Lathe search

[Leon]

Well, probably not but if he gets into it the good tools work better and he will probably want at least a few better tools. Especially if he wants a better chuck, calipers...

[Leon]

Great, I have heard nothing but good comments about the tools. Do they work well on the more exotic materials like the plastics, coffee beans, money blanks, etc?

[Leon]

to be 1/2.

[Matt]

I much prefer it for the plastics and acrylics, even the Tru Stone blanks - cuts like the proverbial hot knife thru butter. As with all such blanks, you can still get chips now and then, just watch closely as you get down to the final shape. I've been known to put any tool aside and switch to 150 grit sandpaper if I have any doubts about it at that point, and I've been told I have a very soft touch with lathe tools. The only time I switch back to a regular chisel is when doing tenons on those pen styles that require them. Be aware that it can be a very aggressive tool, so "tread lightly" when first using it until you get a good feel for it.

Here's a link to my Etsy shop; all of the pens shown were turned using the Easywood mini finisher (including the few wood ones).

[Larry Jaques]

Wull, um, he's buying a mini-lathe, isn't he? ;)

-- Energy and persistence alter all things. --Benjamin Franklin

[Larry Blanchard]

I bought the rougher (unhandled) a couple of years ago along with extra tips. I've been happy with it. The guy who makes them (IIRC, he's a retired machinist) says he's sold them all over the world. If you have any questions give him a call - he's a friendly cuss.

I like the looks of his new combo tool - I may have to save up for it.

[Larry Blanchard]

Don't discourage the poor guy, Leon. We all know the tool companies should give away free lathes :-).

[Jim Weisgram]

I have the Rikon (but not the latest iteration). I think it was a good purchase. I haven't compared it to the Jet and others.

[Leon]

Not trying to discourage him, just prepare him. The Lathe is only the first installment to turning. :~)

[Leon]

So Larry how long comparatively do the carbide tips last would you say?

[Leon]

Thank YOU I had left out the tru stone blanks but meant to ask so thanks for covering that. ;~)

[Larry Blanchard]

I'm probably not the person to ask. I was only turning about 4-8 hours a week and then I got sidetracked into building a dulcimer. I haven't turned anything but a handle for a veneer hammer in months.

But based on my limited experience, I'd say about 8 hours of actual use per side, or 32 for an entire tip. Of course that depends a lot on the wood. I was turning mostly domestic hardwoods - something like jatoba or lignum vitae would be a lot harder on tip life.

(interesting - the Pan spell checker flagged jatoba but not lignum vitae)

I've heard comments that you can't sharpen the tips. I see no reason why use of a diamond hone wouldn't extend tip life. When I run out of sharp tips I plan on trying it. If I was smart, I'd touch up the tip after each use the way I do with router bits, but I never seem to think of it at the time.

[CW]

Great, I have heard nothing but good comments about the tools. Do they work well on the more exotic materials like the plastics, coffee beans, money blanks, etc? =================================================================== They will work well anyplace any other scraper would work.

[CW]

to be 1/2. =============================================================== Take an insert and go down to an industrial supply that serves machines shops. Have them match it up. Much cheaper.

[nailshooter41]

Leon - what is it that gets you on sharpening? Spindle gouges, roughing gouges, bowl gouges.... skews?

When I the turning bug really bad, I turned a few hours a week for several years. No piece of wood was safe, especially interesting FOG wood. (Found On Ground. ;^) )

I taught beginning and intermediate turning, and (of course) finishing. Part of my class was sharpening, and I taught how to use the Wolverine jig as well as homemade versions of the same for various gouges. I have turned enough personally that I sharpen freehand.

At the time our club was very active and we were able to afford some internationally known, excellent turners to come demonstrate for our club. Most were **great** guys, and even though they were masters of their craft, completely without pretense. Ask 'em anything, and they would tell you. Sharpening was always a hot topic, and they helped me get over any qualms about grinding my tools. I studied their tool edges carefully; never saw a perfect grind in my ten years at the club. Never. Not once, ever, did I see any gouge or chisel ground to look like those beautiful grinds from the factory.

Most were faceted, some kind of lopsided, and depending on the tool, just awful. Nonetheless, their work was superb. Collectively, their idea was that they sharpened to get the edge they wanted, and when that was gone, it was right back to the grinder for a touch up. They never fussed over an edge until they were at the finishing stage of things, and even then stressed a light touch over a supersharp tool. And being freehand sharpeners, they sharpened some wild profiles on their tools, and encouraged all of us to do the same.

I set aside my Sorby and other expensive tools, and found these tools

are an excellent value for midi users. (On sale I see, too!)

For a bigger lathe, I would tell the guys to get certain (or sets if on sale) from this selection:

tools are M2 high speed steel, and they hold their edges well and are easy to sharpen. That gave me the space to grind away on tools without thinking that every missed grind cost me $5 worth of steel. And I like their profiles so much (the gullets aren't so damn closed on their bowl gouges) I have happily bought many of their tools as preferred users.

In a rare stroke of inspiration, I had my students practice on something even cheaper. I had them get 1/4". 3/8" and 1/2" low carb steel rod from our local supplier, cut it into 10" lengths, and mount their "blanks" into a handle they turned. Then they could practice their sharpening on a piece of very inexpensive steel rod, not on a tool. This turned out to be very successful for some of them, and they learned spindle turning (handle), making their own tools, and sharpening in one project.

My only bugaboo is the skew. I can sharpen all of mine until you can literally shave hair. They are as sharp as my pocket knives. But unless it is a planing cut, I can't get it. When we had "open house" which was a chance for all of us to bring the tool(s) we couldn't use to get help from other turners, it was always the skew. I don't know what it is I can't see when using it, and it is really, really frustrating. I can use the tool when my skew buddy was standing there telling me to raise or lower my elbow, change my approach angle, or to angle the blade a certain way. By the time I got home, it was all lost. After hours and hours of failed attempts, I have given up. My skew is now used to open paint cans, scrape paint, knock the mud off my boots, weed the yard, etc.

Just kidding.

I now use what is known as the 180 grit skew in the form of sanding tape.

The tools you are looking at are machinist tools, and you can find many of the "bits" in a machinist's catalog. They are plentiful and cheap. They can be resharpened with diamond files like these

their brothers. The only thing I don't like about those is the fact that they are still scrapers, not cutters. I have seen some lovely work in the right hands when using those tools, but never finish grade work. They do make excellent shape roughing tools, as well as the opposite end, detailing like rings, beads, etc, if you have enough room to get the holder in place.

Robert

[CW]

The tools you are looking at are machinist tools, and you can find many of the "bits" in a machinist's catalog. They are plentiful and cheap. They can be resharpened with diamond files like these

their brothers. The only thing I don't like about those is the fact that they are still scrapers, not cutters. I have seen some lovely work in the right hands when using those tools, but never finish grade work. They do make excellent shape roughing tools, as well as the opposite end, detailing like rings, beads, etc, if you have enough room to get the holder in place.

Robert ========================================================================================= I wondered why it was that so many dissed scrapers but seemed to think these were great. A scraper is a scraper no matter the material it is made of.

[Leon]

I rarely turn and and in my hey day a few years ago it was mostly pens. I turn if a project requires it but seldom for the sake of turning because of the trouble of sharpening. That could change. ;~)

I have to wonder how often you would resharpen a standard tool with 32 hours of turning, or 8 for that matter.

Concerning the sharpening of the tips issue, it is probably an associated reference to sharpening the typical carbide saw blade. Carbide would be much harder to reshape compared to the typical turning tool. I certainly would try the diamond hone.

[Leon]

Any major name suppliers come to mind?

[Leon]

I was concerned about the more brittle nature of carbide when turning stone or metal.

[Leon]

> and their brothers. The only thing I don't like about those is the

Well thanks for the detailed review Robert! ;~)

Now to answer your question, what gets me on sharpening.

The Tormek sharpener gets me.

Too messy. Too slow. Too complicated.

I have very successful reshaepening and like you the results are not the same as what the factory delivered but I can't tell any difference. ;~)

It probably takes me 15 minutes to simply get the sharpener ready to go and the tool correctly inserted in the correct adapter. And then it is another adapter for a different tool. And then clean up is a bit time consuming and water is everywhere.