Brand of tools?

Hi, You should look for High Speed Steel (HSS) M2, M4, etc. tools. These are offered by many outlets in several brand names. The most popular is probably Robert Sorby or Henry Taylor. Also, there are less well known brands: Crown, Hamlet, P&N (a new import from Australia available from Lee Valley), and the "house brands" (available from Packard and Craft Supplies). Harbor Freight Tools has a set of HSS for under $40.00 that work well as a good starter set. It has received good reviews from turners on this NG, and they are the basis for my tool set. You should look at the website or ask for catalogs for the following:

Packard Woodworks Craft Supplies USA Lee Valley Tools LTD Harbor Freight Tools

These outlets will be able to supply you with information on the major brands as well as some of the more exotic tools such as the powered metal metallurgies and specialized tools for hollowing, deep vessels, bowl coring systems, etc. Good luck.

Ken Moon Webberville, TX =======================================================================

Wow an 8 piece set for $30

.That just doesn't seem right ... too good to be true type thing. I amseeing other sets that are at least $75 and am seeing a single tool that isselling for $75. Are they really any good? Not to sound disrespectful, but is this just the "company line" to get me to buy tools at Harbor Freight? To be honest, I am thinking of getting these and just replacing individual ones if there seems to be a better one out there.

Thanks Darren

One way of learning how to use (or abuse) a tool. I've still got my "came with" set of carbon steel tools, and I use them more than several one trick ponies on the rack that I probably would not have bought if I knew their limitations - mostly scrapers.

Have at it. Bad tools will slow your development a lot less than a bad lathe.

This is a decent starter set- usable, reasonable, you can refresh or learn sharpening techniques, re-grind the profile for experiments, and make shavings at the same time. I think the company line is to start slow and inexpensive (harbor fright or other- doesn't matter much) and work up to those $75 each tools.

As you say- replace individual tools on an "as-needed" basis. I still use the starter set that came with my Jet 1236, added a few crown and some Sorby's to the mix, a couple of home-made single-purpose tools thrown in for fun.

Ken

The Packard "house brand" are produced by Hamlet.

I think it's a good set too. As for a bowl gouge (I prefer "deep-fluted gouge"), I'm glad that they don't include it in that set. That's one tool that I think really demands a quality tool. It often hangs out there quite a ways and gets a lot of stress that a skew, for instance, just doesn't (or shouldn't ) get. I'd be hesitant to recommend the set if it did include a bowl gouge, in fact. I feel safer and just plain get better results with quality bowl gouges with quality steel and manufacturing. I tend to abuse my shallow-fluted gouges but they don't get near the stress that the deep-fluted ones get.

- Andrew

My starter set has actually treated me pretty well. I was just thinking of getting a new set and a bowl gouge because I want to sell my "starter" lathe and it usually is a good "package" deal to have a set of tools with it. I also have been doing a lot more bowls and I seem to have a harder time getting that smoother transition \ even curve in the inside of the bowl. All books and videos talk about bowl gouges so I thought I would try it.

I am looking at a Sorby's 3/8" bowl gouge ($54.00) along with that set at Harbor Freight. I might end up keeping my current set and including that set with the lathe when I sell it.

Thanks to everyone for their help. The sink should be a fun project... Darren

Darren The general consensus of the group is that this is a good beginner's set and well worth the money. On the other hand it does not have a bowl gouge and a decent bowl gouge can set you back a few dollars. You might like to try an Oland tool which is all I use for bowls. Instruction on making them are on my web site under making a tool.

I'd think they'd be fine for learning good sharpening/honing technique. Do you really want to screw up a set of Sorbys or Taylors during the early part of the learning curve?

I bought a set of Robert Sorby tools when I bought my lathe. Then I bought some cheap tools, afraid I'd ruin the Sorbys until my sharpening abilities improve. Good, cheap investment, it would seem.

Max

in article uxhRb.26715$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net, Maxprop at snipped-for-privacy@propshaft.end wrote on 1/26/04 3:38 PM:

Good point and worth listening to. I have two really good bowl gouges and I have been scared to death to sharpen them. Had a friend who really knows sharpening do it a couple times. I finally built the jig that Darrell Fellmate has on his website. It helped a lot. The rest my tools are cheapies and they are good to practice on.

Earl

P&N, new to Lee Valley maybe, but not a new import. I purchased P&N bowl gouges here on Vancouver Island 8 years ago. Tools -n-space in Victoria has carried them as a regular item for years. BTW, for the money, they are hard to beat. James Barley.

I was at a Harbor Freight store about a month ago. I saw this set for $30 and couldn't pass it up. Yea, I have all the nice Sorby tools I need, but for the price I had to get it. They really are not too bad. The fluting on the gouges is a little rough. They don't stay sharp too long, but are reasonable. Besides I needed practice with my sharpening. I actually use these for roughing the outside of bowls, but after that I switch to the Sorbys. I actually find myself using these more then I thought I ever would.

This is the "starter" set I never had. My starter set was a bunch of carbon steel Craftsman tools. I used them a few times and couldn't take the torture, so I started buying individual Sorby tools as I needed/wanted them.

Leslie

I have started with these and they are very good for the $. They sharpen well. I did just purchase a Sorby Bowl gouge yesterday. Can't wait to try it out this weekend!

I first heard of P&N tools at the 2001 AAW meeting in St. Paul. Michael Hosaluk was using them in his demo. I think he was even selling them too. Southern Woodturning in Canberra has them also. If you are considering ordering from Australia.