Lathe tools

Marc,

I am by no means an expert, but if you are starting out and want to get a feel for turning, I'd suggest working with green wood until you get comfortable with the mechanics of turning. Also, IMHO, some of the best tools I have are those I've made myself. If you have the slightest bit of skill, this is not hard to do. Especially if you checkout Darrell Feltmate's Website

Hello Marc,

Coffee cups, wine glasses, goblest, etc. are not the projects to start honing your turning skills. End grain is the most difficult part to cut with turning tools, unless you have endgrain hollowing tools. The best tools that I've used for simple endgrain hollowing such as you are trying both have round carbide cutters: The Hunter tool which is available from several locations now comes in three different sizes, I have the one with a 3/8" cutter and the one with a 1/2 inch cutter. They are excellent. The other one is the Eliminator Tool sold only by Packard Woodworks. It has a heavier shaft with flats ground on the shaft to make it easier to apply the cutter at the right angle. It is available in a 1/4" cutter (a sweet little tool), a 3/8" cutter, and now, I believe with a 1/2" cutter. I have the first two sizes and they are awsome endgrain hollowing tools.

However, I think you would have better luck with your Crown tools doing spindle work. Also, if you are trying to use them as they came out of the box, they will not be sharp. New turning tools are ground, but almost never sharp. You can hollow endgrain with a spindle gouge (3/8" size is good), but it takes a lot of tool control that a new to turning person will not have. Try turning some of that scrap wood into little spindles, until you have excellent control of your tools. Actually, my choice of a object to turn to learn turning skills is spinner tops. You have endgrain cutting and cutting of thin spindles for the stem.

Try turning something more simple to begin with. I started turning 20 years ago with a bunch of chunks of firewood. I would turn them round. Then I would make beads their full length. I would make coves in the beads and then turn everything away and start over with beads until the wood became too thin to turn. This gives one tool control and practice in sharpening the tools.

Fred Holder

Exception. Spend your effort not in wasting metal, but shaving wood. Learn what angles work with the tools as they are. As Roy Underhill says, the tools are their own jig. You use the stone as if it were a hone - or a piece of wood turning on the lathe. Anchor to the rest, match bevel to the contour, cut or grind. It's THE SAME MOTION AS TURNING, if I might use Darrell's method of emphasis.

Once you know enough about edges and turning, you can decide if your height, your lathe height, your rest and distance, and all other factors which affect turning are a good match for the tools as they are, or if you want to use someone else's idea of what's a good contour. Betting you'll be happier if you try to learn the tools rather than blame them. You'll save on steel and grit, too.

Hi Marc,

I'm brand new to this as well. I've been reading the forum but have not had much of a chance to do much turning for the last few months.

We're in the same boat in that regard, but I'll point out you're getting some pretty good feedback from the pros here. I can't say enough about Darrell Feltmate's site. I've already built his sharpening jigs and he's bang on.

The site is enormous, so spend more than just a cursory glance. It'll be worth your while.

Darrell,

I think it's me that owes you the thanks.

That site is a lot of work; I know that. It's very informative, and it's obvious you are doing it not to promote your own stuff but to promote the hobby, especially for newcomers.

As I said earlier, I haven't really gotten into turning in a big way because other things are pending. But I have played with the sharpening jig, and I'll be back to the site often as the addiction grows.