Hello all...

[Hal Forsen]

For want of a better term, I'm a professional "Jack of All Trades".
My better half and I have been lucky enough to make a fairly comfortable living as artists for nearly 20 years and I also have several tool friendly avocations.
I recently sold the old Shopsmith that helped get us started and the one tool now lacking in my small, but well equipped shop is a lathe.
My turning skills are somewhat rudimentary and I’d like to get better but do not want, need or have room for, a shop full of turning tools.
Most of the lathe work in my shop, up to now has been tool handles and such..
I have a little bit of turning experience; school shop classes and my dear departed dad was THE crackerjack T&D man, but on the wiggley ol' Shopsmith I was basically a bodger flailing away with the just okay tools it came with and making do….
When the Shopsmith went out the door so did all the turning tools…..
I've pretty much decided on the Jet VS 1014 which I plan on picking up at the local Rockler but I’d appreciate some guidance on tool choices.
I have no interest in pens but other then tool handles I'd like to be able to do fairly small turnings and the occasional small plate or bowl..
Please tell me your 5 most used turning tools on a lathe this size.
Also please list your favorite books or dvds for small turning.
No need for mention of sharpening gear; I have heaps; just turning tools and chucks etc….
Thanks in advance..........

[Mike A. Smith]

Welcome to the Creek! One thing the folks around here are good at is helping you spend your money.

For a lathe that size:
Skew
Spindle Gouge
Detail Gouge
Bowl Gouge
Parting Tool
(Thin parting tool and probably 3/8" gouges, I like Thompson's)

Nove G3 Chuck

Just my opinion, you'll get lots of others!:)

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Hal...Welcome to the Creek! Wade right in the water's fine!

Mike pretty well covered the tools....I'd get a 3/4" skew and a 3/8 spindle gouge.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Hal welcome to SMC. I pretty much agree with Mike on the tools. The Thompson tools are excellent tools and at a price you can afford. His warranty is if you don't like'em he'll buy them back.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Hal - Welcome to the Creek!

You'll find that everyone has close to the same idea of what tools are needed when starting out. The only tool I would add to the list is a round nose scraper. There are times a scraper is the only tool that will work (when you are starting out) and once you work with it for a while you can get some really nice finishes.

Have fun with it - looking forward to seeing some of your work soon!

[Randy Johnson]

"I have no interest in pens but other then tool handles I'd like to be able to do fairly small turnings and the occasional small plate or bowl.. "

Oh that's funny. I wonder how many regulars here said something similar when they first started sliding. I know I did, and it was about six months before I took delivery on a 3520B.
I still kinda new at this but I have figured out that the person who says they are just going to turn small stuff have a lot in common with the crack addic who was just going to try it once.
Most of the warnings I read as I was starting my slide have proved true. The main purpose of my tablesaw and outfeed table is a place to set bowls and blanks. The jointer, planer, shaper, etc make it easier to clean up the dust from the lathe because I don't have to bend all the way to the floor. For obvious reasons, the only pre-lathe tool that stays clean from air born dust is the bandsaw
You are entering dangerous ground friend. Be warned, and have lots of fun.

[Paul Engle]

Welcome Hal ...... famous last words.. just wait till the segmenting bug hits, or texturizing frenzy , or , or , or ..... boy are you in for a ride. That said the tools that Mike A. recommended will do nicely. They cover the 90% of what you want to do and will be ready for you when the other 10% hits.Turning becomes so addictive you wont belive the change a year from now and being an artist ... I'd guess you will concieve a way to add turning to your artistry. Alot of us have fully loaded shops and turning pretty much turned most of the equipment idle and into stands and shelves and extra places to stash those bits of wood for a later project for a time. Oh you'll still use em ......so don't get me wrong , its just that turning opens up so much to personnal expression. I recommend Malcom Tibbets books/dvd's for segmented work,take a look at his web site. Awsome stuff, the mans imagination is only exceed by his generosity, as he shares his gift with us. Good luck and my the Good Lord bless you and your work.
Paul

[Hal Forsen]

I'd guess you will concieve a way to add turning to your artistry. Alot of us have fully loaded shops and turning pretty much turned most of the equipment idle and into stands and shelves and extra places to stash those bits of wood for a later project for a time.


I have figured out that the person who says they are just going to turn small stuff have a lot in common with the crack addic who was just going to try it once.


famous last words.. just wait till the segmenting bug hits,
Friends,
Please do not take offense;
I don't even like segmented turnings; while I appreciate the work that goes into them; the end result leaves me quite cold.
I'd rather look at a well made basket.

To be perfectly honest, most turned work bores me to tears.

There are lots of turners and garage wood workers out there; hobbyists ,woodbutchers whatever.

There's probably 1 guy in 100 making money with his work.

My tools are how I make a living. A means to an end.
I've been supporting myself with my tools for 30 years.
I don't have the time or inclination to make shavings just for fun.
I need a small lathe because it's the proper tool for the job.
My shop is very small with little room for more; that's why I want just the bare essentials.

I hope I didn't cause hurt feelings....:o

[Mike A. Smith]

Well, different strokes and all that, but we'll see...

For your purposes I stand by my list (but I agree with Steve about the addition of the scraper and the detail gouge might not be a necessity).

[Paul Engle]

No hurt feelings here Hal.:D I did not see in your post if you are a crafter/carpenter/carver/, jack of all trades artist???? what's that?Surely you have some pics of your work... care to share with us? Mayhaps we'll get inspired by some of your work.

[Ben Gastfriend]

I'd like to quote Ken Fitzgerald:



...A book "Woodturning - A Foundation Course" by Keith Rowley. It's written for the beginner...well illustrated and tells and shows "hows and whys"...

...Any of the Richard Raffan books and DVDs are good


Good luck, and we like pictures of work!:)

[Hal Forsen]

Paul
I started out building movie sets/props etc. in H'wood.
I was looking for a change when I met my SWIMPAL who was building leaded glass windows; we ended up working at that together for
several years melding our talents along the way..........
http://www.glassartists.org/Images/ThumbNails/000017000/Thm17728_St.Claire_panels.jpg

We even spent 2 years restoring the windows in a large Catholic church.
The jobs got bigger and the work got harder.
We finally started moving away from that and into fused glass/mixed media.

Kilauea
Large wall piece, Ebonized Walnut, Copper, Fused glass.

http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/507/104795Kilauea%20zapp%20(Small)2045.jpg

Wabi Sabi (One of a series)
Mahogany, Copper, Jade, Fused Glass

http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/507/104795FOA%2007%20003%20(Small)2044.jpg

Mirror Mirror On The Wall........

Plywood and Fused Glass


http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/507/104795y%20016%20(Small)2046.jpg

It ain't much and it ain't for everybody; but it pays the bills. ;)
I'm think about turning some small finials for the Wabi Sabi pieces.
Among other small tasks.
No slippery slope or vortex or black hole for me thanks ..........
:D

[Paul Engle]

Well , very impressive Hal, I like " y'all's " work for sure. If you get a chance to see some of Bin Pho's work you may want to " stir the waters" so to speak, I think you like multi mediums, altho I completely understand wanting to stay in the venue you have chosen, well done indeed.I really enjoy the Asian influence , there is that " quality " of your work that calls out......personally do not care for the mirror shot in the gallery but the other two .... ah yes grasshopper you got it... makes my heart yearn for the orient again, and that's what we attempt to achieve with our artisrty.

[Hal Forsen]

Thanks for the kind words Paul :)
SWIMPAL and I are both fans of Bin Pho's work BTW.
I may be heading over to Rockler and/or Woodcraft tomorrow.
I'll let you know how it turns out :D

[Jim Becker]

Hal, another SMC member, Perry Holbrook from Ashville NC also works in fused glass. It's a wonderful and interesting medium! Nice work that you folks do!

[Hal Forsen]

Thanks Jim. :)

[Dean Thomas]

Unless you need it ASAP, can I suggest that you wait until March for the 1220VS? The 1220 is available now but changes in speed are done by belt-to-pulley changes, just like on the non-EVS 1014. If you want the EVS, the 1014 will serve you well, but the 1220 should serve better, IMO. If it were me and I did not have an urgent need, I'd wait the 6-8 weeks for it.

Just a tad larger in both directions, a bit more power, and seemingly a lot more flexible. Should you need to grow it longer, either of them can grow right now with a bed extension. Rumor was that the 1220 was designed to take the place of the 1014, but we all know about rumors.

I have no gripes with the 1014 either plain or with EVS. Both are troopers. Just something about the slightly larger nature of the 1220. Size does matter. Isn't that what some of them say? So, a slightly larger mini has advantages over a slightly smaller mini??? Well, one man's thoughts anyhow...

Welcome to the Creek!

[Jim Underwood]

No vortex for you huh?:rolleyes:

Just go buy those tools, and we'll see....:D

A couple of my co-workers had been taking turning classes and heard about this turning club getting started up. I had been wanting to join a woodworking club, but hadn't heard of one. So they practically dragged me to their first couple of meetings (I wasn't really that interested). After about the third meeting one of the guys asked me if I'd do the newsletter. I said yes (like a fool) and the rest was history. I learned so much about turning from writing up the demonstrations, and had such a great time learning about all the really cool stuff you could do, that I've never run out of ideas of stuff I'd like to try...

I wound up buying that little Jet 1014 and a beginners set of Pinnacle tools, and have never looked back. I love that little machine. But now.... I want to get a bigger lathe. Like the PM 3520 or the Jet 1642 or even better, the Robust...

This from a guy who made a living with tools for 14 years as a mechanic. So I know about necessity of buying tools, and only buying what you need...

So yeah.. just wander over there and get a few tools... see ya around.;)

[David Wilhelm]

If you are going to keep it simple I'd look at the HF set of tools in teh wooden box. if you want a bowl gouge make up your mind if you want the best or not. You say you are not into the vortex thing......... well the vortex pretty much gets you the best thing going. You just have to want it. you'll need a way to keep your tools sharp if you dont have that. Theres that vortex again........ Look around on ebay. you may find something used that will work fine for you.