Tim Malyszko
07-01-2007, 7:57 AM
Yesterday, I was finally able to get my new Jet Lathe set up along with the Wolverine Jig and turned my first pen yesterday and was very pleased with the results. I used a basic 7mm kit and a zebrawood blank and finished it off with a friction finish.
Overall, it was a very satisfying experience and if I have the time today, I'm going to turn a matching pen/pencil set of some highly figured cherry scrap I have laying around the shop from an old cabinet project.
Sorry about the picture quality... I'll have to work on that.
On another note, I ended up keeping the Sorby tools along with the HF tools. I started to use the HF tools on some scraps I had laying around and something did not feel right. In addition, I seemed to have to shapen them really frequently and it was getting very annoying. Furthermore, the handles felt like they were going to split and that finish they put on them made them slippery when I started sweating. After fighting with them for over an hour, I pulled out the sorby spindle gouge, sharpened it on the wolverine jig and began to use it. It was truely a night and day difference. Not only was it cutting smoother, it held it's edge significantly longer.
I don't know if I got a bad set of the HF HSS turning tools or what, but I'm sticking with the Sorbys. I'll still hold onto the HF tools since they were less than $40 and the hassle of returning them isn't worth the cost and as the need arrises I can grind them into some other profile. Eventually, I'll turn some new handles for them since I cannot stand the stock handles. I was shocked by my experience since so many turners like the HF set.
Thanks again for the help and advice. I'll continue to post my progress. In two weeks, I start my 2 day turning class... I'm looking so forward to it.
Overall, it was a very satisfying experience and if I have the time today, I'm going to turn a matching pen/pencil set of some highly figured cherry scrap I have laying around the shop from an old cabinet project.
Sorry about the picture quality... I'll have to work on that.
On another note, I ended up keeping the Sorby tools along with the HF tools. I started to use the HF tools on some scraps I had laying around and something did not feel right. In addition, I seemed to have to shapen them really frequently and it was getting very annoying. Furthermore, the handles felt like they were going to split and that finish they put on them made them slippery when I started sweating. After fighting with them for over an hour, I pulled out the sorby spindle gouge, sharpened it on the wolverine jig and began to use it. It was truely a night and day difference. Not only was it cutting smoother, it held it's edge significantly longer.
I don't know if I got a bad set of the HF HSS turning tools or what, but I'm sticking with the Sorbys. I'll still hold onto the HF tools since they were less than $40 and the hassle of returning them isn't worth the cost and as the need arrises I can grind them into some other profile. Eventually, I'll turn some new handles for them since I cannot stand the stock handles. I was shocked by my experience since so many turners like the HF set.
Thanks again for the help and advice. I'll continue to post my progress. In two weeks, I start my 2 day turning class... I'm looking so forward to it.