this may be the beginning of a new obsession

[Clarence Miller]

After about a year and a half of reading and pondering I finally had to break down and start turning. First project other than a bunch of doohickey sticks was a gavel for a friend of mine who is going to be master of his lodge for the first time. I am amazed at how much it relaxes me to stand in front of my lathe and watch the shapes form.

Just one question: I like my bench chisels sharp enough to shave the hair off of my arm. Do lathe chisels need the same? I know some times really sharp tools are.......aggressive.

[Eric Holmquist]

Welcome to the vortex!

You want your lathe tools really sharp like your bench chisels! Through careful tool presentation, you can controlably remove very fine layers of wood if you have sharp tools. You loose control and cut quality with dull tools.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I find my tools off the grinder especially with the CBN wheel are plenty sharp. Don't know if they will cut hair like my chisels but plenty sharp for turning. I do hone two or three times while turning and then back to the grinder. If you have to start putting pressure on the tool it is time to either hone or hit the grinder.

[Reed Gray]

The fine edge for getting a bench plane to cut properly, and some times your bench chisels, isn't too good for woodturning chisels. Think of it this way. After an hour of turning bowls, I can have a full 25 gallon trash bag of shavings. How long would it take you to cut that much with a bench plane? A utility edge (from 60 grit stones to 220 or so, some hone, some don't) is more practical. Skew chisels are generally honed though. Bowl gouges not so much.

robo hippy

[John Keeton]

CW, glad to have you in the Turner's Forum! In a perfect world, having a gouge as sharp as a plane iron would be great. But, as Reed says, it just isn't practical. One could spend a good deal of time achieving that edge, just to have it disappear after the first 3-4 minutes of turning. The tool just gets too much mileage against a piece of wood spinning at several hundred or thousand rpms.

I also use the CBN wheel, and since you have an appreciation for sharp tools, you would be pleased with the edge you will get from a 180 CBN wheel. Reed didn't mention it, but he uses one, as well.

[Doug Herzberg]

I am amazed at how much it relaxes me to stand in front of my lathe and watch the shapes form.

Just one question: I like my bench chisels sharp enough to shave the hair off of my arm. Do lathe chisels need the same? I know some times really sharp tools are.......aggressive.

It's really fun, isn't it? Even when it doesn't work out. You can spend hours and have nothing to show for it and still feel good about the experience.

I agree with my more experienced friends who have already commented on sharpening. Tool presentation is key to the finish you will get. If you haven't already learned the different ways to cut with a gouge, spend some more time with the videos or an experience turner.

When you start a piece, you just want to remove a lot of material to get where you're going, but it's not a bad time to practice the finish cut you plan to use. That way, you'll get a feel for how the wood you're working with is going to cut while there is still plenty of time to change your approach. You'll also get a feel for when it's time to put a new edge on the tool. When you're ready for the final cuts, go to the grinder or get out your hone, if needed. And don't forget your 80 grit "gouge." As you practice, you'll find you don't need it much. You probably won't even want the 120.

[Doug Herzberg]

I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.
Winston Churchill

Clarence, this is one of my favorite quotes. We keep pot bellies as pets, so I know the truth of Mr. Churchill's observation. I'm not sure how he came by it. As a former Iowanian, I know what real hogs are like, too.

[Thom Sturgill]

I look at it this way, the sharper you start, the longer the blade stays sharp enough to be usable.

A wire edge (from the grinder) may cut better for a few seconds but soon breaks off often leaving a duller edge than can be used. I have seen pros that grind only and re-grind twice before finishing a single finishing pass because they used that burr rather than properly cleaning it off. That said, it does not pay to spend too much time honing, just a few strokes on the sides for the shear cuts. I rarely try to hone the nose, and favor V gouges to U shapes probably for that reason.

[Rick Markham]

Welcome to the vortex! All the above is excellent advice. I look forward to seeing where this aspect of woodworking takes you, it's already taken me on a journey I could never have expected :)

[Jamie Donaldson]

The vortex utilizes different tools, shapes and alloys, than flat work, so it is not realistic to make many direct comparisons when it comes to sharpening. The skew is one of the few turning tools that really benefits from honing after leaving a well tuned grinder with the proper wheels.

[Clarence Miller]

I turned my very first ring on a stick without it exploding!

[Clarence Miller]

Well guys and gals, I'm now hooked on turning. I can't go to the shop without chucking in at least one chunk of wood.

[Roger Chandler]

Well guys and gals, I'm now hooked on turning. I can't go to the shop without chucking in at least one chunk of wood.

Not a bad way of life, eh, CW? :D;)