Preparing for Battle

[Alex Cam]

I'm forming up the troops for the arrival of my new lathe.

I'm planning on buying the wolverine sharpening jig with the vari-grind attachment, the HF chissel set, and the 8" slow-speed grinder from WoodCraft. I also want to buy a larger gouge for bowls since I've found that it's punishing to rough blanks with smaller chissels. I first thought that a 3/4" roughing gouge would be the way to go, but after a little forum-browsing I found that my best bet for general purpose bowl-making and roughing might be a 1/2 or 5/8 bowl gouge? Comments?

Also, I'm torn between the Nova G3 and the Barracuda2. I really don't like the idea of having a geared drill-chuck type tool to tighten the chuck. The allen-wrench type system on the Barracuda2 seems superior to me.

[David Walser]

Alex,

Congrats on the new set up. With regard to bowl gouges, I'd suggest you start with a 1/2" bowl gouge. After you've gained some experiance with that and have learned how to sharpen it to your liking, then you might want to consider going larger or smaller. You might even find that you want two 1/2" gouges -- each with its own grind. (One grind might be appropriate for the large sweeping curves outside and inside a bowl, another might better fit the tighter curve at the bottom inside of the same bowl.)

Good luck! You are wise to avoid using a (spindle) roughing gouge for bowl turning.

[Mike Ramsey]

Alex, if you can afford it you might want to consider the Talon chuck
by Oneway, it's a great chuck and it's onsale some where? Some one
posted a link a few days ago.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Alex....I have a SuperNova2 chuck. I have punished it for the insults I've received and depraved manner in which I've been treated at this site(:rolleyes: ). Don't be afraid of a gear driven device. I don't know how the barracuda is operated but being able to hold a bowl or anything with a tenon against the face of the chuck and tighten the chuck with the other hand is a real boon IMHO.

YOU DON'T want to use a 3/4" roughing gouge on a bowl. They have been known to break because the tang on them is NOT designed for the stresses encountered in cross grain situations. I have one bowl gouge.....a 3/8" Robert Larson. I bought it only because it was locally available at the time I was wanting to start turning bowls. My advice.....a 1/2" or 5/8" bowl gouge of good quality steel should perform well. Note that doesn't mean it has to be an expensive one. If you have a woodworking supplier nearby....Woodcraft, for example, go there. Take the gouge out of the plastic bag and lay it on a lathe to see how it fits you.....how it fits your hand......how the handle length feels to you..are you comfortable with the weight....some tools of same size have more weight. I am a rather large person and a gouge that feels comfortable to a smaller person may be too small for my meat hooks.

Good luck with your decisions.

[Mark Pruitt]

Sorby 1/2" bowl gouge (since you're buying a Wolverine with Vari-Grind, you can put your own Irish Grind on it) (Like Ken said, don't try to use a roughing gouge on facework!!!)
OneWay Talon chuck, superior to others IMHO because of its gripping ability and the ease of creating square tenons as opposed to dovetailed tenons.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Once again I find myself agreeing with Mark. I have 1/2" and a 5/8" bowl gouges and find that on larger bowls I grab the 5/8", smaller the 1/2". Either work great - it's just what you become use to.

I also have the Talon chuck and highly recommend it. Very heavy duty, easy to use one handed (while you are holding the blank with the other hand).

[Glenn Hodges]

Look at the P & N bowl gouges. They come unhandled so you can custom make your handle. They are good quality tools. I have been turning for a few years and I just ordered some more of them. A good size bowl gouge to buy for a starter is the 1/2 inch as others have stated. I find my Stronghold and Talon chucks give me excellent service, but I got by with faceplates for a while. Good luck with your new venture in turning.

[Alex Cam]

Great advice -- thanks guys.

[Bill Grumbine]

Hi Alex

I am going to muddy the waters here a little bit and recommend a few things that might seem at odds with what you have specified or others have written.

First, I have one Stronghold, two Talons, one Barracuda II, one Barracuda IV and the mini Barracuda. I have also owned several other chucks over the years. I think the biggest bang for your buck is the Barracuda II. It works very well and comes with a bunch of jaws for a lot less money than my Talons. I did the pre-production testing for the Barracuda IV. I just got my production model yesterday, and it promises to be a very nice chuck as well. I stuck it on the lathe and put it through its paces with 60 lbs of wet maple and a student. We roughed out a bowl and cored it with no problems at all. Based on my testing and the production model, I would say that these chucks are going to perform very well, especially considering their price.

I will also state for the record that while PSI compensated me for my time testing the chuck, I do not get anything from them for telling you or anyone else it is a good chuck. If you get their catalog, you will see an endorsement from me concerning it, but I was not paid for it in any way.

I am also going to recommend a smaller gouge than you asked about. I don't know a lot about the lathe you are buying except that it is the equivalent of the Sears model out on the market. With the size motor on this lathe, I think you will be happier with a 3/8" bowl gouge. With a 1/2" or 5/8", I think you are going to find yourself stalling the lathe on a regular basis. The smaller gouge will actually cut faster for you, and is plenty stiff for the size of wood your lathe will be able to handle. I use my 1/2" gouge for bowls up to 18"-20" before I break out my 3/4" Glaser monster gouge.

Good luck with it.

Bill

[Alex Cam]

Look at the P & N bowl gouges. They come unhandled so you can custom make your handle.

I looked at those very seriously -- the only thing that scares me is making handles. Never done it, and don't know how. I sure would like to learn, though. It would seem to be a handy skill to have.

[Alex Cam]

Hi Alex

I am going to muddy the waters here a little bit and recommend a few things that might seem at odds with what you have specified or others have written.

Wow -- muddy the waters indeed! I appreciate the advice, and I'm glad to hear from someone who owns the Barracuda2. I hate discounting the PSI chucks due to lack of reviews.

[Frank Kobilsek]

Alex

I will throw one more brand into the mix. The Artisan Line of tools from Crafts Supply is a good value. It's a Henery Taylor that didn't pass the finish inspection. They got Taylor logos etc. on them just not as shiney. A few bucks cheaper than the Taylors, and a excellent tool.

If you go with Sorbey by it from Grizzley. They are consistently cheaper than anywhere else for Sorbey tools.

My two cents worth is Bill is probably right about 3/8 vs 1/2". Early in my turning I bought the 1/2 Sorbey and it felt like a monester at my mini. On the 1642 its one of my favorites but the Artisan 3/8 bowl gouge is my finish cut tool on anything else than about 10" in diameter. So maybe what I am saying is buy both sizes.

Frank

[Gary DeWitt]

Just my .02, but traditionally new turners have started with spindle turning to get the feel of the wood, tools and lathe. I can't think of a simpler project than making a handle for a tool, except maybe a billy club or a rolling pin. Drilling the hole for the tool might be the hardest part, which is just a drill bit in a jacobs chuck mounted in your tail stock. A piece of copper pipe or fitting makes a good ferrule. Bury the tool steel a couple inches or more in the wood with some epoxy thrown in for good measure and you're in business!

[Alex Cam]

Hi Gary,

I've been turning for a few months now -- definately a rank amateur, but I've got a pretty good feeling for it. You're probably right, though, that starting off with something small on a new lathe with new tools might be the best idea. No need to chuck up a 14" bowl-blank with the first go-around!