new turner questions

[john brenton]

Hey everybody!

I finally made the leap from meat powered to 120. Its a harbor freight 14" x 40, so I'm sure some of you are thinking that its more of a baby step than a leap.

I've already noticed a few possible issues and tuned up a few things. But if it keeps running the way its running now ill be very happy with it. All I'm doing is spindle work for chair legs and last night I turned a set. After doing them on the pole lathe I can do this alll day.

I'm sure ill be popping in with questions, but my first one is about chisei sharpness.

I was using a set of Diston carbon steel lathe chisels for the pole lathe. They are razor sharp to 8000. I bought the HF HSS set for tjhe roughing gouges only, but I am REALLY impressed. Perfect angles, relatively sharp, flat...shocking.

Anywho, the HF chisels made for really smooth turning. The Disstons left a glassier finish but wanted to dig in too much.

What am I going for here? I know guys turn right off the grinder. But what is the ideal?

Thanks!

[David E Keller]

Congrats on the motorized machine... Now that you won't be exercising while you're turning, you can develop your turning muscle!

I'm not sure I understand what you're asking, but I tend to use my tools straight off the grinder. I hone my skew before and during use, but the majority of my tools meet wood directly after seeing the grinder.

[George Morris]

Welcome! Most turners go from the grinder to turning, You may be back and forth to the grinder for a bowl a couple of times. When you use the skew some will hone with a diamond card to get a finer edge after the grinder. Turners use a white wheel on their grinders and you only have to use the grinder for a few seconds.

Good luck this is a great site for help, and post some pic. of what you do! G

[John Keeton]

John, my experience on a pole lathe was about 2.5 minutes!! All I had the energy and patience to stand. I suspect that the tool presentation on a pole lathe is different perhaps than it would be otherwise, and the angle of the grind of your carbon tools may not be correct. That is the only thing I can think of, as the HF tools, while reasonably sharp out of the box, probably are not as sharp as one might want for turning.

[Thom Sturgill]

Your carbon steel will take a finer edge, but will not hold it very long against rotating (motor driven) stock. Many of us DO hone our HSS tools to minimize trips to the grinder. I am not trying to get as fine an edge as I do on a hand plane blade, but I still find that I have much more time between grinds.

[john brenton]

That first post came out weird last night, not sure why...(six pack maybe?)

The Disstons aren't real old...they aren't high carbon steel...and aren't modified for the pole lathe so they were never specifically "pole lathe" tools. I just wanted REALLY sharp and didn't have anything to sharpen HSS at that time. Those HF freight chisels were pretty dang sharp...really, just a slight hone away from shaving hair.

So, from what I gather, some guys go straight from the white wheel grinder (180?), some guys additionally hone the skew, and some guys touch everything up on the hone, but aren't going for paring chisel sharp.

I guess what I really wanted to know is if you get the glassy surface from your chisels taken directly from the grinder, or touched up on the stone...or is that more of a technique issue (going with the grain)? I just want to make sure that if I'm not getting the surface I like it's because of technique on the lathe, not technique on the grinder.

Thanks!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Welcome. I use a Tormek to sharpen my HSS tools and hone them on the unit. If I use my grinder I go straight to turning after touching up a gouge on it. My wheels are 80 grit and 120 grit. I do hone my skew to shaving sharp with a diamong hone.

[john brenton]

John,

I'm 29, and I was about 27 or so when I first gave a pole lathe a try...I was so excited about the ribbons of wood flying and finally being able to make something more than a plain cylinder that I didn't even notice that I had spent hours on it. I was in terrible pain for a week...from the shins all the way up to the onions. I learned to go slower, and I built up the strength and technique. I came, I saw, I conquered (somewhat...I'm no professional pole lathe turner by any means), but at least I know I can make quality work with it....and I'm DONE with that.


John, my experience on a pole lathe was about 2.5 minutes!! All I had the energy and patience to stand. I suspect that the tool presentation on a pole lathe is different perhaps than it would be otherwise, and the angle of the grind of your carbon tools may not be correct. That is the only thing I can think of, as the HF tools, while reasonably sharp out of the box, probably are not as sharp as one might want for turning.

[John Keeton]

John, re: the glassy surface comment, I suppose that is achievable - particularly with a skew if one masters it. However, for me, it is so easy to hit the turning with 150, 220, 320 and 400 while on the lathe that it just isn't worth the effort to try for a glass finish. I am much more concerned with the accuracy of my spindle pattern than the surface. Sandpaper is cheap, and it takes less than a couple of minutes to fully sand a spindle turning to a surface ready for finish.

[john brenton]

I've seen your work, John. And if you say sandpaper is good enough then that's alright with me.

You hear these things, like "a good turning shouldn't need any sandpaper", and you wonder what your goals should be and makes you question your work. It reminds when I was a plumber all the old timers would say "with good threads you don't need any teflon or pipe dope"....But they all used teflon and pipe dope on perfectly good threads.



John, re: the glassy surface comment, I suppose that is achievable - particularly with a skew if one masters it. However, for me, it is so easy to hit the turning with 150, 220, 320 and 400 while on the lathe that it just isn't worth the effort to try for a glass finish. I am much more concerned with the accuracy of my spindle pattern than the surface. Sandpaper is cheap, and it takes less than a couple of minutes to fully sand a spindle turning to a surface ready for finish.

[Steve Schlumpf]

John - Welcome and looking forward to seeing your work!

The statement that a 'good turning shouldn't need any sandpaper' sounds like something that would have come from the production turners of the early 1900s. Back then everything was painted and to take the time to sand it would have wasted time as well as not be necessary. Today - when we are turning more for ascetics, a good turning is one in which you can start sanding at a much higher grit. I do not know of any turner who does not sand their work - unless they are going for rustic or a surface texture.