Wally Dickerman
03-29-2011, 1:26 PM
As just about any woodturner knows, sharp tools for woodturning is a must. Sharp tools give a cleaner, smoother cut and are a great help in making woodturning such a pleasure.
Did you know that the AAW has a 90 minute video available on tool sharpening? Presenters are Bonnie Klein, John Jordan, Alan Lacer and Bill Johnson. Can't get any better than that. Beginners and experienced turners alike can benefit from this video.
There have been many threads where experienced turners have advocated buying cheap tools and wearing them out while learning to sharpen. I disagree. Hey folks, learning to sharpen your tools simply isn't that difficult. When you consider how many hours of turning and sharpening it takes to wear out a bowl gouge, buying low end tools is a false economy. Why not enjoy using the best?
I still have my first ever bowl gouge. It's a Sorby, HHS, purchased in the early 80's. It was retired a long time ago with about an inch of flute left. It took a lot of turning and sharpening to get it there. Did you know that early bowl gouges had a handle that was only 12 inches long?
Did you know that the AAW has a 90 minute video available on tool sharpening? Presenters are Bonnie Klein, John Jordan, Alan Lacer and Bill Johnson. Can't get any better than that. Beginners and experienced turners alike can benefit from this video.
There have been many threads where experienced turners have advocated buying cheap tools and wearing them out while learning to sharpen. I disagree. Hey folks, learning to sharpen your tools simply isn't that difficult. When you consider how many hours of turning and sharpening it takes to wear out a bowl gouge, buying low end tools is a false economy. Why not enjoy using the best?
I still have my first ever bowl gouge. It's a Sorby, HHS, purchased in the early 80's. It was retired a long time ago with about an inch of flute left. It took a lot of turning and sharpening to get it there. Did you know that early bowl gouges had a handle that was only 12 inches long?