Source For Inexpensive Lathe Chisels?

[suntower]

Hi,

Not really a 'beginner' but I just 'inherited' an ancient Mark 5. Wasn't even aware of 'Shopsmith' before. Anyhoo, I'm trying to get it running again but I realised that the one thing I don't have are turning chisels.

I've done lathe work before, but not in 40 years. Not trying to get something for nothing (well something for almost nothing ) but money is ultra-tight. I did a quick Google 'shopping' search and immediately got major sticker shock. I had NO idea chisels were so pricey.

So: Looking for any sources for used or inexpensive chisels. I just need the 2-3 basic gouges, skew etc. nothing fancy. If anyone has some ideas I'd be MOST appreciative.

Oh... come to think of it, probably calipers would be needed as well. Sorry. I've forgotten even the basic stuff one needs to do this. I -am- a beginner!

TIA,

---JC

[reible]

Welcome to the forum!

Some of your answers will come in the form of how do you feel about buy things on ebay. As an example here is a set in marginal condition but none the less possibly reasonably priced depending on how the bidding goes.....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-Nice-Shop-Smi ... 2255935484

You can and should research before other "buys" there as things like condition and shipping can be all over the place. You should also check shopsmith for new product. In some cases new might be a better deal then used but that will be your call.

http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cata ... hisels.htm

In any case that is basic set that shopsmith has. They also sell them one at time I believe. They also have the other parts that you might need to do turning, depends on what you already have. Thing like centers, tool rests and the whole basic set might be with yours or missing.........

Keep in mind that tools need to be sharpened so that can and will add cost if you don't have a way to do that. And if you haven't turned in a while there are some things like live centers that are nice, and most people like them better then the older style dead centers. You can also do face plate tuning if you happen to have the face plates in your collection. Those too can be shopped for.

If money is really tight then you can go to places like Harbor Freight but the quality might suffer.

First step might be to get the machine running and see how much money you have left to buy other things you would like to have.

Ed

[roy_okc]

What Ed said about sharpening, live end.

The Harbor Freight "red handled" lathe chisels are a decent set for the price, especially with a 20% coupon putting them around $50; handle color may vary, mine are darker than those in the pics. http://www.harborfreight.com/profession ... 69723.html I found these to be close in quality as the Shopsmith chisels that came with my ~83 500 and a good compliment due to different sizes/shapes. When I got my feet wet, I used SS vs HF about 50/50 depending on what I was doing, the type of wood, etc.

When I was learning bowl turning, I picked up a couple or three Benjamin's Best bowl chisels from Penn State; looks like around $50 or a set of 3. Again, decent for the price and for learning. You do not want to do inside bowl turning with spindle tools, the tang on bowl gouges is much longer compared to spindle tools, very important if you get a bad catch which can apparently break handles and cause injury (so I've read/been told). Also, bowl tools can be sharpened/shaped in ways that cut much better inside than spindle tools.

I've not heard good things about HF's under-$20 light-color handle chisel set.

[Skizzity]

Maybe check out pawn shops in your area.

[suntower]

Thanks! These are some good ideas. I had no idea HF had this sort of stuff. At least worth a look.

[ChrisNeilan]

I do a ton of turning, go with the Penn State Benjamin's Best. Very reasonable price and good (not great) quality. Perfect for someone learning to sharpen as you don't want to grind away an expensive piece of steel. The Harbor Freight lathe tools? Eh!

[everettdavis]

I know the topic was inexpensive, yet I would be remiss if I did not encourage you to at least consider the use of quality carbide tools.

Watch the video at this link http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cata ... hisels.htm

I turned for years with standard chisels, and developed a bit of skill at it, and yet a 13 year old who had never turned was able to produce results like mine with the EasyWood Chisels in about 10 minutes.

I let him try a standard chisel. In about 1 minute he handed it back to me and said "No way I am using this compared to that"

They are a joy to use, and produce excellent results. They don't wear you out using them either.

I started to say just my two cents, but considering the cost, that is not appropriate to the value I find in using them.

If you can find a demonstration nearby, and they will let you turn something you will see what I mean, before you invest in them. They are an investment, but a good one, and you can replace the cutters down the line if you need to at far less cost than buying a new tool.

I hope you can try them.

Everett

[john_001]

come to think of it, probably calipers would be needed as well.

You'll also need a way to sharpen the tools (e.g., a bench grinder) unless you go with replaceable carbide tips like Easy Wood Tools.

[Ohgary]

You can make your own version of Easy wood tools if you can cut a steel bar to length and drill and tap a hole. The carbide cutters themselves are available for a few dollars various places on line. You can find fabricating instructions on YouTube. I did it and my mechanical skills are rudimentary.

[ChrisNeilan]

Not to hijack a thread, but carbide tools, and i have a few, are not the end all. They are the beggining. You can get fair results, but remember they are basically scrapers. If you want to occasionally turn an item, ok, but if you want to get good (i'm still working on it), learn to turn traditional lathe tools. Cardibe= easy, traditional= art