Tools for turning tiny stuff????

[Steve LaFara]

Fairly new at this turning thing and I only have the Harbor Freight set of tools for now, but they are way too big for a couple of things that I need to turn before Christmas. Question is, do most of you tiny turners make your own tools, and if so, out of what, and can you post pics??? Or, have you purchased some special tiny tools??? Not sure that I will use them alot in the future so I really don't want to spend a fortune on store bought versions if I don't have to. Thanks!!!

Oh, and I found out the hard way that I should not use a really sharp marking knife as a skew chisel!:eek: Nice big chunk now missing from a piece of cherry!

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

Depending on what you mean by Tiny (for Less than 1/2" in Diameter I use reground dental picks.)

Bruce

[Gary DeWitt]

What are you going to turn? Spindle or cross grain orientation? How small is small (we had a contest here last year of objects smaller than a quater!)?
Some easy tools to grind are skews, 3 sided tools, scrapers, parting tools, anything without a flute. You can even do those, if you have a drill press with a vice, so you can drill the end of a metal bar off center.
You can use any metal, but HSS or drill rod would be best. Grab an old broken drill bit and grind a skew profile on the end of it, epoxy it into a handle and you're off and running! Allen wrenches work ok too. Machinist measuring tools, like plug gauges, work really well, they're very hard and can only be ground. They'll dull a hacksaw blade quick.
Have fun, and let us know how it comes out.

[John Hart]

Using a marking knife as a skew should have worked if the marking knife blade was firmly on the toolrest and you were making a light cut. but considering how short marking knife blades are, I'm assuming you had the handle on the toolrest....probably the reason for your catch.

Gary's and Bruce's suggestions are good ones. I prefer the old drill bit method. Bought a hundred small bits from someone on ebay for $10 and that's my Itty-Bitty tool stock. Don't have any pics and they are lost in a box somewhere on the property. :o

[Claude Arragon]

As a challenge I turned a 1 mm top.
To do this I used a normal 3/8 spidle gouge .
I personaly find the dedicated tools for miniarues far too small.
but it is only my experience http://www.la-truciolara.com/forum/clinN.gif

[Ron Sardo]

Cement nails are harden steel and make great tools as do allen wrenches