Where to start?

[aardvark4design]

Hi everyone
As an amateur/DIYer who is relatively good with wood and tools due to being in the signmaking industry for nearly 20 years I thought it about time that I ventured into the world of turning! My lovely wife has bought me a Record DML24 that was only used twice and in immaculate condition but nowt else! So i am looking for advice on which tools/faceplates/accessories etc i should be looking to buy. I thought this tool set might be a good start? Robert Sorby 67HS 6 Piece Turning Tool Set

 

[tekno.mage]

Most turners will advise against buying a set of tools when you first start out - as it's likely the set will include some tools you will end up hardly using and not contain some you will decide you definitely need - so it can be a false economy. Having said that, Robert Sorby tools are good quality, if a little pricey compared to some of the competition. Ashley Iles, Crown & Hamlet also make good woodturning tools - with the Crown & Hamlet ones being a little cheaper.

For spindle turning (that is turnings where the grain of the wood is parallel to the lathe axis - items such as handles, legs, candlestick, small boxes etc etc) - the minimum you will require would be a spindle roughing gouge, a parting tool, a spindle gouge and probably a skew chisel of some kind. All of these tools come in different sizes and the skew chisel comes in different types as well (oval bar, flat bar, round bar etc) - it is also possible to use a wide parting tool (called a beading & parting tool) like a skew for turning beads etc.

For cross grain work like platters and bowls you need a different basic set of tools - the most basic being the bowl gouge (which again comes in different sizes), and you may want some scrapers too.

You will probably want to get a chuck for the lathe as well.

Your best bet would be to visit your local woodturning club (you should be able to find the nearest club using the AWGB's website http://www.woodturners.co.uk )where you will be able to talk with members, get some basic instruction and possibly even try some tools & accessories before you buy so you can find out which suit you best.

I would also recommend the book Woodturning: A Foundation Course by Keith Rowley as an excellent starting point. There may also be a DVD of the same name.

 

[aardvark4design]

Thanks Kym

 

[CHJ]

Where to start?

A read through the 'New to turning' sticky at the top of the forum might be a help, specifically the Help & Safety notes.

 

[andersonec]

A mine of information can be found here.

http://www.turningtools.co.uk/

Andy

 

[nev]

What Kym says is quite correct about most wooturning tool 'sets', there's usually at least one tool included that you'll never use, but that being said all the tools in the Sorby 67HS will be used and should probably cover most of your initial requirements.

you will also need to sharpen them a lot more often (hourly?) than hand tools, so you'll need something to do that , anything from a bench grinderto a specialist bit o kit.

A definite plus one for the keith rowley book. =D>

have a read through http://www.peterchild.co.uk/info1/firsttools.htm then use the search function of the forum for suggestions as to 'which chuck?' or 'which grinder' etc. They are frequently asked questions and discussions.

HTH and Welcome

P,S. a quick copy and paste from a post earlier in the week ...
some reputable (and reasonable) 'tool' companies to contact and deal with are the likes of Peter Child, The Toolpost, Axminster, Rutlands amongst others.
Crown, Hamlet, Henry Taylor, Robert Sorby and RP are all decent tool brands and, I think, all British

 

[chill]

Hi Aardvark, join a club, you will find lots of helpful like minded people, locally to you are several
Wessex Woodturners who meet at Yandles in Martock
Somerset Woodturners who meet in Bridgewater
Burnham-On-Sea Woodturners in Burnham
Weston Woodturning Circle in W-S-M
they all meet on different days, further details on the AWGB site
HTH cheers Chris

 

[aardvark4design]

Thank you all for your comments. I think I have the tools sorted but what about chucks/faceplates/thing with one screw in the middle?!

 

[tekno.mage]

Hi Aardvaark,

I'm presuming your lathe came without a chuck, faceplate, or screw chuck? You may, or may not, need any or all of these. It rather depends on the type of woodturning you intend to do. Having said that, I doubt there are many woodturners today who would go without the most expensive of these items - the chuck. These days this means a four jaw scroll chuck, which can take removable jaws of different types and sizes, appropriate to the size and type of work you want to do. There are several of these on the market, costing around £100 - £150 for a basic chuck with one standard set of jaws and a drive screw (which you can use with the chuck instead of a seperate screw chuck). For maximum versatility regarding different sets of jaws, the Peter Child's Versachuck can be adapted to take the jaw sets from other manufacturers systems! You will need to know the spindle thread size of your lathe before buying a chuck.

I'd be surprised if your lathe was originally supplied without a faceplate, but if it was second hand, the faceplate could have gone missing before it got to you! In general faceplates are used to mount crossgrain blanks of wood very securely (as they screw onto the wood) for bowl and similar turning. The usual type screw directly onto the lathe spindle (so must be the correct size for your lathe), but you can also get "faceplate rings" which are rings of metal with screwholes in them to allow them to be screwed onto the wood and are then mounted on the lathe by holding the metal faceplate ring in the chuck. Faceplates and faceplate rings are generally quite cheap (£10 - £15).

As with the tools, I'd seriously advise you to go to your local woodturning club where you will be able to see, handle and discuss the pros & cons of various chuck systems before you part with any money!

 

[aardvark4design]

Thanks again Kym!

 

[Peggy]

I would also recommend Keith Rowley Woodturning a Foundation Course. It's really good.

 

[Jonzjob]

I can't add much to what has been said above, but what I will say is that my first lathe was a DML24 and it is a good little lathe and you will have some very good fun with it as well as producing loads of lovely things.

i look forward to seeing the photos.

Also, welcome to the forum!!