Harbor Freight Turning Tools

Those are the GOOD tools, but they are only 29.99 at the store. With gas at it's current price, it's probably better to have them shipped.

Just MHO,

Ths Other Bruce

As long as you are not in a hurry sometimes their shipping is kinda slow (everything comes from the West Coast). but the tools themselves are pretty decient they hold an edge pretty well and have decient construction. If you are new to turning and more importantly sharpening you will most likely make some mistakes in the sharpening department. It won't hurt as much if you inadvertantly ruin a tool that effectively cost 5-6 dollars) the next step up in tools will run you like 250.00 for the same configurations

The $30 and $40 sets are OK, but I wouldn't bother with the cheapy unless you're planning on making special tools out of them and jsut want metal with handles. Won't be good metal either. IN the future you might want to check out news:rec.crafts.woodturning

Dave in Fairfax

Thanks for the information. I ordered a set of the tools online from HF. The couple dollars more is worth not fighting the traffic and gas expense Looking forward to them arriving. CC

SNIP.......

================== Dave, The set he asked about are M2 steel. Their cheapo carbon steel set is around $10.00. That's what he should use to practice sharpening on. :-)

Ken Moon Webbervile, TX.

I have all the regulars; Sorby, Taylor, Crown, even about three Ashley Isles tools. Like many, I have a ton of chisels now (about 60... ouch!), but only actually use a few.

I got a set of these to try out as I was going to suggest some tools to some of the other turners in our club. I figured I could sell them on EBAY or to one of the other guys when I was finished with them. But I actually like them well enough not to sell them. I have polished off any signs of the manufacturer on the chisels including where they were made, and lent them to others in my club. NOT ONE person could guess where they came from or where they were made.

The steel is great, the tools were put together well, and the handles were good hard wood. They came in a pine box to carry them in and even came with a little stone to touch them up between grinds.

These are good tools and I think an excellent buy for the money.

Robert

I have good English and Australian tools for my main tools, but I love the cheap HF carbon steel set which I got on sale for $4.99. I ground three with special scraper grinds that I use for specific short durationl jobs. With the others unused, that's $1.66/tool. Rather hard to beat for a special application.

Derek

I agree, in general. Their M2s are usable tools, but not so expensive that grinding them away hurts terribly. what I was trying to say was that he should stay away from the carbons except to use as special tools, just like Derek says a bit later in this thread. For *THAT* the carbons are great. Who cares if they only last a short time before they need sharpening and get ground away or break off at the handle from bending.

Dave in Fairfax

Like anything else, you get what you pay for... I have both HF sets, and I think that the set you're getting is a very good value... OTOH, I also have their cheap set, along with their cheap bowl turning set, and for the $10 a set that I paid for them they are great to have... especially if you're into learning or experimenting with different grinding and sharpening systems.. It's a real luxury to be able to try a swept, thumbnail, etc. grind on an extra chisel that you didn't spend much money on..

Also, you might want to go back to the HF web site and click on the box for "mail me ads" or whatever it says... I never buy anything at HF unless it's on sale, and if you get the flyers in the mail, you can not only get the web sale prices, but if it's cheaper in the flyer than the web, you just order by the stock number in the flyer to get that price..

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Also, I find that sometimes when I am in the middle of a turning and really don't want to stop to sharpen the chisel, I can grab one of the HF chisels and finish what I was doing, then sharpen both..

I still haven't found an affordable small skew that I like as much as the one in the HF mini bowl set.. (the bowl gouge sucks and the parting tool bends in the wind, but the skew was worth at least the $10 I paid for the set)

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Thanks again for all the information. The lathe came with a set of tools from Homier and they are pretty much junk just looking at them I wanted to start with something that would at least work for a while and from what everyone says about the HF tools will be a good value for the money. I am not even sure if the Homier tools would be worth practicing sharpening on LOL CC