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    Dave Anderson NH

    Time for some levity

    Thread Starter: Dave Anderson NH

    With all of the negativity and political stuff going on with the Covid-19 virus it is time to look at the humorous side of things. Feel free to add more, but keep it clean or it will be deleted.

    Last Post By: Dave Anderson NH Today, 9:30 AM Go to last post
    Alan Lightstone

    How to bend wood like this - Outdoor furniture project

    Thread Starter: Alan Lightstone

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    Geoff Crimmins

    Is there a small, accurate table saw?

    Thread Starter: Geoff Crimmins

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    Jimmy Harris

    Cheap Bandsaw for Resawing

    Thread Starter: Jimmy Harris

    I'm a hobbyist on a limited budget looking for a bandsaw, primarily for resawing. Let's say, 12" of 8/4 hard maple cut down the middle would be the maximum I would ever ask of it. I'm under the impression that I'll need a steel framed bandsaw for that. What else do I need to know? Are guides...

    Last Post By: Jimmy Harris Today, 1:34 PM Go to last post
    Curt Harms

    AC electrical puzzlement

    Thread Starter: Curt Harms

    This morning I plugged in a small electric heater for the bathroom. No sign of life, figured it was either the heater or outlet. I turned off the circuit breaker (after I found it, panel is poorly labeled), removed the outlet and began poking around with a meter. Black to white was 0 volts, I was...

    Last Post By: Tom M King Today, 8:10 AM Go to last post
    David Zaret

    cope and stick micro shaker?

    Thread Starter: David Zaret

    has anyone done a cope and stick micro/skinny shaker setup, or is the consensus that it's always a miter wrap? i talked to Great Lakes a while back, and they hadn't seen it (or at least my rep hadn't), curious what others have done. i would much, much rather make them on the shaper than at the...

    Last Post By: Maurice Mcmurry Yesterday, 5:00 PM Go to last post

  • Sorby Micro Spindle Set

    by
    Trevor Walsh
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    Published on 01-05-2011 3:17 PM  Number of Views: 13210  
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    I was very excited to fiddle with my new Sorby Micro Spindle Set. I thought I'd put together an article as well.

    I'll start with the blurb from the manufacturer,

    The set features aluminum handles and the following interchangeable blades: a 1/2" (13mm) gouge for roughing down and basic shape and design, a 1/4" (6mm) skew for fine detail, a 5/32" (4mm) beading and parting tool for detailing or parting off and one Allen key.

    Turning fine intricate spindles or just plain, small spindles? The Micro Spindle Set is the right size, with just the right tools for the job. The set features aluminum handles and the following interchangeable blades: a 1/2" (13mm) gouge for roughing down and basic shape and design, a 1/4" (6mm) skew for fine detail, a 5/32" (4mm) beading and parting tool for detailing or parting off and one Allen key. This set is also ideal for pen turners.

    - Anodized aluminum handle
    - 3 interchangeable blades
    - Ideal for pen turners


    Here's a shot of the Spindle set and some extras, Most are there for marking out a pen blank. Next up is a roughly 8 minute video of me turning a small peg with the set. I know it's a bit, but I decided not to edit to show all the steps as tool changing takes place.



    Still with me, good, now for the reviewing part.

    Pros: Sexy handle, I find the color, balance and size of this tool really comfortable. It's responsive to touch and gives really good feedback on your cut.

    I looked at the other accessories for the handle as Sorby says, they all look very well made. I'd be really interested in testing the sprialing tool.

    Fit and finish: the blades are all nicely polished, and only needed a few swipes on a stone to remove small burs. The cutting geometry is great. The set screws also lock down very tightly and don't allow for any movement of the blades.

    Cons: The knurling on the handle is a little sharper than I expected, it's by no means uncomfortable to me or a deal breaker.

    The second thing (which I think potential users will critique) is you have to change blades, well I bought a tool with interchangeable blades, that's kind of a given. From the video you can see it's not an insane amount of time. If you're a hobby guy, no big deal; if you're a production guy, investing in more handles or making some extras may not be a bad idea, or a different set entirely. I'll work with it for a while as is, and see if I start to hate changing tools, then I might thing about making extra handles.

    Here is the finished and waxed cherry peg. It's 1 1/4" long, 3/8" diameter with a 5/16" by 5/16" tenon.


    Overall I think the Sorby Micro Spindle set is a great buy and recommend it, it will work great almost right out of the bag. If you're looking into getting other accessories, I'd suggest getting them with handles, even if you swap out specialty tools like the sanding and spiral attachments I think you'd appreciate having a handle on the gouge and skew at least.