Wood Blanks & Perform Tool Kit

[wizer]

Hi guys. 2 Quick questions.

Firstly, am I right in saying that it's cheaper (if only a few quid) to buy the perform turning tools seperately ?

http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Perf ... -21761.htm

Also

Where is a good place to get some wood blanks? Predominately for practising? The only place I could find local to me was SL Hardwoods but their prices seem very high.

 

[bigjoe]

Yep £3.20 cheaper if you buy seperately,maybe the extra is for the nice box
Quite alot of tree surgeons now have cottoned on the turning blanks market...or what about Stiles & Bates near dover?


Joe

 

[loz]

postage a factor in seperate items ?

 

[bigjoe]

I think Tom is less than an hour away from Axminster so would probably collect them...Sorry Tom,just being a smart buttocks answering for you.

Joe

 

[Argee]

Where is a good place to get some wood blanks? Predominately for practising? The only place I could find local to me was SL Hardwoods but their prices seem very high.

Stiles and Bates do mail order, but I've no idea of their current pricing.

Ray.

 

[Carl]

Hi Wizer.

To buy them separately it would cost £54.23, a difference of £3.26, I always thought that buying the set would of been cheaper.

Carl

 

[wizer]

Indeed it seems you are paying for the box.

Is there any merit in the really cheap tools on eBay?

 

[bigjoe]

Maybe if they're cheap enough,and of decent hss stock or even good carbon steel,might be worth taking a chance if cheap enough.

I know nothing about turning but i know slightly more about metal

Joe

 

[wizer]

I think Tom is less than an hour away from Axminster so would probably collect them...Sorry Tom,just being a smart **** answering for you.

Joe

Yes that could be the case, however it's free shipping over £50


Ray: cheers I will try S&B

 

[wizer]

Maybe if they're cheap enough,and of decent hss stock or even good carbon steel,might be worth taking a chance if cheap enough.

I know nothing about turning but i know slightly more about metal

Joe

None of them list what metal they are made from and I suspect the sellers don't have a clue. But i'm guessing HSS is HSS, isn't it? Or could they be made out of Aluminum

 

[bigjoe]

Im sure you make up the extra few quid :wink: and save yourself the lovely A2

Joe

 

[bigjoe]

HSS is Basically HSS but the seller might just say it's HSS when it's just a carbon steel (and not a good grade one), it's difficult to tell with actually having them etc.

 

[PowerTool]

Tom - the e-bay ones will be carbon steel ; you won't get even the cheaper HSS for under £10+ a chisel.
Remember that carbon steel tools do still work,they just need sharpening more often.

Andrew

 

[Bodrighy]

Also ask yourself whether you really need all the tools in a set. Buyuing individually you can choose what you want. A bowl gouge, spindle gouge, parting tool and possibly a skew are really all I need fo 90% of the things I turn though I do have others. At the end of the day you only need different sizes and types as you progress and do different things.

Pete

 

[wizer]

That's a good point Pete. Which is why I though you always got a discount when buying a set. Because they were forcing tools on you which you didn't need. TBH the Perform set looks ideal, I think I'll be investing on pay day.

 

[John. B]

Tom,
If you're buying off the Bay, you should be OK if you buy named tools.
ie. Crown, ashley Isles, Henry Taylor, Sorby. Hamlet. To name a few.
Have a word with Allen first, I think he has some spindle gouges, scrapers, and parting tools.
So long as you stick to the named variety, you should get a few tools a lot cheaper than the Bay or Axminster. :tool: :tool: :tool: :tool:

John. B

 

[boysie39]

Wizer, are you saying you were in Blister's shop and you havent got some tools?? :shock: :shock: :shock:
REgards Boysie.

 

[The Shark]

Wizer,
I bought the perform tools, and took them to our club to sharpen on a Sorby pro system. Sharpening it on the settings suggested by the pro changed the grind angles from those that the tools came with (slightly), but this doesn't matter as I will always sharpen to these new angles now.
IMHO sharpening this way is good for a beginner as it reduces the amounts of variables involved, which can only be a good thing when you are starting out.
I am happy with the tools as a starting point, and as I do and learn more, I can make up my mind about what will be useful, and then buy better quality tools that fit the bill.
Hope you get what you want.

Malc

 

[wizer]

Boysie I think Allen said he didn't have the full plethora of beginners tools and suggested I get meself a new set then add to it from his 'stock' as and when I need it. I haven't made my mind up about which tools I need/want yet. But I'll probably buy the individual performs.

Sharpening is the next headache. Just when I thought I had my Woodwork chisel and plane method sorted, now I've got to work out how I'm going to do the turning stuff. I like the look of the Pro-Edge but it's expensive. I'm thinking I'll have to struggle with a cheap grinder for a bit. It's a massive outlay all at once.

 

[PowerTool]

I've got the Perform yellow version of this - very rarely use the coarse wheel,but the wide white wheel is excellent.
If you're not comfortable with sharpening freehand,there are plenty of jigs that can be made to assist (often from offcuts,for little or no money) along the same idea as this.

Or if you already have a grinder,you could just change one of the wheels,which should do you until Allen sorts you out a Tormek.. :wink:

Andrew