Tools update

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Recieved a box from Vaughn McMillan yesterday....A used set of HF turning tools. First turning tools I've ever layed eyes on. I'm telling you folks, you have a rooky on your hands. Also a couple of nice walnut pen blanks inside too! Now I just need the new grinder I ordered, the wolverine jigs and I can start learning how to grind. Thanks again Vaughn!

[George Conklin]

One of the many things I've learned during my short time turning is the importance of sharp tools. Once slightly dull, the turning goes down hill for me. The Wolverine system should be a very nice addition to your new addiction.

George

[Dennis Peacock]

Not to fret ken.....I threw you another small bombshell via Priority Mail yesterday. Part of it is for you and the other part is for you and the LOYL!!!!:D

So...maybe tomorrow or Saturday? I don't know exactly when, but could be early part next week. Just depends on if our mail service here has traded the 18 year old mule for a new horse and buggy or not. :rolleyes: :D

[tod evans]

way to go vaughn, now ken we need wheels for johns chariot..02 tod

[Steve Clardy]

way to go vaughn, now ken we need wheels for johns chariot..02 tod




:D :D :D:D :D

[Andy Hoyt]

And there's an envelope on it's way to you from Benton Falls. Hefty Contents!

[Keith Burns]

OK Ken you have the lathe, you have the tools, you have the wood, you have a dvd or two, you should have your grinder and wolverine jig within a day or two, so I could expect that WE could see some turnings of some type by, let's see....the 15th of February:D

[Vaughn McMillan]

Glad to see you got them, Ken. As I mentioned earlier, those chisels will give you plenty to practice with when you get your sharpening rig set up. They are a pretty good example of what chisels shouldn't look like. (Note to the others...they were dull when I got them...I take no credit or blame for their condition. ;) ) Dressed up, I'm betting they'll curl some wood.

Enjoy -

- Vaughn

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Folks...........the wolverine jigs have shipped but the grinder is backordered until after the 20th of February.

My wife did say......shop finished or not ..........I'd better be turning something!:eek: :D

[Bill Stevener]

Folks...........
My wife did say......shop finished or not ..........I'd better be turning something!:eek: :D


"Ditto"

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Keith Burns]

"Ditto"

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

Ditto Ditto......Ok you should have something to show us by February 24th:D :D

[Bernie Weishapl]

Ken it is now time for chips to fly my friend.

[Vaughn McMillan]

Ken, you show more self-restraint than I ever could. If I had a brand-new lathe sitting in my shop, I'd be tempted, no, compelled, to put a hunk o' wood on it and start spinning it around. If I didn't have chisels available, I'd be sharpening an old screwdriver on the sidewalk just to give 'er a whirl. :) I'll bet you could manually sharpen one or two of the HF chisels enough to give the lathe a test drive. ;)

- Vaughn

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I'll try to find some way to sharpen a gouge this weekend and show you some return on you investment.

[Dennis Peacock]

My wife did say......shop finished or not ..........I'd better be turning something!:eek: :D

I agree.....but remember.....take your time. We would like for you to stay all in one piece and No Blood!!!!!! :p :D

[Corey Hallagan]

Allright Ken! You will be in good shape soon!

Corey

[Bob Noles]

I'll try to find some way to sharpen a gouge this weekend and show you some return on you investment.

Ken,

Go get a cheap wet or oil stone and put an edge on one of those HF tools (don't sell them short as thay are not bad at all) then put something between the centers and let er rip. You have never had this much fun and not have to go to confession afterwards :D

[Bernie Weishapl]

Put a edge on those tools Ken and take a 2 x 4, split it and make the two round. Have a ball.

[Dale Thompson]

I'll try to find some way to sharpen a gouge this weekend and show you some return on you investment.

Ken,
Don't let all of the above "spin-heads" put a lot of pressure on you! :) MY advice is to just relax and get mellow! :cool: HEAVY street drugs, both solid and liquid, will take you a long way toward Excellence - that is spelled D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R!! ;)

DVDs and stuff are great but OJT is the only way to REALLY learn. You may wish to start with sharpening on a scraper. Remember, no matter WHAT anyone says, using a scraper is NOT a turning SIN! The next one you may wish to try is the skew. I would strongly suggest that you try the "Raffan Radius" on the skew. It is much more forgiving and looks a lot less scary than the straight bevel on a typical skew. :eek:

Also, before you attack any wood, you will need a roughing gouge unless you are starting with a dowel. That is good because the roughing gouge is the easiest to sharpen. Wait a while before you get into the Wolverine Manual on "side grinding".

Vaughn did a very generous and wise thing with the HF tool set. :) They are an excellent set of tools for practicing your sharpening skills. Besides, you are not going to "mortgage the farm" as part of your learning curve. In addition, they are not a bad set of tools when it comes to actual turning and holding an edge. :)

Ken, I know that you already know all of this stuff but I wanted to emphasize the "sharpening" thing. I have read comments from the "Pros" who claim that the majority of turners have never, "known the pleasure of turning with a PROPERLY sharpened chisel"! :( The #1 reason that folks give up on turning is that they never learned how to sharpen. Reason #2 is the Skew - but that is another story. :cool:

Ken, I'm sorry for the boring, redundant post! :o It's just that I am a boring, redundant person!! :o

Dale T.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Dale...........you're never redundant or boring and I value your opinion.

[Jim Becker]

Also, before you attack any wood, you will need a roughing gouge unless you are starting with a dowel. That is good because the roughing gouge is the easiest to sharpen.

Roughing gouges should only be used for spindle work...the wood must have the grain running parallel to the spindle. It is very unsafe to use them for faceplate (bowl/vessel) work for a number of reasons including they snap off very easily...thin tangs.

But I do agree they are very easy to sharpen, but even with them, the best and most consistent results come from a support like the Wolverine system.

[Dennis Peacock]

Ken,

I light of what others are mentioning. To get used to the wood spinning and you sticking a tool into it? Get you a decent piece of 2 x 2 pine about 12" long and put it between centers. Start it on your slowest speed and ease a roughing gouge into the wood. Rub the bevel first and ease it down until it starts cutting, then move up and down the toolrest. Once you get a "feel" for this, speed up the lathe and do it all again. Pine is mentioned as it's soft, forgiving, and easy to work with on your first attempts at turning. Spindle turning and bowl/platter turning are worlds different, so the first thing you need to pay attention to is how you present each different tool to the wood for cutting.

As Dale mentioned, thank Dale......take a piece of round stock and practice with a scraper. A nice sharp scraper will "cut" very nicely.

Just have fun and experiment with all the different tools. Some, you will like more than others and may become your favorite turning tools. This will give you a feel and idea for what tools to purchase later on down the road as you gain more turning experience.

I won't bore you any longer as you have already had lots of advice, tips, and pointers. :D

[John Hart]

Cool Ken! No need to work on the Chariot though. I'm fresh out of horses. Oh Ken...don't forget...the deadline for the Next IT contest is February 28th. You might want to get started now.:D

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Gee John.......With the current price of oil, you could save a lot of money using a chariot........grow your own fuel on the acreage.........the horses would help create burl.........they help fertilize their own feed.......and I'm sure some little ones would then consider you the world's best Dad!




Daddy......I wanna horsey!

[John Hart]

Ok Ken...Tell ya what...If you turn me a set of Chariot Wheels for the IT contest...I'll get a pony to pull it. A Palamino with white socks.

[Mike Ramsey]

Ken, your very first time turning is a sacred event!! You should be nekked
for this first adventure!! And by all means start with the skew! :D

[Jim Dunn]

Ken, your very first time turning is a sacred event!! You should be nekked
for this first adventure!! And by all means start with the skew! :D

Yeah Ken you should be nekked but for a rain coat and a face sheild. Then your wife will know why we like to turn so much:)

Jim

[Bill Stevener]

A Mike, that may be fine for you folks down in Texas, but Ken lives in Idaho, you should at least allow him a pair of fur socks. :D

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Dale Thompson]

Roughing gouges should only be used for spindle work...the wood must have the grain running parallel to the spindle. It is very unsafe to use them for faceplate (bowl/vessel) work for a number of reasons including they snap off very easily...thin tangs.

But I do agree they are very easy to sharpen, but even with them, the best and most consistent results come from a support like the Wolverine system.

Jim,
Thanks for filling in the gap! I wasn't thinking of Ken turning bowls at this point. It's no wonder that you are a MODERATOR and I'm NOT!! :) :D

I also agree on the Wolverine jig for sharpening the roughing gouge. It's a "slam dunk". I don't even have to use that "vari-grind" thing that requires a LOT more talent than I possess!! :) :) Anyway - GOOD CATCH! :)

Dale T.

[Carole Valentine]

Gee John.......With the current price of oil, you could save a lot of money using a chariot........grow your own fuel on the acreage.........the horses would help create burl.........they help fertilize their own feed.......and I'm sure some little ones would then consider you the world's best Dad!

Hey, Ken...quit stalling! We want to see some SHAVINGS!!!!:p:D

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Hey folks....if you have to turn Naked the first time.....I'm going to be sacrilegious! The neighbors already wonder about the guy next door! The last thing I want is to remove any doubt from their minds!

[Vaughn McMillan]

Yeah Ken you should be nekked but for a rain coat and a face sheild. ...
What a coincidence! I was doing that a couple weekends ago. But I don't have a lathe. I was just doing it to freak out the people at the grocery store. :p

- Vaughn

[tod evans]

Ok Ken...Tell ya what...If you turn me a set of Chariot Wheels for the IT contest...I'll get a pony to pull it. A Palamino with white socks.

ken may just get some help on this one! now that you`ve commited!..02 tod

[John Hart]

ken may just get some help on this one! now that you`ve commited!..02 tod

Sure....and if you help Ken make wheels, you can come and clean the stall every day! Sounds good to me! Thanks for your help Tod!!:p

[Ken Fitzgerald]

OKay folks...........John Hart is trying to take advantage of a rookie turner! He knows I won't have the sharpening tools or the acquired skills to "TURN" a set of chariot wheels before the IT contest is over. So here's my offer.......if someone would be willing to "produce" a set on the "itty bitty" size, of course! ............I'll pay to Fedexem to me.........I'll "turn" them around and send them on to John.........Therefore I will have turned a set of chariot wheels for the IT contest. In return, that sweet daughter of John's will get a palamino horsey she so wants! Any takers?


Ok Ken...Tell ya what...If you turn me a set of Chariot Wheels for the IT contest...I'll get a pony to pull it. A Palamino with white socks.


Daddy.......I want a horsey!

[Jim Dunn]

Ken it may not be the most effective way to sharpen, but, I've sharpened my HF tools with wet/dry sandpaper. The same way I sharpen my chisels. It's worked pretty good, not as good as a Wolv system but hey I don't have one of those. I just tried to follow the general profile of the tool being sharpened. Touch em up now and then and they seem to cut with out too much trouble.

[John Hart]

.......if someone would be willing to "produce" a set on the "itty bitty" size, of course! ............I'll pay to Fedexem to me.........I'll "turn" them around and send them on to John.........Therefore I will have turned a set of chariot wheels for the IT contest. In return, that sweet daughter of John's will get a palamino horsey she so wants! Any takers?....!

Soooooo...Just so I understand this lopsided deal....Is this what we're suggesting here?
31566

[Bill Stevener]

OKay folks........... here's my offer.......if someone would be willing to "produce" a set on the "itty bitty" size, of chariot wheels for the IT contest. In return, that sweet daughter of John's will get a palamino horsey she so wants! Any takers?
Daddy.......I want a horsey!


A John,

I think Ken, was thinking about something smaller. :D

On another thought, it would be horrible to have to tell your wife -- "Honey, I shrunk the girls. :eek:

[Ken Fitzgerald]

John...ROFL!