Best Turning Tools to Get Started With?

[jasonsed]

My wife surprised me with a Jet Mini Lathe for Christmas this year and I could not be more excited. I have wanted to try turning for a long time. I realize now that this gift is just the start of an expensive collection of new tools. I chunk of spinning wood is not much good without something to shape it with. This is where I need help. Having no reason to read about turning tools, I know nothing about where to start. Can I please get some recommendations on turning tools I should buy, kits I need, accessories for the Jet and anything else I should know. It's a lot to ask, but any little bit will help. I've searched a few times, but not found what I need. I've heard a few things about the HF HSS Turning Kit as a good, cheap place to start, but would I be better off spending money a one or two high quality tools instead? Thanks for your suggestions.

[Mort]

Welcome to the Vortex. The rest of the tools in the shop will be used to support your new addiction er hobby. There is no known cure once addicted.

Safety first
Full-face shield
Dust mask – replaceable filter type – not the rubber band kind
Set up
Ensure the bed ways of the lathe are level and the spindle – the motor end – is at the height of your elbow bent. Your back will thank you.
Knowledge
Join a wood turners club. AAW has a list on their website www.woodturner.org . A lot of great help and hands on available. Woodcraft offers turning and sharpening lessons in most of their stores. Google for Brian Clifford, an English turner, has write-ups on tool presentation and video clips are on his web site for basic spindle cuts. Lyle Jameison has some useful information on sharpening on his website. Great reviews and how to's on kwgeorge's website. Ken is a frequent poster on BT3CENTRAL. If you have the financial and time resources the John C Campbell school and the Arrowmont School both have excellent weeklong classes for beginners and they are fairly near you.
Books, Video, DVD
I suggest Phil Irons 2 books in 1 great little basic book; Richard Raffan is considered the world's guru on box making and skew use. His techniques and speed are something to behold.
Tools
HF $29 set is good to start – useful roughing gouge, skew, spindle gouge, parting tool, the scrapers are OK. These may be ruined with a small financial impact.
Sorby, Hamlet, Crown are all good brands. Most of us buy the HF set and the Sorby/Crown/Hamlet etc. Hey, it is an addiction! I suggest adding a bedan from Sorby. My personal favorite is un-handled tools by P & N available from Woodcraft and Lee Valley Tools. All of the tools must be sharpened before use so . . .
Bench grinder for sharpening – slow speed, 8" aluminum oxide wheels. Six inch wheels will hollow grind the bevel on the tools. Depends who is talking but the 60, 80, 120 grit wheels are the most recommended. Woodcraft's slow speed grinder is the best for the money out there IMO, comes with an 80 and 120 grit alum oxide wheels on sale at $75
Wolverine sharpening system mfg'd by OneWay who has a DVD on how to use the system and will mail a copy free; order from their website. Several websites exist that offer free plans to make sharpening systems. Lots of us wind up buying the wolverine anyway.
Center finder HF item number is 7950.
Chucks
I favor Vicmarc; best price is from www.1goodturn.net , although he has closed shop temporarily due to an illness in the family.
Sources for turning trinkets not already noted are
Craft Supplies, Hartville Tool, Highland Hardware, Penn State Industries, Packard Wood Works.

I can spend more of your money.I haven't even touched on finishing. Wood scrounging tools are a chain saw, a pick up, large ice chest!!!! The items mentioned could be considered minimum.

Turning wood is said to be the most fun one can have with their clothes on, again welcome to the addiction and keep the bevel rubbing.

[Tom Hintz]

You are in the deep stuff now! With all of us though so don't worry.
I have reviews of a few turning-related things at the link below. One is the Crown beginners chisel set that I was fortunate enough to buy when I got my lathe. I normally do not like sets of anything but in this case it worked out as I use all of the tools included.
They are all HSS (high speed steel), hold an edge very well and handle nicely, all things that helped me learn.

http://www.newwoodworker.com/turndir.html

[kwgeorge]

Wow, Mort has really done a fine job with his informative post. I agree with everything that he is telling you including the Vicmarc being the favorite chuck. So I will only add to Morts post. Just about every tool you will purchase will come dull with a reference grind on them. To use the tool you will need to sharpen it so a grinder is a must have and the one at Woodcraft is a great one. I am an advocate of buying cheaper tools to learn tool grinding on and the Harbor Freight set is a good start and so are the Benjamin Best tools available from PSI. In a lot of the tools you will find that they will perform just as well as the tools that cost 3 to 4 times as much.

Tools I would avoid are the Pinnacle tools that Woodcraft is now carrying as they appear to be the exact same steel and tools as the PSI just with different handles and much more expensive.

[jasonsed]

Thanks for the responses. The wealth of knowledge and generosity in sharing it is what makes this forum so great. I didn't realize turning would be so involved. I'm kind of on the fence about getting into turning. We are getting ready to move and our income will be drastically cut, so I worry about investing in a new hobby that requires so many tools just to get started. You guys haven't even mentioned the wood! How expensive is turning? Can I get by with HF tools and scraps of wood or am I just wasting my time? I'm starting a new career and I hope that eventually I'll be financially able to turn wood the right way, but is it a hobby that should be done on a strict budget?

[kwgeorge]

One of the really great things about turning is that you can make beautiful things out of pieces of wood that would have other wise been discarded. An inexpensive set of tools and a grinder will most certainly get you started and then you can add on as you go.

[gerti]

quote:Originally posted by jasonsed

We are getting ready to move and our income will be drastically cut, so I worry about investing in a new hobby that requires so many tools just to get started. You guys haven't even mentioned the wood! How expensive is turning?

A lot of wood can be had for free. Just keep your ears open for the sound of chain saws in the neighborhood! Often the folks will be happy if you take some wood of their hands. And since the more beautiful wood for turning (burls, crotches etc) isn't all that great for firewood, they'll be twice as happy if you take that! Though keep it easy on yourself for starters. Oh, and green wood turns very easy, so it is great for practice.

The most satisfying beginner project (though it doesn't loose it's appeal even as you become better) is pen turning. Quite easy, quick, and with great looking results!

Good luck and have lots of fun!

Gerd

[Mort]

"You guys haven't even mentioned the wood! How expensive is turning? Can I get by with HF tools and scraps of wood or am I just wasting my time?"

I started with the HF tool set, the face plate that came with the lathe and a six inch grinder on a stand from Sears $60 on sale and wood scrounged from fire wood piles. Members of the turning club I joined let me use their bandsaws, CMS, TS etc. Made a paper towel holder for LOML from a piece of cedar. Useful scrapers maybe made from old files shaped on the grinder. Hook tools - used to hollow end grain may be made for $5 from cold rolled steel bar. So yes you can get started with little investment.

To add to Gert's post - construction sites and tree cutters are other sources. I used 2 x 4 ripped in half - the guys on the construction site were very helpful - cut to 12" lengths to learn the use of the tools.

The only wood I have paid for went for spindles made for the house we are resurrecting - kiln dried poplar BTW. So far have turned [all green wood] mahogany, poplar, pine red/yellow/white/norfolk island, beech, pecan, oak, maple sugar/red, birch paper/yellow, hemlock, apple, grapefruit, orange, palm, walnut, cherry, jacaranda, camphor, all scrounged or traded for.