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Post by sdb777 on Dec 5, 2009 5:31:15 GMT -6
What brand of chisels do you use?
Was wondering if there is a difference between the 'budget set' and the 'high grade/cost set' also?
For the tools you use, how often do they require sharpening? And what do you use to sharpen them?
Scott (that's a pile of questions) B
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Post by sachbvn on Dec 5, 2009 6:17:30 GMT -6
I was advised to get a slow speed grinder, and the wolverine sharpening system, total it was like 200 bucks from woodcraft, and I know that it seems like a lot, but it is a lifer investment and it's about the best out there. If it's easy and quick to touch up your tools, you'll do it more often, which you should do.
You want high speed steel, and most turning chisels are. I have a 5pc set from grizzly that was like 55 bucks. It works just fine for me, in fact I'll only add to it, not replace.
Hope this gives you somewhere to start from.
Zac
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Post by TDHofstetter on Dec 5, 2009 7:10:51 GMT -6
I've got a wide assortment, from very old Craftsman carbon-steel tools to a number of pretty-high-end name-brand HSS tools. I don't own any of the sintered (powdered metal) cryogenically-treated tools. There IS a difference between "budget" tools and "good" tools. The "good" tooling is generally more dependable in hardness; the cheap tooling's hardness isn't as uniform as one might hope for (I've seen some pretty soft HSS). The finish on the cheaper tools isn't usually as good as the finish on the higher-end tools, either. That may not seem important, and it's NOT until you're experienced enough for it to BE important to your work. If the inside of the flute on a bowl gouge isn't polished, for example, that bowl gouge cannot be sharpened as sharp as it could with a polished flute. Insignificant until you've got a fair amount of experience, though. The mean time between sharpenings is really hard to gauge. The qualities of any individual piece of wood (abrasiveness, grain irregularity, "knot shock", variances in wood hardness, etc) can make a huge difference in how long an edge lasts, and so can your skill handling the tool, your bevel angle, the quality of that bevel, the grind direction, and the surface grade of the bevel as you return it to the work. Some grades of HSS can hold an edge longer than other grades in abrasive conditions, some can resist impact (as from knots or interrupted cuts like roughing or live edges) better than others. I personally use a high-speed grinder for most of my sharpening, and a belt sander (120 grit) for the rest. For a long time, I used only the belt sander for lack of a decent grinder & good wheels... and it did a satisfactory job. The Wolverine and good wheels give me a faster, easier sharpening, though. High-speed sharpening takes more attention and a softer touch than low-speed sharpening, but you can return to turning much faster - losing less focus & muscle memory. I'm not likely to turn off the lathe while I touch up the edge of a tool with the grinder. I like to recommend cheap starter tools. The really expensive ones get ground away just as fast as the cheap ones do at first, and pretty often you get lucky with the cheap ones - sometimes they're every bit as good as tools with a much higher price tag. Packard ( packardwoodworks.com/) sells some very respectable middle-ground tools, halfway between "chinese unknown" and the high end, and their prices are pretty easy to swallow. My favorite bowl gouge is still a Packard-brand tool.
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Post by sachbvn on Dec 5, 2009 7:32:13 GMT -6
I would DEFINITELY buy a lower priced set of tools if you are not experienced with a grinder.... the Wolverine jig makes it much easier - but it is still easy to get carried away....
Also - if you get the wolverine jig and grinder - take EXTRA time setting it up - follow the directions - make sure the tool holders are lined up in the center of the wheel.... it's pretty important because... if they are cocked to one side - when grinding you inherently look at the center of the wheel....so.... you are actually grinding sort of a compound angle. If they are lined up correctly the jig will do exactly what it's supposed to - and nothing more.
Zac
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Post by boodrow on Dec 5, 2009 13:49:33 GMT -6
I started out with sorby , and have bought lower end since. There is a difference in the quality in my opion. Not to say there is anything wrong with the lower end , they tend not to stay sharp as long , and the grinds are generally off. Boodrow
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Post by Ruffnek on Dec 5, 2009 15:23:52 GMT -6
I started with the 8-piece HF set of turning tools. Later I bought a 1/2" Sorby bowl gouge when I started bowl turning. I later bought a 3/8" Crown bowl gouge and still later got a 1/2" Thompson gouge. I've also got 3/8" Sorby detail and spindle gouges.
So......
I can't tell much difference between the Sorby, Crown and Thompson gouges. They are all good and I put my own grind on them so that isn't an issue.
I would recommend you get a cheap set like the HF set and perhaps a Benjamin's Best gouge from Penn State to start with, along with a Wolverine jig and a slow or VS grinder with 60 and 100 grit white or pink wheels.
When you are proficient at sharpening, then try one of the higher-end gouges.
If you like BIG then get a 5/8" Ellsworth bowl gouge. That sucker has a handle like a baseball bat!
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Post by maverick31 on Dec 6, 2009 9:10:31 GMT -6
I started and still use an old set of craftsman tools. I bought a set of 8 dollar hf tools just to practice sharpening with. It helped me to learn a little bit but other than just playing with the grinder these were pretty much worthless. I bought a thompson bowl gouges about 6 months ago and find my self using more than all the others. I am getting 3 more tools from thompson for christmas. They come presharpened from him and I only sharpen every so often. I bet I sharpen the craftsman tool 10 or so times to the thompsons 1 time. They cryo steel tools really do hold a good edge compared to old carbon steel
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Doug B
WoW Member
[b]Rescued Firewood[/b]
Posts: 1,938
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Post by Doug B on Dec 7, 2009 19:41:28 GMT -6
I'm still using the Harbor Freight chisels for the most part, except for a Sorby Spindle Master that I use a lot for pens.
I use a slow speed grinder for all bowl gouges with a white wheel. Spindle gouge, skew, and Spindle Master all get sharpened on a Worksharp 3000 that I have attached to the far end of the lathe ways. When I really need a sharp skew, I hone it on a diamond plate after using the WS 3000.
Like Tim, my grinder and WS 3000 are close enough that I usually leave the lathe running during the few seconds it takes to freshen up an edge.
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