Which is the first tool to buy?

[Eric Schatz]

I have turned a couple of bowls at school from one tool. It's a round carbide disk that can be turned by removing a set screw to get a fresh edge. It's the only good tool they had.

Now I'm about to buy a Harbor Freight lathe and I can only afford one tool. I was looking at the Alan Lacer tools and thought I could buy one of those monster skews. I could afford that but not another tool until maybe summer or so. I dont think a straight forward skew is a good idea. I want to turn bowls first. What tool do I need that will become part of my stable of tools later and also could get me there for a couple of months? I know I'll have to sand the crap out of everything because it won't be a finishing tool.

Budget is $100

Edit:
I have a grinder and am not afraid of sharpening these tools. I know a skew is a finicky tool and probably not a "first" kind of tool.

[Roger Chandler]

Buy a bowl gouge........and a parting tool.........you can get both for the $100 budget. Or even a starter set from Penn State industries [Benjamin's Best brand] you can get a 1/2" and 5/8" and a parting tool for under that $100 budget. You can use a faceplate for mounting the blank.

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/LX220.html

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/LX430.html (http://www.pennstateind.com/store/LX220.html)

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/LX230.html

[Bob Mezzatesta]

+1 on the bowl gouge..1/2" or 5/8". Leave the skew for much later. Parting tool is also a must have. You would do well to find a Woodturning club in your area. There are experienced turners there that will help you get going in the right direction. There will be tools and machines there that will help you decide what you need. If you learn the basics early you'll have more success and fun. Be sure to learn how to work safely. A lathe and sharp tools occasionally bite back.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I have turned a couple of bowls at school from one tool. It's a round carbide disk that can be turned by removing a set screw to get a fresh edge. It's the only good tool they had.

Now I'm about to buy a Harbor Freight lathe and I can only afford one tool. I was looking at the Alan Lacer tools and thought I could buy one of those monster skews. I could afford that but not another tool until maybe summer or so. I dont think a straight forward skew is a good idea. I want to turn bowls first. What tool do I need that will become part of my stable of tools later and also could get me there for a couple of months? I know I'll have to sand the crap out of everything because it won't be a finishing tool.

Budget is $100

Edit:
I have a grinder and am not afraid of sharpening these tools. I know a skew is a finicky tool and probably not a "first" kind of tool.

Skew is not a bowl turning tool.

I think you should spend $30 or so to become a member of a woodturners club, that way you would learn how to use the proper bowl turning tools, and do it safely, there are probably turners that have some tools that they don’t use much anymore after buying high end tools that you might be able to get your hands on for a low low price, anyway that is your best way of proceeding and spending your $$ IMO

[Eric Schatz]

I don't have a club near me. I know there is one about an hour and a half away but I don't get over there very often. What would be the advantage of getting a 1/2 and a 5/8 bowl gouge? Is there a sticky for this kind of thing?

[Roger Chandler]

I don't have a club near me. I know there is one about an hour and a half away but I don't get over there very often. What would be the advantage of getting a 1/2 and a 5/8 bowl gouge? Is there a sticky for this kind of thing?

You can do most anything on the size lathe you are speaking of getting with a 1/2" bowl gouge. I mentioned the 5/8" because some turners [myself included] like to use a larger bowl gouge for roughing work.........with a 12" swing on a lathe, the 1/2" size is plenty.

The 100 budget you have will allow you to get a bowl gouge, parting tool [I recommend the 3/4" diamond parting tool I linked above] and perhaps even a spindle gouge as well..............For starting out, Benjamins Best from Penn State is a pretty good way to go, inexpensively. Sometimes they sell sets that include bowl gouge, parting tool, spindle gouge and a roughing gouge for making square spindle stock round........if you could find one of those on their website, that would still be in your budget of $100.

This set is on sale now for $89.95........six tools, including a scraper which is a great tool for smoothing and finish work........

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/LXWM1007.html

[Thom Sturgill]

Go to Doug Thompsons site and buy a 1/2" bowl gouge unhandled and turn your own handle ($60) then go to Penn state and buy a parting tool ($15) and a scraper ($20). Shipping will probably put you slightly over your $100 but you will have some good basic tools. An inside scraper can save a lot of sanding and do a lot of material removal. Check out Robo Hippy's you-tube videos.

And visit that club....

[Kyle Iwamoto]

+1 on what Thom says. A good bowl gouge is where I'd plink down my hard earned cash. And Doug is one of the best. Since you're going to HF, check their lathe tool set. With a coupon it's a good deal too. Getting the set will put you over your limit. I still use some of the tools I bought years ago.

And yes, drive and join the club.

[Dennis Collier]

I used a HF tool set for 2 years. I still have them today and still use a couple of the tools. Don't buy the cheapest set they have but the middle of the road set. With a coupon, you can get the set and still have enough left over to buy a quality bowl gouge.

[James Combs]

...
This set is on sale now for $89.95........six tools, including a scraper which is a great tool for smoothing and finish work........
http://www.pennstateind.com/store/LXWM1007.html
+1 on Roger's recommendations. The set is very similar to the BB set that I started out with and still use some of them today. They sharpen up nicely and hold an edge for a reasonable amount to work, not like the premium tools I am sure but they will definitely get you going and doing things right.

[Harry Goodwin]

I have the better set from HF and find them great for the money. Benjamin's best are also great for the money. They are heavy tols that will do you well. HG

[Paul Gilbert]

+1 on the bowl gouge, but everyone forgot about sharpening it. This can be done on a grinder free hand, but there is a very long learning curve to do this and you will use up a couple of gouges before you get it right. Far better is to invest in a Wolverine sharpening system. That set up is over your $100 budget.

[Thom Sturgill]

I have the better set from HF and find them great for the money. Benjamin's best are also great for the money. They are heavy tols that will do you well. HG

I would not rate anything from Harbor Freight as 'great' - adequate at best. Benjamin's Best tend to be a solid notch better than HF and I would rate them as 'good' while Crown, Sorby, Henry Taylor, and P&N would get a 'Better' and Doug Thompson, and Dave Schweitzer get a 'Best'. Many others I missed because I am not as familiar with them.

The companies I rated below 'Best' are either using unamed 'HSS' or M2 HSS. There is a wide variety in how well and how consistently heat treating is done. I have seen complaints on HF tools being unhardened or only having 1/2" -3/4" hardened (personal experience). Compared to having a full tool properly heat treated, that is no bargain. While others may have had no problems, I contend that HF tools are just a crap shoot.

If you look at hand saw and band saw blades you will see the coloring on the tooth area only from 'zone hardening'. On a bandsaw blade this is good as the blade needs flexibility, on a hand saw not so much as it now means that the saw can only be resharpened a few times and is why hand tool enthusiasts pay extra for old Disten saws or new saws from a few select makers.

On a turning tools zone hardening is just a rip off.

[cody michael]

I have the better harbor freigt spindle turning set, they work okay, I also have the 4 piece benjamins best bowl turning set, you should be able to get both for around 100$ and that would give you a basic set for most anything.

what harbor frieght lathe are you getting? make sure it is the cast iron bed one, the others are junk, I have the high end harbor freight lathe and it works, its low speed is quite high when doing a 12 inch bowl and it is under powered around the 9-12 inch range, for smaller then 9 inch it works great, and is a great value in my book

[Bob Mezzatesta]

I don't have a club near me. I know there is one about an hour and a half away but I don't get over there very often. What would be the advantage of getting a 1/2 and a 5/8 bowl gouge? Is there a sticky for this kind of thing?
My club is an hour and a half away too. Meetings are once a month. The drive stings a bit but I'm always glad I went. Most clubs offer training and mentoring which will save you money and time in wasted effort and tools that you don't need. Try one meeting, usually free, and see if it's worth it. It will be. Cheers.

[Brian Myers]

+1 on the harbor freight set , still using mine years after I bought it especially the 3/4" spindle roughing gouge , 1/4" parting tool and the 1" skew. I have a number of Benjamin's Best and maybe HF tools have changed some since I got mine but can't agree that Benjamin's Best from PSI are any better . My first bowl gouges were from PSI and the hardening on them was inconsistent as were their spindle gouges, which meant sharpening them down a little further until I hit hard metal again. I actually still have them and use them for the bottom of bowls even though the 1/2" is getting short. I up graded to P&N bowl gouges and a spindle gouge from Lee Valley. The 1/2" P&N bowl gouge from Lee Valley runs $39.50 + shipping unhandled . Since you are just starting out the Benjamin's Best is still a good value especially when first learning to sharpen your tools and sharpening gouges will take a little practice. The Harbor Freight lathe you mentioned is the one I started with and is not a bad starter lathe. Be sure to weight it down well and even though the head rotates don't go wild with large out of balance blanks on it.

[John K Jordan]

Eric, I've been away from this forum for a while and just saw this. Perhaps another reply will still be useful.

Where do you live? There may be woodturners near you that may be willing to provide some mentoring and even lend some tools for a few months. For example I have old tools I will never use again and occasionally send some home with a beginner who comes to visit.


I didn't see if you mentioned what kind of woodturning you want to do, or at least what you want to do first. You have to decide that before you buy any tool. For example, you mentioned the skew and you mentioned turning some bowls. In case you don't know, the skew is never used on a bowl (although some people do use them for scraping); the same with a roughing gouge - many roughing gouges have been violently and dangerously broken when used on a bowl blank. Both of these tools are for spindle turning. If your goal is to start with making bowls, yes, you need a bowl gouge or two and perhaps an inexpensive scraper.. If you are interested in spindle turning (pens, tops, chair legs, magic wands, peppermills, etc) you might start with different tools: roughing gouge, spindle gouge, and parting tool and maybe a skew. BTW, the skew is my favorite tool! These tools do not have to be top-of-the-line to work. Remember, long before HSS and chrome vanadium tools were invented people were turning wood with tools most turners would sneer at today!


As you begin turning, I would recommend a few things:
- Purchase or borrow a few books. I especially like the general books by Richard Raffan and Mike Darlow. When I started I learned so much from these and other books. There are also DVDs produced by these and many other turners which are good, but the books actually contain far more useful information than the DVDs. These books will explain which tools are good to start with and why.


- Watch as many people turn wood as possible. This is just one of the values of a woodturning club. (Another is meeting people who are happy to teach what they know. I have turners from my club come to my shop for a few hours of turning and learning. Some have come just to learn how to use a skew.) BTW, a number of people drive well over an hour to attend our turning club meetings. You can also watch woodturning videos on YouTube - there are a zillion but note that some are worse than horrible.


- You may benefit from a class. The local Woodcraft store has classes every month.


- Learn to sharpen. The old adage holds: if you can't sharpen, you can't turn. You can indeed sharpen nearly any woodturning tool on a standard bench grinder with care and expertise. There are, however, some techniques and jigs that will make sharpening far easier and make your tools last longer. You can buy a Wolverine or even a Tormek someday, but you can also make these jigs yourself from wood scraps.


- Plan for a good chuck in your future budget. This will make turning SO much more efficient and enjoyable!


Good luck!


JKJ

[allen thunem]

you mentioned you turned in school but didn't mention if it was high school or college or a trade school, nor did you mention how long ago>
care to share that info??

[Eric Schatz]

I turned in a woodworking class that I take. There are a couple of turners in the class but mostly pens and small things. They have a huge powermatic lathe that I'm the only one that uses. I think I'll be getting a bowl gouge soon. I'm not afraid to sharpen on the bench grinder. I do this all of the time for other tools. I use sandpaper to hone and do all of the roughing on the grinder. Anyways, this thread has been a lifesaver. You guys are awesome.

[Dustin Brown]

I'll also add my recommendation for the Benjamin's Best set. Definitely worth the money to start with, but you will want better tools at some point for reduced sharpening frequency and better overall use.

I just want to add that you should be very careful and get some instruction or watch every video you can find one youtube. Brendan Stemp has a good video on how to properly use a bowl gouge. It can get real dangerous real quick if you don't know how to ride the bevel and roll the tool properly. You also mentioned a skew, that is probably the most dangerous tool around and is very easy to have something go wrong. I had a bad catch one time and the skew flipped 180 degrees and flew towards my leg point first. It wouldn't be very fun to have a huge knife hit the arteries in your leg. I know you're taking a class in school, I just can't stress the possible danger enough. Take it slow and do it right. Very deliberate use while thinking about what you're doing.

Anyway, have fun and stay safe. Turning really can be a blast.

[david privett]

I have had reasonable luck with the harbor freight wet grinder it has a 6 inch dry wheel and a 8 inch wet wheel .No tool rest to speak of but since it is slow I have had no trouble using my fingers to control angles and there is no heat to speak of. It is harbor freight so there is better but for the cost I feel it is a good option for sharping up chisels and pocket knives quickly for sure.

[Dennis Collier]

For the record, the HF tool set that has been recommended is HSS. The cheaper set they sell is not. No one recommended that set. Ive recommended tis set or beginners for along time and Ive never read a single complaint from anyone who use them. Like I said, its the set I started with and still have and even use a couple of them today. Ive also noticed that every time a beginner asks this question, the BB set from PSI gets recommended across the board. No one as ever been able to show me where the BB set and the HF middle of the road set are different. They sure look the same to me. In another thread on a different forum a guy who had owned both sets said they were identical. HF dosnt manufacture tools. Everything they sell is sold somewhere else under a different brand name. I once recommended a HF mini lathe to a beginner as a good buy and another guy told him it was junk but the Rockler Excelcior lathe was soooo much better. Lol. They are the exact same lathe with a different paint color. Now, Im not saying everyone should run out and buy HF tools. I will agree that 99% of everything they sell is complete junk. I just find it comical when people recommend the exact same tools and think they are just excellent if they come from some place other than HF.

[Geoff Whaling]

I have turned a couple of bowls at school from one tool. It's a round carbide disk that can be turned by removing a set screw to get a fresh edge. It's the only good tool they had.

Now I'm about to buy a Harbor Freight lathe and I can only afford one tool. I was looking at the Alan Lacer tools and thought I could buy one of those monster skews. I could afford that but not another tool until maybe summer or so. I dont think a straight forward skew is a good idea. I want to turn bowls first. What tool do I need that will become part of my stable of tools later and also could get me there for a couple of months? I know I'll have to sand the crap out of everything because it won't be a finishing tool.

Budget is $100

Edit:
I have a grinder and am not afraid of sharpening these tools. I know a skew is a finicky tool and probably not a "first" kind of tool.


I don't have a club near me. I know there is one about an hour and a half away but I don't get over there very often. What would be the advantage of getting a 1/2 and a 5/8 bowl gouge? Is there a sticky for this kind of thing?

Eric,

A 1/2" bowl gouge would be a good choice if you wish to do bowls first. IF you plan to stick with wood turning do your self a favor and purchase mid to high range quality tools. Thompsons are great but so are tools from Hamlet, Sorby, Henry Taylor etc. The lower priced tool sets are an option if you are on a tight budget. The higher priced tools generally (universally?) have better quality control, more refined design & manufacturing processes that result in well shaped flutes.

A 5/8" bowl gouge will require good torque & power from your lathe. Something many of the generic or clone lathes do not have a lot of, so it may be a waste of your money initially to purchase a 5/8" gouge. I would suggest a 3/8" & a 1/2" as first purchases.

Purchasing unhandled tools is a good recommendation IF you have access to sufficient tools to make the handles. It seems you don't. So purchase your first one handled.

A bowl gouge will let you turn some spindle work relatively safely - far more safely than trying to kill yourself - oops turn a bowl with a large skew.

Get hold of Keith Rowley's book a "Woodturning - A Foundation Course" it will give you a lot of good info on turning safely.

Stick with a good quality handled 1/2" bowl gouge for now. You can always sell them latter.