryo treated stuff.

I really don't know a lot about woodwork in general, having only been at it about a year, but one thing I have realised is that with my personal tendancy to obsess over doing the best job possible with my limited skill, I've very much more enjoyed using the better quality tools I've bought, than the cheap options, and often found that, especially with steel cutting tools, the better the quality, the better the results.

I'll look into them a little more before I choose. Thanks for the advice regarding smaller tools, I'd have probably bought a set then needed a full size set too!

Am I worrying to much over the steel by wanting HSS ones? A Turner I know advised me to buy HSS to avoid the annoying overheating trouble you can get while grinding, but I'd assume they don't all burn quite as easily as some of the cheap bench chisels I started out practising my sharpening on?

 

[paulm]

All the makes mentioned will be HSS rather than plain carbon steel, in fact I'm not sure who if anybody sells carbon steel turning tools these days, HSS is the norm and yes is much, much better for the job.

Cheers, Paul

 

[Neil Farrer]

All the makes mentioned will be HSS rather than plain carbon steel, in fact I'm not sure who if anybody sells carbon steel turning tools these days, HSS is the norm and yes is much, much better for the job.

Cheers, Paul

Ashley Isles still sell some carbon, but cant necessarily agree with you Paul that HSS are always better. They undoubtedly hold the edge longer but you can't get them as sharp in the first place, horses for courses.

 

[paulm]

Fair point Neil, but for a new turner, and most hobby turners like myself I suspect, HSS will do pretty much everything needed and without the drawbacks of the carbon steel tools in my experience.

Cheers, Paul

 

[Wildman]

get some, hee hee