Another beginner question

[Jonathan Smith]

Thanks to everyone who answered my lathe question. I've pretty much settled on the Delta 46-460. I don't really have any other turning equipment.

I'm hoping to learn to sharpen on the Worksharp which brings me to the question of tools.

I want something to get started with and learn to sharpen on. They don't have to be great, in fact I think I'll know more about what I need in the future when I have more experience.

Can anyone recommend a good beginner set?

I'm thinking I need a chuck as well. Any suggestions? Anything else I would need right away?

Thanks,
Jonathan

[Scott Hackler]

A decent inexpensive set is made by Benjamins Best. They are high speed steel and are a good starter set. http://www.pennstateind.com/store/woodturning-tools.html Note that there is a big difference in size, quality and price when you make the jump to the professional level brands. A nice pro level bowl gouge with a handle can cost more than the whole set of Benjamin Best.

[John Keeton]

Anything else I would need right away?

Thanks,
JonathanJonathan, that is the wrong question to ask this group!!!!:eek: You will get a list a mile long!

For "beginner tools" it is hard to beat the Harbor Freight "good" set (#47006), which is on sale right now for $43, but you can get a 20% off coupon, too. They are decent HSS tools, and will have most starter tools, but no bowl gouge. I would suggest a bowl gouge from Penn State Industries - again a HSS gouge that will work for a while.

On a chuck, of the three major brands - Nova, OneWay, and VicMarc, you will find Nova to be the cheaper and the one that is on sale most often. Whatever you do, stick with one brand so the jaws will interchange. Grizzly makes a clone of the VicMarc for around $105, and it gets good reviews.

For the Delta (1" x 8) the Nova G3 is a great chuck, and big enough to do anything you might want to do on that lathe. I still use mine on the Jet 1642.

[Eric Holmquist]

If you already have the Worksharp, then learning to use it to sharpen your gouges is a reasonable plan. If you don't, I would recommend buying a low (1725 RPM) speed grinder instead. If you visit other turners, the most common denominator will be a grinder.

I am somewhat ambivalent about turning tool sets, so will ask what sort of turning projects do you want to do? If your focus is fairly narrow, you would be well off to get a few modest tools that match your projects.

A chuck is nice, but you can start off with just a face plate, then add a chuck later once you get a better feel for what you like to do

[Mike Peace]

You will need a face mask. IMHO, I agree the cheap HF set with 20% off is a great deal. You can regrind several of the tools later for special purposes after you have been turning a while and start upgrading your tools. If you are going to turn, go ahead and get a chuck. You won't be happy long with just the face plate. I have the G3 and think it is the best quality for the buck, especially when they are on sale like now at Woodcraft.

[Bill Bulloch]

Depends on what you are going to be turning. If you are turning bowls make sure your set (if you buy a set) has a bowl gouge. Starting with a cheaper set of tools is a smart idea, you wouldn't want to grin away a $70.00 tool learing to sharpen it. Harbor Freight and ebay have some cheap ones.. Penn State's Benjamin's Best are good starters also, as a mater-of-fact I am still using some of the orginial Benjamin's Best that I bought several years ago a long with the more expensive ones that I have since bought. You don't really have to have a chuck to get started. You can turn bowls with the face plate that come with the lathe and a glue up block, but, you will surely want to get a few down the road along with a few extra face plates, hollowing tools, carbide cutters, extra tail stock live centers, 60 degree revolving centers, tail stock adaptor, power sanding disc, drill chucks, calipers, steady rest, moisture meter, cole jaws, verious mandrels, pen bushings, other pen turning supplies, some bottle stopper chuck, bottle stopper supplies. And ofcourse you are going to want to make some peppermills, key chains, and kaleidoscopes.. you'll need special equipment for these. Do you think you might want do to some segmenting down the road? Then there's *****. You get the idea; the lathe is the cheapest part of turning.

Good luck.

[David E Keller]

What are you wanting to turn? That makes a difference in what you 'need' to start... You can do a lot with just a bowl gouge and a spindle gouge. A parting tool comes in handy at times. I don't think you can have too many tools, but you can do an awful lot with just those three.

The Benjamin's Best tools are fine, and I'm sure the Harbor Freight stuff is OK, but I've never used any of their stuff. All the major chuck brands have fans, but I agree with John to pick a line and stay with it.

[Jon Nuckles]

Are there accessories for the Worksharp that guide the sharpening of turning tools, and gouges in particular? I've never worked with one, but I would definitely check that out if that was my sharpening system.

Many people do sharpen "freehand" and I am sure it is quicker and more flexible once you develop that skill. When you start out, however, learning to turn is much easier if you are not struggling with poorly ground tools. An 8" 1725 rpm bench grinder with decent wheels (avoid the gray ones at all costs) and the Oneway wolverine system with the vari-grind attachment (I prefer the original to the newer model) makes getting a properly sharpened spindle or bowl gouge easy, so you can focus on the turning.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

+1 on the first thing to buy is a face shield. Then a dust mask/respirator. ANY dust protection is better than none. I've taken some good hits in the face shield. I almost always turn with a shield. I ALWAYS have a form of eye protection.

I think the HF set is a really good buy. The tools are way better than average and dirt cheap. I'd invest in a quality bowl gouge if you're going to turn bowls.

I'll also agree with David, that if you just bought spindle/bowl gouges, and a parting tool, that you can do a LOT of turning styles with just those 3 tools. If that's the route you want, then I'd invest in "good" tools in that case.

Woodcraft has the Supernova chuck on sale as well as a small jaw set.

Have we helped spend enough of your money yet? :D

[Marty Eargle]

I'll +1 the HF tools. I've had them for a while now and still use most of them from time to time. They hold an edge just as well as most of my other tools.

[Chris Burgess]

You just need to go to your back and take a $10k load and buy EVERYTHING becasue that is what will happen. May as well do it now. That or RUUUUN, run far and run fast becasue the Vortex will find you and suck you back in. It does not release its prey once it has it.

I didnt get the HF tools becasue I started on a SS and had thier cheapo tools, HF's are likely better.

+1 on PSI. I just got a BB 5/8 bowl gouge in and it is nice. Had to hone it up some and the current grind is not my fav but all that is to be expected. Buy the cheaper tools to learn how to Sharpen them then buy $100 gouges later.

[Prashun Patel]

1) I have a WS3000. Great for sharpening flat blades. Hard to sharpen gouges and turning tools. Can be done, but you'll have much less frustration with a low-speed grinder and a Wolverine Varigrind. I think you should invest in this. That also means an AO wheel that runs cooler than the stock grey ones. IMHO, the 1st and most important thing in turning is having sharp tools.

2) What do you want to make? Spindles? Bowls? If you want to make bowls, I'd get a 1/2" bowl gouge and a parting tool or skew from Penn State. They're reasonable values and have served me ok. They'll allow you to turn a bowl and make tenons.

3) Chuck: The Nova G3 is a good buy and works well with that lathe. Make sure you get it with the right threaded insert. I can't imagine turning without one (although it's not an ABSOLUTE necessity).

4) Reserve your next few paychecks for all manner or sanding equipment, jaws, chucks, tool rests, adapters, steadies, etc. that you are (blissfully) unaware of yet...

[Wells Jacobson]

I'm a new turner also. I have found the most expensive purchase to be the pick-up truck-- got to get the logs home.
Jake

[Bob Hampton]

now wait a min here!...you would be surprised how much wood you can get in a trunk of a Nissan!..but you have to remember to take the receiver out of the hitch on the back bumper....the bolt of the hitch ball leaves a nice deep groove in the pavement as it drags the ground from the overload in the trunk!..damkit!....lol

[Jim Burr]

Get a truck!!
I see you mentioned a Worksharp. You will only be able to sharpen your skews and maybe your scraper/s with that. I'd opt in for a different sharpening system. I won't do the "It's a spiritual thing" but what ever tools you decide on will need sharpening. You can pop a $1000 or a few hundred. Some may dispute it, but go back and review the posts on sharpening...there are a lot! Your 3/8" whoever-made-it-gouge will last a few months or several years, but you better be able to sharpen it after a few hours/minutes of work. What ever you end up making...sharp is what matters...how long it takes to get sharp is up to you. Spindle or bowl really doesn't matter.
Face and lung protection are first...stop now until you have both.
Turn well!

[Josh Bowman]

I sharpen on a Tormek most of the time, but if I also use a slow speed grinder. The Oneway type system is popular and if on a budget can be built.
http://eddiecastelin.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/2_jig_121410.133190118.pdf
http://eddiecastelin.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/ellsworthsharp.54183427.pdf

(http://eddiecastelin.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/2_jig_121410.133190118.pdf)

[Bernie Weishapl]

I agree with Scott on tools. I have this set http://www.pennstateind.com/store/LCHSS8.html and still use most of them today. I also use this grizzly chuck http://www.grizzly.com/products/H6265 as it will accept all the jaws of the Vicmarc VM100 and is half the price. It is a decent chuck and just purchased my 4th so I don't have to change jaws.

[Jonathan Smith]

Ok, I do have a Woodcraft Slow speed grinder. What Wolverine stuff do I get?

As for the pickup truck, 6 cyl or 8? This may take some time....

Face shield seems like a good idea! So does a chuck!

I have a lot of wood, single boards left over from furniture projects that I'd like to glue up into "bowl from a boards" or simple segmented blanks. I see plans on the web for this sort of things. I see burl bowl blanks for all sorts of prices. Are there suppliers that people would recommend or is that closely guarded?

[Kevin Lucas]

I would say a varigrind first version if you are going to sharpen bowl gouges. Its very handy with an 8 inch grinder. I say 8 because with a 6 I would knock against the casing trying to sharpen. As for wolverine stuff I want a set but doing with a plywood V arm (cheap skate)
http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/store/Sharpening___Oneway_System___Vari_Grind_Jig___onew ay_vari_grind

[ray hampton]

Ok, I do have a Woodcraft Slow speed grinder. What Wolverine stuff do I get?

As for the pickup truck, 6 cyl or 8? This may take some time....

Face shield seems like a good idea! So does a chuck!

I have a lot of wood, single boards left over from furniture projects that I'd like to glue up into "bowl from a boards" or simple segmented blanks. I see plans on the web for this sort of things. I see burl bowl blanks for all sorts of prices. Are there suppliers that people would recommend or is that closely guarded?

the decision to buy a 6 or 8 or even the lowest 4 banger depend on what type of terrain and where you drive

[Jon Nuckles]

Get the basic Wolverine set up (base plus two arms, one with a grinding platform and the other with a v-shaped pocket) and the orignial vari-grind attachment (the vari-grind II protects you from slipping off the grinding wheel, but at the cost of forcing you to grind only in the center of your wheel). I would not bother with any other attachments at least at first. The white wheels that come with the Woodcraft slow speed grinder are fine for turning tools, and you can upgrade when you wear them out or the vortex calls.
If you can find a source of freshly cut logs (tree trimmers, town wood dumps, etc.) green wood is easier to turn than dry wood and is generally free. You may need to get a chain saw if you don't have one, and you will have to learn the secrets to drying your pieces and (probably) re-turning them, but there is nothing like the feeling of turning fresh wood and seeing the shavings fly across the room, not to mention making something nice from what would otherwise be firewood at best. If you want to buy turning blanks, though, you will find lots of recommendations via a search here.