Craftsman Turning Tools

Alan

Owning a set of Craftsman turning tools is a rite of passage for most turners! Have no fear, these tools are pretty good and can be used without doubt of their ability to do the job. They are HSS and will hold an edge quite well.

The best tool in the bunch will be the Diamond parting tool - it has a good configuration for making the parting cuts with clearance - although it will prove to be a bit short at times.

My experience is that these tools are quite versitile. I have reground almost every one - the skew was turned into a 45 degree scraper for shear scraping the outside of a form. The narrow skew (1/2 inch) was reground with a very long point for making cuts into deep V's and the round nose scraper was reground to have a long bevel along the left edge to scrape the inside of boxes.

The small (narrow) spindle gouge is basically worthless, unless you cut down the length (to reduce chatter) and regrind the edge for making grooves.

So, these tools are great as special application tools - they are cheap and there is little money lost if the tool is ground down to a nub in a few months! Plus they are a good set of tools to use to learn how to sharpen at the grinder!

Use them!

Ray Sandusky

HSS? Mine were/are carbon steel.

I have seen both carbon steel and HSS -- these are pretty common items at flea markets, antique stores, etc. I bought a set new many years ago, it was stamped "High Speed Steel" under the Craftsman tm on the handle. I found a set at a flea market which had a black coating on the chisels, but the handle has the HSS marking also. The handles are the same shape on the carbon steel sets.

Like Ray, I have reground many of mine for special applications. I made a spear point scraper, similar to the Richard Raffan spear point, and I use it a lot. I don't turn the edge on this scraper, but hone it frequently.

think the high speed steel is the later version of these tools. They were originally in carbon steel. As I recall, all of the tools were quite short, but usable. I have an old set of Buck Bros. tools that are almost identical, but are slightly longer. They too, are carbon steel. The Bucks hold an edge quite well. I can't say about the Craftsman tools, but I expect they would need to be sharpened fairly often.

Barry

I bought my Sears Craftsman Lathe around 1990 and it came with the carbon steel tools -- short bladed and medium handles. I turn to them frequently when I am turning and have reshaped the edges on a couple of them. As to having to sharpen them more frequently, I have learned that all I have to do is press harder! *G*

It sounds like you have found a nice set of older tools.

A few years ago, on the advice of people in this newgroup I picked up a used set of Craftsman HSS tools. The price was right and I've been very pleased with them. They stay sharp and work well but are shorter than other tools, which presents some challenges at times. I especilly like the width and shape of the stock the gouges are made from.

Like others here have said, I don't hesitate to rework them into other useful shapes or specialty tools. I made a 1/4 wide parting tool from one that I use on many projects to turn a tenon the width of the tool in one pass that will fit in my chuck. It also functions as a skew and is great for rolling small beads also.

I've seen some of the older Craftsman tools that were longer and I wouldn't hesitate to buy and use an older set of carbon steel tools either if they were priced reasonably. I have some older high carbon steel tools by another company that I use and prefer in some situations. Most of the older tools were of excellent quality and construction.. much better than the run of the mill tools made today, IMO.

You can tell if they are carbon steel or HSS when you grind them. Carbon steel produces lots of bright sparks that break up when they hit something hard, like the tool rest. They look kinda kinda like a celebration sparkler the kids like to play with. HSS give off far less sparks and and are sometimes hard to see. They are an orange colored ball like spark that doesn't break up when it hits a surface.

Bertie

If any of you have the old Dell Stubbs video. Take a re-look at it, Dell was using a few Craftsman tools in the video. I've had a few of these over the years, the price is right and the quality of the HSS is very good, not polished up like some others, but good just the same. I like to make scrapers from them. Joaz Hill,( I think he's from Main) took a Craftsman gouge and ground a bevel on the bottom and used it as a scraper for the insides of a bowl. I tried this and it works very well. If you go to his site I think he still has a description of it. BTW Sears still sells these tools, last time I priced them, about $14.99 each. Jim

===> Don't your gouges have bevels on the bottom? Mine do!

Leif

Thanks Leif. The bevel is on the inside of the bottom. Jim