picking HF tools by color???

[David Wilhelm]

MY first set of tools were from HF as were many of yours. I have a couple of friends who also have these sets.. Last week my buddy who just jumped off the bridge got his first set of tools and his have the purple handle. I've seen some post where some of you say pick the purple handle. Well I've got to ask why. I was not at all impressed with the shape of the large gouges in this set at all they are very very shallow but that may just be my taste. What is it about these tools that you like best?

[TYLER WOOD]

the grade of steel. The yellow handle tools are regular carbon steel. The red handle (purple if you say so) is the hss steel. It is harder and holds an edge longer.

[Gordon Seto]

the grade of steel. The yellow handle tools are regular carbon steel. The red handle (purple if you say so) is the hss steel. It is harder and holds an edge longer.

The cheaper set is also HSS steel.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=47066

I have both sets, I honestly can't say the red handle set is better. May be I got lucky on my cheap set. I don't think the fake velvet lining on the box and the paint on the handles has any added value.

They are not great tools; only usable. But at $4 a tool after coupon is a great value. I converted some of them to special scrapers. I can't get HSS blanks at that price from ENCO. Cheap enough to practice grinding on.

Gordon

[David Wilhelm]

i'm like you Gordon Mine say HSS have plain ash handles and grind like HSS as far as the spark ver carbon. They are NOT SOrby by no means but the shape of the roughing gouges in my set to me is far better than what i saw in Waynes purple/red handled set. perhaps there is another set??

[Jim Becker]

David, do keep in mind that those tools are pretty much spindle oriented. If you plan on doing bowls and vessels, be sure to acquire a bowl gouge, too.

[David Wilhelm]

Oh I'm not in the market Jim, I'm just wondering why the push for the purple handled tools. I've got plenty of tools but i may have to burn some Santa money and get another what do you think? I've got a 1/4 and a 1/2 should a get a 3/8s? I just got another oneway chuck and for the deal i got one it i'm thinking about going ahead and getting one more......... then again I'd like to get another lathe but why do i need 4??? I'm got jumbo Jaws for the talon maybe i should get the jumbo jaws for the stronghold?? then again the plywood pie wedges see to work well for most reverse turning........... you know back when all i did was go fishing life was simple :)

[Bob Hallowell]

I own both, My first were the ash color hss set and I used them alot but most got retired when I bought the purple set. I think they are much better-
first- the spindle gouge is from a solid bar stock-

second- besides the parting tool all of the steel is thicker which is much better for the scrapers, skews and the larger gouges .260 compared to .200-

third- I had no longer used the roughing gouges form my fist set as I owned a big PN roughing gouge but I like the purple handled sets roughing gouges as they can rough, be used as a large spindle gouge or as a lazy man's skew.

I like the skew so I made it a new handle

[Gordon Seto]

David,

Why you got 4 lathes? You got money to burn.
Why get 2 jumbo jaws? They won't work on natural edge or some rim shape, and 8 screws to fuss with. Get a vacuum chucking instead.

Gordon

[jonathan snyder]

Hi folks,

At the recommendation of several folks here, I'm considering these tools as my first set. I do not see the purple handle set on the web site. Does anyone have a link?

Where does one get the harbor freight coupon everyone speaks of?

Thanks
Jonathan

[David Wilhelm]

I dont have 4 Gordon but I'd like to have a 12-20 and replace one of the three that i'm running now. As far as money to burn I was doing just fine like all of us before we started turning as i'm sure everyone will agree. The jumbo jaws I have are for the Talon I may like to have a set for the stronghold..... As some guys do i'm sure, we have several different chucks so we don't have to keep messing with all the different screws. I don't turn much natural edge and not sure how you'd vacuum seal one if I did. I turn more pens than anything. I've had a couple guys learning and we've turned over 100 this past month. I keep these lathes busy every night

[Gordon Seto]

David,
I think we all know what you meant; we are all in the same boat.

I have all Nova chucks and the Coles jaws. I don't like them; they have limitations on the shape of the rim design and those bowls that have distorted. The Cole jaw can also launch. Vacuum is more reliable than Cole jaws. Some masking tape on the outside even holds vassels with worm holes. A home made version of vacuum chucking is not that more expensive than the 2 jumbo jaws.

Gordon

[Mitchell Harris]

When I got my lathe from HF I asked about the red? handled tools, as that is what I read on here as a good starter set. Couldn't find them, and asked a salesman. He looked, and also couldn't find them, said they must be out. He kept looking, and found the yellow handled tools were in the same box, same price, and marked on the tool as "HSS", so I got them.

Later I went back, and did get a set of the red (purple?) handled tools. Same box, same price, marked on the tool "HSS". I have reground a few with different profiles, and see no difference in the tools. Seems for a while, there were yellow handles in the HSS tools?

Mitchell in VA

[David Wilhelm]

I had a nova chuck and didnt' like it so i switched to oneway. I think it was just a bad chuck but even so I switched. I dont use the little rubber bumpers that came with the jumbo jaws very often. I took some plywood thats almost 1 inch thick and cut pie wedges and screwed them to each of the jaws. I cut a few rings with the jaws closed and sanded them smooth. I use these to hold the tim and 99% of the time it works unless i've turned something weird. I'd like to see a vacuum chuck in operation for sure. I've seen pictures but can't really see from the pictures how it would be a step up because the bowls in the pics were regular shape. Lets say you've turned a 10 inch natural edge how do you center and hold it?

[TYLER WOOD]

Hmmm looked again last night. My yellow handled tools do not say HSS and they blue up like regular carbon steel. Maybe I got the really really crappy set instead of just the crappy set. I'VE BEEN SHAFTED AGAIN ARRRRGGGHHHHHHH.

[robert hainstock]

I've been happy with the HF tools I own, Yhey are marked HSS, and have the purple handle. I've owned them for 8-10 years. The way for the layman to tell about the steel quality IS the spark color coming off the grinder wheel. White is better than Yellow. Sujective though Huh? :confused:
Bob

[Jerry Allen]

I have bought both the ash handled ones and the purple handled ones. They both looked identical as far as the HSS steel tool goes. I sold the purple ones because the finish looks crappier. If the purple ones were thicker I would have kept them. They are generallly not properly sharpened to a useful edge.
The box sizes are identical. There are some cheaper ones that don't have a box that are not HSS and are really crud. I have made beading tools, a ring tool and scraper from the HSS set and they are tough and hold an edge. I could not drill through them with the tools I have and had to grind the concave edges. .

[Ron Raymond]

Hi folks,

At the recommendation of several folks here, I'm considering these tools as my first set. I do not see the purple handle set on the web site. Does anyone have a link?

Where does one get the harbor freight coupon everyone speaks of?

Thanks
Jonathan

Jonathan...I don't see the red/purple set on he HF website either, but I have seen it in my local store. To get the coupons, sign up for the mailed flyers. A few times each year, they include a 15% off coupon on the mailing. I don't think I've ever gotten a coupon on the email flyers, but they include coupons on individual tools every week or so.

Ron