High School Woodshop Auction - Michigan

[dkerfoot]

I really wish I had the space for most of this. Heavy-duty lathes, bandsaws, tablesaws, jointers, sanders, etc...

I am really hoping that one of my neighbors buys the 24" bandsaw and the 18" open end drum sander.

https://michiganonlineauctions.auctionflex.com/showlots.ap?co=67929&weid=28914

.

[tommyt654]

Thats a lot of nice old vintage iron up there,wish I was closer. I'd be all over that Brunswick Pool table and some turning tools to go with my newly inherited Shopsmith

[BobSch]

Does this mean another school is dropping their shop classes?

Too bad.

[dkerfoot]

I'd encourage you to stay far away from any lathe tools that look like those.
Most of the original tools from Shopsmith are of poor quality too. You want to make sure you buy at least HSS tools.

Do some research before you buy lathe tools. It will make a huge difference in the amount of enjoyment you get from the new toy.

[woodinville guy]

too bad you can't have them ship stuff.... :-(

[woodturner]

I'd encourage you to stay far away from any lathe tools that look like those.
Most of the original tools from Shopsmith are of poor quality too. You want to make sure you buy at least HSS tools.

No disagreement that HSS tools hold an edge longer and are less likely to "burn" when sharpening, but carbon steel tools like the Sears and Shopsmith cost a lot less and are good starter tools. I'd rather have a "trainee" trash a $10 Sears tool than a $100 Sorby.

As a practical matter, either one is fine, you will just need to sharpen the carbon tool more often.

[greenacres2]

too bad you can't have them ship stuff.... :-(

I'm only 3 hours away and i feel the same way!!

earl

[dkerfoot]

I'd rather have a "trainee" trash a $10 Sears tool than a $100 Sorby.

If you are talking about what to buy for high school kids, I would agree, but only because they are likely to abuse them. If you are suggesting that as a general rule, adults should buy crappy tools to start with, well, there we part ways. I am solidly in the "buy the best you can afford" camp. There is no substitute for learning how truly sharp tools work and in my experience, carbon steel stays sharp for less than 30 seconds on dry wood.

TommyT654,
If your interest is bowl turning, I'd personally recommend you start with just a bowl gouge and a heavy duty round scraper, but buy full-size, HSS models. The 5-tool sets can be a better value per tool, but three of the five tools are generally only used for spindles. In my case, even then I quickly had to replace the scraper with a heavier duty one. The 3/8" bowl gouge is the only one of the five that I use on a regular basis (and can be used for most of the spindle work I am likely to ever do unless I start making Christmas ornaments.

I have a couple of those carbon steel starter sets and the only thing I can recommend them for is reshaping into specialty tools when you need to reach a particular spot, angle, etc... Better for sure than using old files like some folks suggest.

If I were just starting, I'd look at the Easywoodtools. They look very promising to me and the replaceable carbide tips will save you in the short term from having to sink money into a good grinder, wheel, jigs, etc.

.

[woodturner]

If you are suggesting that as a general rule, adults should buy crappy tools to start with, well, there we part ways. I am solidly in the "buy the best you can afford" camp.

I disagree that carbon steel tools are "crappy", or that HSS are "the best you can afford". Choice of steel for tools is a complicated proposition, with conflicting goals that cannot be universally met.

If you are only getting 30 seconds of edge life from a carbon steel tool, something else is likely going on. Are your tools getting hot in use, suggesting too much pressure on the bevel? It's a common issue, even among the "pros". The bevel should "touch" but no pressure should be applied, and tools should not heat up in use.

I'm not a "tool snob", so overpaying for the "brand names" is not important to me. I'm more interest in the qualities and benefits of the tool.

The primary advantage of carbon steel tools (and why many of the top turners use them) is that they will take a sharper edge. The advantage of HSS is that the edge will last about twice as long - so you will only have to sharpen every 30 minutes or so of turning, instead of every 15 minutes or so.

What I do is hone the edge with a slip stone every few minutes - keeps the edge sharp and a better cut than any tool will straight off the grinder. As a result, carbon steel is preferred, because it is easier to hone and hones to a sharper edge. The sharper edge is important to me because it avoids the need to sand before finishing. With a HSS tool, sanding is required since the tool cannot be made sharp enough to give a "better than sanded" surface finish.

Anyway, that's what works for me, and has for many years - but everyone's shop and application is a little different, and it's best to do what works for you.