Shopsmith Forums

RF Guy
I have a 180 and a 600 grit on my grinder. These were bought after a conversation with Vince who owns the Woodworkingwonders website. If you do get them be sure to buy the spherical washer set for them. The design takes the wobble out of the shaft and they make the wheels run very true. Well worth the few bucks.
Bill V

I think it might be time to back the truck up before you blow a lot of money. Once you get started it pretty easy to spend hundreds of dollars on equipment you have to have...... or should that be want??

If you have not turned before then it might be a good idea to get your feet wet before you decide you like it or not. If you have the stock set of tools from shopsmith and a sanding disk/strip sander/belt sander with the correct paper you can make or buy a jig from shopsmith that allows basic edges.

CBN wheels are great for high grade tools steel tools, but, well you try and sharpen some carbon tools and there goes your expensive wheel. They are not general purpose.

The shopsmith set of tools are OK tools and until you get in to turning and since you have them stay with them. How ever they are not designed for bowl turning. Yes you can so some limited bowl work but there is an actual danger in using them and no one wants anyone to get hurt so beware.

It is also likely you will want better tools and if bowls are in your plans you will want tools for bowls.

Another option are carbide insert tools, easywood, woodpecker, and others make them and rather then sharpening you simply rotate the cutter and skip the sharpening all together. Not cheap but a lot more time turning and a lot less time learning to sharpen and sharpening.

I've invested a good amount of money on lathe things. Sure one chuck seemed like enough until it wasn't. Those shopsmith tools seemed good enough until they weren't. Boy the wolverine jig sure makes that grind easy, but how much better with a slower grinder, and then the CBN wheels.... kerching goes the cash register. Now if you really get into turning then it is all worth it or at least it was for me, but some people try it and then it fades away and all that hardware doesn't get used, sort of like a waste at that point.

So my advice is if you have not already guess it, take it slow.

Ed

Thank you for all the info, folks!

I decided to go ahead and get a Work Sharp WS3000 off Amazon today. If nothing else, it'll get me started. Gotta start somewhere, 'eh?

I have a Tormek, don't use it... I have the slow speed grinder with CBN Wheels and a Wolverine setup. It is very good. I just took in a Sorby Proi-Edge system which is absolutely the easiest and best system I have tried yet! I can't say there is one best system, sometimes you need two!

We also do some hand wood carving, so the Work Sharp will come in handy for that as well.

I don't mind spending some money on good tools. I'll stick with the basic SS chisels at first to see what I think. Then I'll look into getting some better chisels and gouges if I like it.

Now...should I get the Nova G3 Chuck from ShopSmith?

I definitely recommend the Nova chuck. I use mine all the time.
Paul

wa2crk wrote:Az
Boy,talk about a loaded question!!! There are a bunch of videos on You Tube about all aspects of turning. It would be almost impossible to tell you on this format how to sharpen tools. The American Association of Woodturners also has a large collection of videos some related to sharpening. The website is a membership site but does have a section for beginners. The sharpening system that I have settled on is the Rikon 1/2 HP grinder which comes with two of the white aluminum oxide wheels that are preferred to sharpen high speed steel tools. But, the SS tools that the company sold are not HSS but they are OK and will do an OK job. I also have the Wolverine tool sharpening guide from Oneway Manufacturing in Canada. That system works the best for me. If you are anything like me, you want to spend time turning not sharpening.
https://www.woodturner.org/default.aspx
Go slow at first. Try to find a turning group near you and get a mentor.

lathe tool steel types.jpg

If you have any more questions just ask.
Bill V

The chart you uploaded says that SS tools are M2 steel. M2 is HSS tool steel. There are various tool steels with various compositions of different ingredients. They are all considered HSS tool steel. M2 is such a variant. HSS is a generic name for High Speed Steel. There are many variants such as T1, M1, M2, M7 etc..

So, yes, SS tools are HSS steel.

I use a Rikon slow speed grinder with white grinding wheels free hand. Someday I'm swap the white wheels for CBN.

I like EasyWood Tools chisels, which have carbide replacement tips.

I don’t sharpen any more, I just turn the tip on the 4 sides til I use the last one, then screw in a new one and keep turning.

They also have a YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_0WUw ... YFqdQFr_Yw

What does it cost in time and material to stop and sharpen one, or have several sharpened chisels on hand and ready. I enjoy turning. I don't enjoy sharpening. The initial investment can be tailored to what you do.

I bought the roughing chisel first, then I was sold on them. They come in various lengths and configurations for different needs.

Everett

My .02 and is just one of many other suggestions. Flame shields up.
My original shopsmith book (PTFE?) has as section in on how to sharpen the tools with the disc sander. I had done it long time ago and have since moved to grinder with cbn. Had the wolverine set up but found that the stand that Reed Gray(Robo Hippy) sells worked much better for me. He has video on youtube.
As others have said I found lathe turning one of the most expensive in wood turning. There is always one more tool that you need.
I started turning with shopsmith many years ago and when I retired bought a bigger lathe. A disadvantage I find with bowl turning on SS is when power or hand sanding it is too fast or if trying to turn large out of round blanks. I like to sand at around 100 rpm.
Instead of bowls I might also suggest you start with platters. I think you could safely use all SS tools on them. In addition to AAW the sawmillcreek along with others are good for turning.

.01
When I got my turning chuck I purchased one from oneway. There chuck has a replaceable arbor which made the chuck usable on my new lathe. (I now have 3).

Welcome to the vortex as woodturning has been refereed to.