Picked up my lathe last night

[Jambo]

Hi guys, picked up my new (first!) lathe last night (Record DML36SH-MK2) that I bought on eBay last week.

The price was £100 which I thought was quite good as it still has 3 years left of the 5 year guarantee. Anyway for £120 I ended up coming away with some pen blanks, various grades of abrasive, carnuba wax, skew chisel, parting tool, 3 x turning DVD's & a good amount of wood (including some cherry, willow & oak - not sure on the rest) so I'm highly delighted with the deal!!

Just need to buy some tools now (recommendations welcome) then I can start practicing!! 8)

Rob.

 

[Blister]

Sounds like a good deal as long as it was £120 for everything :lol: and not £120 extra :shock:

Sounds like you need a Bowl gouge , Spindle gouge , and perhaps a Roughing Gouge , That should get you started , then the sky's the limit :wink:

 

[Jambo]

Sounds like a good deal as long as it was £120 for everything :lol: and not £120 extra :shock:

Haha, yeh £120 for the lot :lol:

Any manufacturer of tools preferable or are they all pretty much the same? I have a Robert Sorby catalogue at home so I'm naturally drawn to them after reading about how good they are (in their own words of course!) I don't really want to skimp on the tools, I'd better have a look round the net - much better than doin any work!!

Rob.

 

[Blister]

Sounds like a good deal as long as it was £120 for everything :lol: and not £120 extra :shock:

Haha, yeh £120 for the lot :lol:

Any manufacturer of tools preferable or are they all pretty much the same? I have a Robert Sorby catalogue at home so I'm naturally drawn to them after reading about how good they are (in their own words of course!) I don't really want to skimp on the tools, I'd better have a look round the net - much better than doin any work!!

Rob.

As long as they are HSS ( high speed steel ) most makes a much the same

:wink:

 

[Jambo]

Thats great, thanks for your help Blister

Rob.

 

[loz]

Hi Rob,

If you want to save some money on your tools, then just buy the steel itself, and make your own handles - Over here ( Dublin ) - can be as much as double the price to get a handled tool. !!! - crazy

I have just been using offcuts of copper pipe as a ferule, a la Darrell Feltmate


Loz

 

[Jambo]

Hi Rob,

If you want to save some money on your tools, then just buy the steel itself, and make your own handles - Over here ( Dublin ) - can be as much as double the price to get a handled tool

Hi Loz,

Yeh I've noticed tools for sale with no handles, confused me a bit at first!! Something to think about once I actually learn how to turn :lol:

Rob.

 

[chipchaser]

Hi Jambo,

as Blister said HSS are better, because they need sharpening less often. All the well known names now available are likely to be HSS. Carbon steel is ok and takes a good edge but needs sharpening more frequently and if overheated looses temper. But you can re-harden and temper quite easily. I have some carbon steel tools which I bought as a secondhand job lot on Ebay and still use.
You will also need a grindstone to sharpen tools frequently if you turn a lot.

 

[Jambo]

Yeh been looking at grinders, someone recommended on to me from the forum the other day so I know which one I want now!

Regarding tools, I'm very tempted to just order these:
http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Perf ... -21761.htm

£60 for a 6 tool starter kit just to get me going but the price is making me think I should be buying something a bit more expensive, don't really want to compomise on quality with the tools! Anyone got a set of there? If so are they any good?

Once again many thanks, Rob.

 

[SVB]

I have found Crown make good quality tools at a competitive price. Alternatively, Axminster's own brand (not Perform) are made by Hamlet in sheffield so should be A-ok.

 

[jpt]

The perform set are quite good and reasonably priced, especially as you will grind quite a bit of it away as you are learning to sharpen and deciding on what angles and shapes you want your gouges at.

The Record dry grinders are good and reasonably priced and come with a white wheel as standard http://www.recordpower.co.uk/index.php? ... f=Grinders

I use the 8" but the 6" are very good as well.

john

 

[Jambo]

Thanks SVB & jpt, I'll look into your recommendations

 

[Blister]

Yeh been looking at grinders, someone recommended on to me from the forum the other day so I know which one I want now!

Regarding tools, I'm very tempted to just order these:
http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Perf ... -21761.htm

£60 for a 6 tool starter kit just to get me going but the price is making me think I should be buying something a bit more expensive, don't really want to compomise on quality with the tools! Anyone got a set of there? If so are they any good?

Once again many thanks, Rob.

You already have ( skew chisel, parting tool, ) so why buy them again ?

Why not just buy the ones you need ?

 

[Jambo]

You already have ( skew chisel, parting tool, ) so why buy them again ?

Why not just buy the ones you need ?

Fair point Blister, my initial thought was just to replace them coz I didn't know anything about them (how good/bad they were, if they were HSS or not etc...) The parting tool I've never heard of but the skew chisel is a Hamlet.

I think I'll take them to my next lesson and see if he thinks they are worth keeping.

Rob.

 

[shedhead]

I know a Tormek ( wet grind ) is a lot more money, but i would recommend it as the best sharpening system for me. I worked away with both the Sorby and the Oneway systems, but i was not very sucessful.

Since i moved to a Tormek i have great sharp tools that i could never get with the grinder. I sold my Sorby and Oneway on Ebay last week.

 

[Blister]

I know a Tormek ( wet grind ) is a lot more money, but i would recommend it as the best sharpening system for me. I worked away with both the Sorby and the Oneway systems, but i was not very sucessful.

Since i moved to a Tormek i have great sharp tools that i could never get with the grinder. I sold my Sorby and Oneway on Ebay last week.

SNAP < Tormek for me all the way :wink:

 

[Jambo]

I know a Tormek ( wet grind ) is a lot more money, but i would recommend it as the best sharpening system for me. I worked away with both the Sorby and the Oneway systems, but i was not very sucessful.

Since i moved to a Tormek i have great sharp tools that i could never get with the grinder. I sold my Sorby and Oneway on Ebay last week.

Think for the difference in price I'll use a bench grinder for a while and see how I go then if I need to upgrade I will. There is an axminster grinder selling at £29.95, at that price I can throw it away if it's useless!! :lol:

Rob.

 

[CHJ]

Hi Jambo, nothing wrong with the cheap grinders as long as you get the wheels balanced, as you say you can buy an awful lot of new grinding wheels, jig supports etc. for £400.

These early threads of mine may be of help, there are some links to other grinding jigs linked in them.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5360&highlight=

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4443&highlight=

 

[jayw]

hi jambo
i bought the £29.95 perform grinder (now an axminster brand) from axminster and made my own sharpening jig they work fine i've had no problems
also have the perform chisels they work fine

 

[Jambo]

Hi Jambo, nothing wrong with the cheap grinders as long as you get the wheels balanced, as you say you can buy an awful lot of new grinding wheels, jig supports etc. for £400.

These early threads of mine may be of help, there are some links to other grinding jigs linked in them.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5360&highlight=

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4443&highlight=

They look great! Love the idea of the mobile tool station :lol: