I bought a Jet Midi wood lathe for my son for the holiday. Nice looking tool and something he's been asking about for a while.
I want to buy a starter set of tools for him, but I'm not sure where to begin. I see a few companies offer "midi" size tools that are smaller than full size tools. Is this a big advantage? They are obviously less expensive, but is that the only advantage?
Any thoughts or recommendations?
IMO, get regular size tools not smaller ones. That of course doesn't mean buy the real big ones either.
Be sure they are High-Speed Steel (HSS). For spindle turning you need say a
3/8" or 1/2" spindle gouge (measurements are diameters of shaft (North America uses outside dimensions, UK uses inside of flute measurements), a parting tool, skew chisel to start. For bowl turning 1/2" bowl gouge, round-nose scraper, parting tool (same one as for spindles). This is just a start, sort of like buying the first set of batteries for other toys. He will quickly determine what else he should have to suit his projects.You want to have tools that have a good length of handle since this gives you leverage and control.
billh
I recently suggested the same lathe to one of the Scouts in my troop, or at least to his parents- along with the harbor freight tool set. It's a decent beginner set, reasonable quality steel, holds an edge, and when you or the young man bungs up the edge learning to sharpen it doesn't feel as bad as taking 1/2" off the $90 skew. The tools should last more than long enough to figure out which of the expensive ones he wants, and to save his allowance for them.
I don't see any advantage to 1/2 size tools, unless you have 1/2-size hands.
Check out the HSS set from Harbor Freight, great set of tools for the price, I know lots of turners who use them, I think they are less than $50.00 for the whole set of eight.
In the Kip Christensen and Rex Burningham pen turning book they wrote, they recommend the midi sized tools for pen turning. Convenient for the small spindles and you are able to hold two tools in your hands at once for speed and efficiency. You don't have to put each tool down on the bench. A couple weekends ago a club member gave a turning demo on Christmas ornaments. He was constantly sticking the small (midi sized) Bonnie Klein tools he likes in his pockets. He also used a Henry Taylor Acorn brand carving gouge, 9, 10, or 11 sweeep, as a roughing gouge for the Christmas ornaments. Our local Woodcraft was clearing out the Acorn tools at 40% off.
For a starter set I think the Harbor Freight HSS set is good. Item number 47066. Tan wood handles, 8 pieces, High Speed Steel, $29.99.
7/8" roughing gouge. 3/4" gouge that can be ground into a Continental gouge. 5/16" spindle gouge. 1" and 9/16" skew chisels. 7/32" normal parting tool. 9/16" wide by 7/32" thick round nose scraper. 9/16" wide by 7/32" thick diamond point scraper that can be ground into a useful square nose scraper. Add a name brand 3/8" or 1/2" bowl gouge and a heavy French curve scraper to this kit and you are in pretty good shape for tools.And if you decide you need more name brand tools to be a real woodturner, you have some decent pieces of high speed steel already with handles on them to grind into scrapers. I bought this set so I could get the round nose scraper and grind the skew chisels into round nose scrapers. But now the set seems so good that its hard to grind up a useful skew chisel into a scraper. Even though I already own nicer/shinier/prettier handled skew chisels in 1" and 1/2". I'm thinking the 7/32" parting tool might be reground into a Raffan pointy shear scraper. I'm sure I need that.
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