wood lathe turning chuck

[wa2crk]

Beeg
Yes the Villages club is about 12 miles however it is a closed group. In order to join I have to live in the Villages AND be a member of the Villages Woodworking club and then I would be able to join the lathe group.
I mentioned this to a rep for the AAW who said that it is a violation and they would look into it but I have never heard back from them.
The Villages turning club is also supposed a star chapter in that all of the members have to be members of the AAW.
That means dues to The Villages Woodworking club, The Villages Turning group and the AAW. Gets a bit expensive.
Bill V

[reible]

Does anyone have a copy of the steel testing that was done? I'd be interested in reading it. Often it is more then just the steel used but how it is processed and finished.

Take shopsmith tools, I have no idea how many places they have gotten tools from, and what if any specs they use to purchase them. I know the one that I got with the 10ER I gave my brother were very different then the ones I got with my 1976 shopsmith. I have several sets of shopsmith tools, some seem to look like a line the Buck Brothers offered at about that time. I have some others that seem a bit different in possibly from another manufacture.

In all cases of the standard tool set the finish is not great and in all cases the flat tools have very sharp edges which need to be rounded. I learned that early on when my poor tool rest was getting chewed up.

I have some greenlee I picked up at a restore, they look old and the steel is a little soft. They take an edge easy but they also loose it quickly. Well for the price I paid it wasn't a bad deal.

The tools I'm looking at are from d-way tools as Eddie C has advertised. I still haven't sprung for one but from what they seem, like polished surfaces appeals to me. I might just put an order in for a fingernail bowl gouge this month..... if I have any money left after a couple of needed things like glasses for the wife and I. No insurance so that hurts.

Anyone have any d-way tools?

I've done a few handles but sometimes I just like to buy them with handles so I can get a feel for their grip and finish. It would save me a few $$ but sometime I lack time as much as money for things.

I think any class you take when you start out will help a lot. Even the online videos will get you started. Practice however is what it takes to get better. My first pen was passable but by the time I had done my 5th one it was noticeably better. The whole process has changed over time so no only the turning has improved but the drilling of the blanks and cutting down on process time by doing them in batches of a dozen or so really helped. I no longer start sanding at 80 grit and most of them time I can start at 220, I go to 3600 and never use ca finishes, just don't like how they feel. I'm in the range of having made 250 or so pens so ones I do now come out pretty nice. Now it is about the wood and not the process that interests me.

Turning ranges from simple pens to very complex art work. Despite what I have done I'm pretty much a novelist in most areas of turning but I have found that it is not a cheap path. Over the last couple of years most of my purchases have been lathe related well discounting the last powerpro that is. I'd like to finish that gathering this year and that will include something to grind those fingernail and like tools.

Ed

[wa2crk]

Reible
I just tried to copy and paste the report but the PDF did not allow it for some reason.
If you go to the AAW website and look under "instruction" for the one on turning and sharpening the comparison chart is in that report.
I think that anyone can view that section.
The 4 piece Shopsmith bowl turning set was reviewed and the steel in those was actually very close to the steel in the Sorby and other high end tools. Trouble is that SS does not market those sets anymore.
I bought the Sorby Sovereign system and removed the gouges from the handles and the SS gouges can be held by the Sorby handle.
I am hoping to have one handle and a drawer full of cutters instead of a drawer full of handles with cutters.
Bill

[reible]

I'll take a look later tonight. I'm in on a break from working it the shop and need a drink. Got the heater on, stated at 41 degrees and it now 48 so I don't want to waste the electricity. I have the 4 piece set from shopsmith so that sounds like a worth while purchase some years back.

Ed

Reible
I just tried to copy and paste the report but the PDF did not allow it for some reason.
If you go to the AAW website and look under "instruction" for the one on turning and sharpening the comparison chart is in that report.
I think that anyone can view that section.
The 4 piece Shopsmith bowl turning set was reviewed and the steel in those was actually very close to the steel in the Sorby and other high end tools. Trouble is that SS does not market those sets anymore.
I bought the Sorby Sovereign system and removed the gouges from the handles and the SS gouges can be held by the Sorby handle.
I am hoping to have one handle and a drawer full of cutters instead of a drawer full of handles with cutters.
Bill

[tomsalwasser]

Anyone have any d-way tools? Ed

This was recommended by Chris Neilan and I'm going to get one eventually.
http://d-waytools.com/cbn-grinding-wheels

Chris also had good things to say about the Oneway Wolverine jig. I bought one with my 10% discount from the Minnesota Woodworkers Guild but I don't have a grinder yet. I'm sharpening as best I can during my night class at the high school. I don't feel I'm putting the best edge on the wood, but I'm getting there.
http://www.woodcraft.com/product/125676 ... g-jig.aspx

Last year at the Woodworking Show, Peachtree or one of those outfits had a really good deal on an Easy Wood full size finisher, which I bought but have not had a chance to use yet. Looking forward to it.

Today I'm gluing up some bowl blanks. Tomorrow I'll round them out on the bandsaw and do some more turning on Thursday!

[wa2crk]

Tomsalwasser
I have and use the Wolverine grinding system also and I think that it is the most user friendly one out there especially for the beginner. I have been taking the tools off the wooden handles and using them on the Sorby handle system. When I put the Irish Grind (Ellsworth grind) on the tool it is a lot easier without the handle. If the handle is long the weight tends to lift the bevel of the tool off the grinding wheel. My head also gets in the way of the handle. I wish I had the money back for the sharpening systems I bought in the past. The lack of a club and mentoring caused me to spend money unwisely.
I am currently using the Rikon low speed grinder. It comes with two of the white AO wheels and when on sale at Woodcraft can be had for $99.00
http://www.woodcraft.com/product/158512 ... inder.aspx
Bill V
P.S. This can be had for $99 at the stores sometimes

[tomsalwasser]

I wish I had the money back for the sharpening systems I bought in the past. Bill V P.S.

That is so true Bill! One shop teacher I met swears by the Grizzly T10010 clone of the Tormek, but buys all Tormek tools and accessories for it.

[tomsalwasser]

I personally do not like the carbide tools. They are scrapers which leave rough finishes that require a lot of sanding. I do not like to sand so the least amount of sanding needed is great for me. That being said woodturning has gone on for hundreds of years with scrapers. Bowl gouges have only been around for about thirty years. If there is a turning club near you I suggest that you attend a meeting or two to see if you like it. Most clubs have mentoring programs that will benefit new turners immensely. When I started turning I also started sanding at 80 to 100 grit, now I sand wood pens with 400 grit and apply a ca finish then micro mesh to 12,000 grit polish with Brasso and wax. It only takes me eight minutes to "finish" a pen. About tools, about four years ago Alan Lacer bought many brands of lathe tools (including ShopSmith) and cut a one inch piece and assigned each a number. The pieces were then sent to a metallurgical lab for testing. The results were published in the AAW magazine. ShopSmith tools and even the highest priced Harbor Freight tools have metal compositions nearly identical to the Sorby tools. Ed as for high cost tools check out "Thompson" lathe tools. IMO there are none better on the market. Most of his gouges are in the $45-$50 range but unhandled. A turner should be able to quickly make a handle to his liking. I like the Easy Wood tool hand Sorby handles so I make mine like them. Bob

Lots of great information, lots to think about, thanks Bob!

[beeg]

Here's Alan Lacer's article.

ToolSteel.pdf

(178.44 KiB) Downloaded 1266 times

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