Carbide Tools for Newby Turner

[John K Jordan]

The work I do now is virtually 100% from large kiln-dried slabs or glue-ups, sometimes with wood that is well up there on the Janka scale. I discovered pretty recently that the ol' "easy rougher" or equivalent is actually a bit of a blessing when truing up the top and bottom of kiln-dried blanks (but not the edge) and, with some of the extra-hard specimens, pretty darn nice for doing the overall shaping of the piece as well....

I turn mostly dry wood, domestic and exotic, much quite hard like lignum vitae, bloodwood, ebony, and dogwood, some quite soft such as basswood and white pine, often smaller things, sometimes quite small, often with delicate detail.

Roughing and shaping large hard wood blanks does seem like an appropriate use for carbide tools. For finish turning, especially delicate detail in smaller work, not so much. With wood prone to chip and tear out, not so much. Long thin spindles in white pine? - I'll pick a sharp skew.

My opinion: There is plenty of room for simple carbide tools in the woodturning world. But if a beginner resorts to carbide tools simply to avoid or delay learning to sharpen and use the traditional cutting tools he risks slowing his advancement towards the level of expertise needed for much fine work. If possible, first become expert with ALL tools then pick an appropriate tool for the task at hand.

BTW, just this afternoon I returned home from a week with a half-dozen expert turners, hanging out with wood artists Clay Foster and the other John Jordan. When in an evening discussion group I brought up the subject of using carbide turning tools there was spontaneous laughter. Hmm...

JKJ

[Stan Calow]

regarding not-getting clean cuts with carbide tools: I'll use carbide to get 95% of the way there, and then use skew, gouge, or whatever to clean it up the rest of the way. Best of both worlds. Time is money.

[Alan Trout]

When I started turning Doug Thompson just started in business. He gave me the best advice I ever had. I called and ask what tools I needed to start turning. He said "Alan buy 1/2" bowl gouge and learn to use it". He said the only other thing I needed was a parting tool. That really help my progress as a turner more than anything else. I agree find a good club the information and assistance is a huge asset to a new turner.

Good Luck

Alan

[Justin Stephen]

My opinion: There is plenty of room for simple carbide tools in the woodturning world. But if a beginner resorts to carbide tools simply to avoid or delay learning to sharpen and use the traditional cutting tools he risks slowing his advancement towards the level of expertise needed for much fine work. If possible, first become expert with ALL tools then pick an appropriate tool for the task at hand.

I agree 100%. If nothing else, every turner needs to have an arsenal of techniques for achieving a fine finished surface as, for the most part, carbide tools are just not going to get the job done.

When in an evening discussion group I brought up the subject of using carbide turning tools there was spontaneous laughter.

Now this does kind of bother me. A woodturner's work should be judged by the quality and beauty of the work, not based on how he or she achieved it.

[Doug Rasmussen]

I agree 100%. If nothing else, every turner needs to have an arsenal of techniques for achieving a fine finished surface as, for the most part, carbide tools are just not going to get the job done.



[/COLOR]Now this does kind of bother me. A woodturner's work should be judged by the quality and beauty of the work, not based on how he or she achieved it.

I agree totally with your second statement. Not the first one though.

Almost exclusively I use carbide for fine finishing that needs very little sanding. How? By using metal working machine tools that allow concentration on design rather than the skills needed to accomplish difficult operations by hand.