Wood Blanks & Perform Tool Kit

[Jenx]

Just a thought for 'sharpening' .....
from my 'learning curve', shallow as it may be....

Up until recently - did my 'sharpening' by eye with the grinder and a little 'adjustable platform' type jig bolted in front of the wheel ....

Until very recently when I got myself a Tru-Grind system ( from Phil Irons ).... ---> http://www.philironswoodturning.co.uk/i ... &Itemid=69

...and its absolutely brilliant. I've found a huge difference in the tools' edge, and now get a consistent and identically repeatable grind every time. As the linked 'promo' says.. "If you cant sharpen, you cant turn"... and in that respect, I wish I'd invested in it from the get-go.... instead of thinking I was 'saving' by going the original route. Over the piece, that (IMHO) was a false economy.. and a good system of sharpening would have paid dividends.
Others may not share the view.. if they are skilled enough to really sharpen 'well', & that would be fair enough... but I have found this method to be something thats made a fantastic difference to me - and has been one of my better decisions about where to spend some money.

Investing in the lathe itself, tools, finishes, abrasives, dust-extraction, hardwood blanks etc etc etc... all depend on being able to carry out the procedure to a standard, and without being able to maintain a good, keen sharp edge on the tools - become an irrelevance.
I'd even maybe go so far as to suggest that 'an eye for design', & conceptual ideas, and everything else.. all amount to nothing, if your tools aren't sharp. Its key to everything...
So if you have any reservations about your abilities to sharpen... scrimping on the investment on how you plan to sharpen, isn't perhaps the best place to look to save money.

That's my experience of it anyway...
wish I'd got the Tru-grind from the beginning... ( or something similar ).

HTH

 

[Wanlock Dod]

Wizer,

My tuppen'orth on turning tools is that the collections probably don't actually include the tools you'll want, although until you've tried them you won't know.

For example, a 1/4 parting tool will probably be rather less useful than an 1/8 parting tool. I have both, got the larger one as part of a set and hardly ever use it, got a 1/8 one separately and use it loads.

I'd probably go for a larger roughing gouge (although only because the one I have is quite big, came as part of a set). I find 3/8 a good size for both a bowl and spindle gouge (although I generally prefer a larger bowl gouge now that I have one.

I've never used Perform tools, but of those that I have I rate them in the following order for edge retention:
Sorby, Record, Crown

My local supplier only sells Crown tools these days (on the basis that they are cheaper and will therefore sell better), but I tend to find that they need sharpening more often than the Record or Sorby tools.

I've had good service from Stiles and Bates, not sure if they are in your neck of the woods, they're certainly not local to me.

For practice timber, keep an eye out for logs lying around and scavenge them. This is a lot more of a practical proposition if you have a bandsaw (chainsaw can also be handy, although I managed fine with a bow saw for some time). That said, dry and round blanks can make for more turning, rather than spending as long wrestling with the wood before you get it on the lathe.

Cheers,

Dod