Picked up a set of chisels... good price or no?

[Ned Bulken]

I picked up a vintage set of Disston-Porter lathe chisels, a

1" Skew
1/2" Skew
1/2" diamond parting tool
1/2" Spear point
1/4" Gouge
1/2" Gouge
3/4" Gouge
1/2" Round nose.
They're used with 10" handles and a nice patina. They even still have the original cardboard organizer . Buddy from over on the WWA passed them along for what he paid for them, and he even freshly honed them on his Tormek for me. Well, he didn't have the gadget for the Skews, but I can stop up there again and he'll tune them up for me anytime once he gets the gadget.

grand total $80, I looked around a bit online, but didn't get a good feel for that set... I saw some individual Disston chisels for about $10 each, though. And they're bound to work, at least to learn on.

[Harry Pye]

Ned,

These chisels are probably made of high carbon steel. They will take an excellant edge but will not hold that edge as long as High Speed Steel. (you can't have everything!)

Be careful sharpening them. If they get hot and turn blue, they will be ruined. Well, at least the blue area is ruined. So grind with a really light touch and keep a container of water handy for cooling.

As to cost, a similar set of HSS tools from Harbor Freight sells for about half of what you paid. But you have a really nice set of good, old (they don't make them like that today) chisels. Use them carefully and they will give you years of service.

[Ned Bulken]

About what I figured, but in the end, I have tools that I can learn on and replace when I outgrow them. I'm looking at the opportunity to do things 'right' (ie, learning to keep them sharp w/out messing them up). Progress is a nice thing, but considering how long and how many turnings were done with the old school tools... I suspect I can still learn with them, Right?

[Jim Becker]

Ned, please take what Harry mentioned about overheating the tools very seriously. Unlike HHS, the temper can be lost at a very low tempurature. Quenching (water) is pretty much essential when sharpening along with an extremely light touch and only grinding for very short "passes" at a time. Learn to touch up the edges with a stone (or diamond hone) between infrequent grinding. (A good time-saving practice even with HHS tools... ;) )

[Ned Bulken]

Jim,
will do, I'm going to do everything I can to keep these in turning shape and that will mean taking it easy when sharpening, and quenching often.

[Jim Becker]

No need to quench the HHS tools, however...if I'm not misaken, it's undesirable to do so. But I could be just remembering something incorrectly.

[Kurt Aebi]

Ned,

If you have access to a Low Speed grinding system, it would be ideal for the edge grinding on Carbon steel chisels. I bought the inexpensive Delta low speed one and I even use it to keep the edge on my HSS chisels as well.

Oh Yea! Nice Score, even though they are probably Carbon Steel, they are a high quality brand and should last quite a while. Another benefit of starting with Carbon Steel that requires more sharpening - you'll get the much needed practice at sharpening them. (I'm still learning the sharpening thing myself!)