wood lathe turning chuck

[RobertTaylor]

The fiber washer is actually a leather washer. Use an awl to push it in and you will not bugger the threads. I use my chucks all the time on the ShopSmith without the washer and grub screw. The chucks that I use on my Powermatic have the grub screw installed on both the chuck and on the adapter as it has reverse capabilities. Anyone using a chuck with a PowerPro should indeed use the grub screw.

Ed posted while I was typing. lol Ed if you have a leather punch and some scrap leather you can easily get hundreds of fiber washers. Bob

[tomsalwasser]

Thanks Ed and Robert. I'll use the washer and grub screw, then it will be there if I ever need it. The chuck came with a Shopsmith insert and I just ordered an insert for the Jet lathes they use at our local high school. I'm taking a beginning lathe class at night this month. They don't have enough chucks for everyone so now I have my own with an insert for home and school

Lathe work is fun but it's not easy, at least not for me yet. Do you guys use any carbide tipped lathe tools? How do you sharpen?

Tom

[reible]

I like to use easy wood tools:

http://www.easywoodtools.com/

You replace the worn cutters with these but I guess depending on what the issue is, one could rub the flat on a diamond stone and improve the worn edge. I have not done that but I have heard that.

I really like their tools but they are expensive. From time to time I see 15% off sales and that is when I get a new one. At the price they want it is taking me time to complete the collection I want. The last one I picked up was the parting tool. I haven't had a chance to use it yet.

The good with the bad, the added cost is replacement cutters, but then they last a long time and you don't have to buy extra grinders or attachments and you can turn your whole project and perhaps many many more without having to stop to sharpen or even rotate the cutter.

Other options are making your own tools. That is how I got started thanks to Robert. It is a lot cheaper that is for sure. I'll let him address that if he wants.

Good tools are just plain expensive. So far my non-carbide tools have been limited to the shopsmith quality which is not bad but much nicer tools are out there. I plan to pick up a few of those too. Again at $100 or more a pop this will take time. One advantage is the number of tool types and profiles and types of steels used. And of course you can touch up the edges as they dull and they will last a long long time.

We have some turners who are a whole lot more experienced then I am, I simply can get the job done on normal sorts of projects and that is enough for me. I had high school shop and learned to turn there, ended up making a lot of fishing lures...... One of my older brothers did some really nice bowls and small containers which he still has, a better choice then what I made and lost.

So now I'll let the experts add there good information.

Ed

[benush26]

Lathe work is fun but it's not easy, at least not for me yet. Do you guys use any carbide tipped lathe tools? How do you sharpen?

Tom

I use carbide tipped for rough and or quick work. As was mentioned, placing the flat surface on a diamond hone (DMT, etc) with some honing fluid, resharpened it reasonably well.

I've run the gamut on sharpening. I have the SS jig which is fine, though not as repeatable as I would like. I eventually made a series of MDF circles that I could attach to a 6" lathe plate rather than using the large steel sanding disc. Made lots of them and than glued a wide variety of grits. Used threaded inserts on the back so I could relatively quickly switch out grits.

As I moved to HSS tools that were not SS, the SS jig was less adequate. I've recently bought a Tormek T-7 from a Shopsmith owner. It is barely used and was less than half price, but the jigs for my lathe tools are quickly eating up any and all of my tool budget.

As far as learning, there are two things I think might help accelerate your learning curve. One is find all you can on learning to "ride the bevel". Once you can see where the tool cutting edge sets in relation to the wood surface that you want to cut, you have one those very enjoyable "Ah Ha" moments. Last is to get an oval skew. I prefer the radius edged, but it is easier and you can grind / hone the straight edge style with more conventional tools. Being able to roll the wide surface of that oval tool along the tool rest was just FUN, compared to the rectangular sides of a conventional skew.

I've not really tried to master the bowl gouge for cutting the inside of a bowl. I much prefer scrapers. Not as pretty a cut, but that's why I have sand paper!

Just how I learned... You may want to take a differing journey.

Be well,
Ben

[wa2crk]

Hi Guys
I just have to stick my 2 cents worth in.
As I said in an earlier post I have both the Nova G3 and the Oneway Talon. If the Oneway is to be used only on the Shopsmith the SS can be reversed with no grubscrew. The oneway SS taper lock adapter is held to the chuck body with three screws in a triangular pattern and the set screw locks on the SS spindle with a set screw which will not come loose with reverse direction.
Additionally, The Nova chuck jaws require a dovetail to be cut on the mounting tenon or the groove to secure the chuck jaws. But on the Oneway the jaws have serrations on them which cut slightly into the mounting groove and hold really tight and eliminates the dovetail tenon.
Both of these chucks are very fine products but I prefer the Oneway. But only slightly
One quirk that I did not like at the beginning is that the Nova "T" handle wrench works backwards. When turning the wrench clockwise the jaws expand rather than close as would be expected. Kind of like driving a car with right hand steering. Not what you are used to but it can be learned.
Bill V

[vector125]

Me Aslo will thank you because i also have to buy this and have limited money or investment .

[RobertTaylor]

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

[wa2crk]

Robert Taylor has a very good point. Find a club if there is one in your area. The nearest club to me is about 50 miles one way so not a good choice. His comment on the tools was also good. That same study also reviewed the Penn State tools and found out that the Benjamin's Best bought off E-Bay were not the same composition as the ones bought from PSI directly. The E-Bay ones did not make the grade as HSS but the ones directly from PSI did. This situation may have been corrected as the test was conducted a few years back. I still use the carbide tools for initial shaping of a bowl and then finish with the conventional tools.
Bill V

[beeg]

You can look here for a AAW turning club.
http://www.woodturner.org/search/custom.asp?id=1509

[beeg]

The nearest club to me is about 50 miles one way so not a good choice.
Bill V

Bill, is this one any closer?

Chapter
The Villages Turner Group
Founded
8/1/2005
Website
vwcorg.azurewebsites.net
President
Ron Gammon
Phone
352-409-0996
Email
rlgammon@comcast.net
Meeting Information
3rd Tuesday
Meeting Location
The Villages Woodshop
Address
704 Oak St
City
Lady Lake
State
FL