(Part 2) Best products from r/turning

> The Lathe:

Sounds like you've got this well under control.

> The Tools:

There are very split camps on tools: replaceable carbide tips vs traditional tools. Personally I think both have a place, but I do feel it's best to start with traditional tools to learn the how and why tools work the way they do. My personal opinion is always to spend the real money on good tools. They don't have to be expensive, but the right tool of the right quality (sharp, of course) will make all the difference in the world. Every try to dig a post hole with a hand trowel? :)

Also don't feel bound by just one brand or type of tool...most of us have lots of tools!

You can go with carbide-tipped tools such as Easy Wood Tools, Simple Woodturning Tools, or other brands. You can make your own for a fraction of the cost to buy.

There are a few of good entry-level HSS sets out there for about $80, such as this frequently recommended set of Benjamin's Best. I also like Hurricane brand tools which I feel are excellent entry-level HSS tools for the money. Either of those would serve you well through the learning curve and a good ways into your turning career.

If you wanted to pick just two higher-end tools, I feel Crown's Pro PM are good for the price. I own several, they're nice, but the handles are a bit short for my knuckle-dragging frame! All you really need for the projects you listed is a skew chisel and a spindle gouge.

Lastly, you could buy some of the popular "buy it for life" tools like Thompson Lathe Tools or D-Way Tools. These are widely considered the upper end of turning tools with each tool running between $55-200 (handles sold separately). Many people who get serious about their hobby end up with these tools because the harder tool steels are more durable.


> The Bench Grinder:

The Rikon 80-805 is the most common good deal for a grinder. Occasionally some other Asia-import will pop up on the scene for a little while, but the Rikon is pretty predictable about going on sale. Also, it comes with two decent wheels to get you started; not all import grinders come with decent wheels.

Eventually you might want to invest in CBN wheels to replace the frangible wheels that come on the grinder, but that's probably down the road for you.

Lots of people use that grinder, I've not heard anything outright bad about it (although some people prefer one with more HP).

> Drill Press?

A cheap drill press will get you there just fine.

The most common alternative is to purchase a 4-jaw chuck, such as the Nova G3 (which requires the appropriate insert), and also a set of pen drilling jaws and a drill chuck for the tailstock. That lets you drill blanks entirely on the lathe (and with better accuracy than a drill press IMO).

The downside is that the 4-jaw chuck, insert, jaws, and drill chuck collectively will cost damn near $200, which is a lot more than a cheap drill press. The upside is that the chuck is exactly what you will need if you decide to get deeper into turning and want to try bowls, boxes, and other things. Many of us already owned or planned to own a chuck, so the only real cost addition was the pen drilling jaws and the drill chuck.

> Pen turning attachments

• Mandrel savers are a separate purchase.
  
  
• Be warned that barrel trimmers are not universal, they come in different sizes and some pen kits use a sleeve to up-size the trimmer to fit the larger tube.
  
  
• You can use epoxy or CA glue, whichever you prefer to glue tubes. If using CA glue, make sure you buy a spray bottle of accelerator so that you can zap the ends to prevent a dripping mess!
  
  
• Any general sandpaper from a home improvement store will work fine, don't need anything fancy or expensive. Quite a few of us purchased the $40 box from Klingspor's which is enough sandpaper to last me several years.
  
  
• A P100 filter dust mask is a good investment as well for safety gear.
  
  
• FINISH: If you plan to use CA glue as your finish, you need a different viscosity (thin) than what you use to glue the tubes (thick). This means you need to buy two different bottles of CA and look into a pack of MicroMesh sanding pads for polishing the CA finish.
  
  If you plan on using something else for the finish, make sure you buy what you need.
  
  
• SAW: You need a way to cut pen blanks and trim off excess waste. If you don't own any cutting tools that are sufficient for the job, a cheap miter box will do the job just fine. Make sure you clamp the box and the blank down well before sawing!

A topic like this just came up, here's what I said then.

The Hurricane Tools are pretty decent. I've never tried carbide turning tools, but I feel that regular steel tools are just as good.

I primarily use the bowl gouge set, and then for everything else, I bought the cheap Benjamin's best 8-piece set.

For almost a year I sharpened them by hand because I really was unsure of grinding. I just have a cheap 6" grinder with stock wheels, that I always feel like it would eat up, and burn the tools. I was really tempted to buy the wolverine jig, so I tried to copy it out of wood. I replicated both of these jigs (though the one on the left is all you really need) and used some old rusty flat head screw drivers to practice the bevel. It worked surprisingly well on the screw drivers, I could even turn with them.

Sharpening the actual tools worked fantastically well, they finally "cut" for the first time, heh. Again, I thought I would burn them up, but light even pressure, and multiple passes made it super simple. It really only takes a few seconds to sharpen them, it actually takes me longer to adjust my custom jig. If you're using the same tool, and jig position, it's super easy though.

Next you'll be wanting info on chucks ;)

Laguna video I mentioned earlier. Take the "review" aspect of it with a grain of salt, it's pretty much a paid promo by Laguna and they should have just produced it themselves, but you do get to see the nifty features, like the extension + tailstock riser I mentioned. (This costs extra).

Other lathes I'd be thinking about in your price range include:

Jet 1642-2EVS (as mentioned by u/Silound, pretty much the Powermatic's little brother. Jet & PM are the same company & both offer a five year warranty.)

Rikon 70-305 Pretty much exact clone of the Jet 1642 for a little less $$.

Rikon 70-450 20" swing, 37" between centers for $2,899.99. Headstock swivels and there is an outboard attachment for larger diameter.

Rikon is a bit of a gamble too, hard to find reviews of either of those lathes (there's one about the 70-450 that will come up if you Google). What gives me a little more peace of mind there is that their mini lathes have a good track record, I've heard good stuff about their customer service and they have a five year warranty.

Also, the Nova Galaxi will be coming out soon.

1, 2 & 3. Kinda. Traditional scraper, you need to be able to use it without bruising the rest of the piece, and needs to have a small enough amount of metal that can be rolled over for the burr. So, for the inside of bowls, a straight 90 degree would catch the piece on the bottom side. Too shallow of an angle wouldn't support the burr enough. Too steep and it's not going to be easy to re-establish that burr.

4. I picked up a hurricane heavy round nose scraper and ground it to a negative rake scraper (I think I used something like a 25 top, 70 bottom - so close on the bottom to stock for less grinding to try it out, giving an included angle of 85 which is close to the recommended 90) and it's worked exceptionally well. I highly recommend giving it a shot as that was a cheap tool off amazon that has been great. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008B86BWY/ Can't really go wrong at $43 for a massive scraper like that.

I live in the middle of suburban sprawl with very few large trees so I don't have a need for a heavy duty chainsaw. I'm also conscience of the noise nuisance a chainsaw can be. So after some research I decided on the Greenworks Cordless chainsaw. It's battery operated which can be an issue but the batteries work with other tools I have and I have a couple of them. I've had the saw for a year now and it works great for cutting up turning blanks. It's easy to maintain and repair. I keep it in my car in case I come across some bush or tree trims that I could use for turning but are too big or heavy for me to easily lift or load into the car. It's a great little trooper: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D3KJL40/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The PSI micromesh sanding pads work fine, and you can definitely get great results with them, but I've had much better luck with this style. Definitely worth trying when it comes time to replace your current pads.

Cellulose Sanding Sealer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0037MCLKA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_BJ15CbCPVFJZW

Mylands High Build Friction Polish, 500 ml https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004BL7X4U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_pL15Cb2B0EYNS

These are what I use. Ends up shiny like CA but is way easier to do. Sealer first and be generous with it, then polish. Both are done at speed on the lathe, but I like to work it in first then turn on the lathe on larger pieces.

Yeah man. No problem. The sanding sealer is made by Behlen and rub on (not the spray). Couldn't find it on Amazon, a wood yard near my house in Atlanta carries it. Mylands, who makes the friction polish, also makes a sanding sealer.

Here is a link to the polish on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004BL7X4U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_OzlRwbSCRFWM5

Application is super easy. Just use a paper towel (not a rag! In case it snags while turning you want the paper to tear and not your finger). Takes about 20 minutes between sanding sealer coats and then only about 2 minutes between polish coats.

I've only started turning and finishing on the lathe recently so I'm still learning. You have to get the piece super smooth before and during sanding. I'll see things that I think I can just sand out and then it looks fine after sanding and then I finish it shows back up. I also may try lightly sanding between coats of the polish.

I'll start by saying that I would like to pick up a carbide tool someday as I think they have a place and a purpose.

That said, I'd suggest getting a good, heavy scraper of some kind to do your hollowing. You already have a sharpening system, scrapers are the easiest thing to sharpen in the world, and the extra mass they have over the rods carbide tools use will be desirable as you reach further and further over your rest.

I think thick bowl scraper is one of the finest tools a turner can invest in, but even a small round nose scraper will do a heck of a job. For $26 this would be a great tool for you.

I don't have a drill press. I have had great success with the Barracuda Wood Lathe Chuck and Drill Chuck. This works very well. Still need to tap it out slowly to prevent build up inside the tube.

I got these. I think they’re the same ones your looking at. They are good. Don’t need to be sharpen often


3 piece Carbide Mini Turning Tool Set With Foam Lined Case Perfect For Turning Pens Pencils Tops Goblets Acorns Bottle Stoppers or any Small to Mid-Size Turning Project (3pc Carbide Tool Set) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FWEX6OA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_w-c0DbWD7NS7Q

Looks like that takes a MT2 size in the tailstock.

This is the one that I use https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D6HFYGV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and i'm pretty happy with it.

I use it exclusively for pen turning, so your usage needs may vary.

I would get the nova G3 30th anniversary bundle if possible. This will come with a set 50mm standard jaws, plus 100mm and pin jaw sets. The pin jaw set would be what you want to use for drilling with the jacobs chuck. 750 rpm is a little fast but is definitely doable. I always start with a smaller bit that has a pilot tip and indent the center of the wood with a skew.
Edit: I always back all the way out every half an inch too so that I know the bit is clear.
Also here is the bundle on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/NOVA-G3-Chuck-30th-Annive/dp/B07CT8N58V

I'll be completely honest and say that I still use a round nose scraper for most of my bowl work.

Something like this Hurricane scraper will do a good job of hollowing:
Hurricane Woodturning Round Nose Scraper, High Speed Steel, 3/4" Nose https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GWR2MX8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_GucBCb5W6YAX8

3 piece Carbide Mini Turning Tool Set With Foam Lined Case Perfect For Turning Pens Pencils Tops Goblets Acorns Bottle Stoppers or any Small to Mid-Size Turning Project (3pc Carbide Tool Set) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FWEX6OA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_D0M4Db1K7H88N

or

Rockler Carbide Pen Turning Tool 3-Piece Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QU08ALK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_T1M4DbS3RN54X

Thank you SO much for the advice!!!

do you mind if I ask some more specific questions?

I found while turning at school I had my worst catches with scrapers- any guide on how to use them/why they are useful? I have even seen pro turners (robo hippy?) catch with them.

Same question for spindle gouge- when would I use one in bowl turning?

Should I buy a spindle turning set? Or the tools separately? (https://www.amazon.com/Crown-280-HSS-Woodturning-5-Piece/dp/B001C009YE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1484711402&sr=8-3&keywords=spindle+turning+set)

If I give you price ranges could you help me pick out more specific gouges?

Sorry, meant to link this one. I use this one as it's a little lighter and the 8x12 handles it pretty well: PSI CSC2000C Barracuda Wood Lathe Chuck System https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000KICC62/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_SoUzybGE16974

The step jaws are the smaller ones, and used to hold smaller pieces. I would recommend against that chuck, as that style is a pain to open or close the jaws and also hold your piece (it usually takes two hands, so you cant easily also hold the piece of wood). For an $40-$70 you can get a better chuck, with more jaws that uses a single chuck key to open/close the jaws. Hope this helps.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B000KIACTG/ref=psdc_552514_t4_B01CS30G5K

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07CT8N58V/ref=psdc_552514_t1_B01CS30G5K

Amazon appears to sell a pretty large variety of Crown HSS tools. I started with these tools and still use many of them today, although I also have come to like the Crown Pro-PM tools. It probably makes more sense to purchase your tools a la carte, but here is a set to illustrate the tools to which I refer.

https://www.amazon.com/Crown-280-HSS-Woodturning-5-Piece/dp/B001C009YE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519262399&sr=8-1&keywords=crown+woodturning

don't use regular chisels on a lathe.
I assume your uk based since you used uk amazon. so I'm not much help on lathe tools that are easy to get.
these appear to be a decent set https://www.amazon.co.uk/280-5pc-HSS-Woodturning-Set/dp/B001C009YE/ref=sr_1_144?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1481417416&sr=1-144&keywords=woodturning+tools

Ive at least heard of crown before. but if uh money is no object ive heard good things about the tools glenn lucas sells http://glennlucaswoodturning.com/product-category/woodturning-supplies/for-bowl-turning/

Thanks! I used [these] (http://imgur.com/a7Gmysb) to finish it. I sand through 600, then applied [EEE Ultrashine] (http://amzn.com/B001DT5H7I) follow-ed up with a few coats of [Mylands High Build Friction Polish] (http://amzn.com/B004BL7X4U).

I'm just starting to experiment with the CA glue finish technique, but my results have been mixed.

yeah, I picked expensive hobbies (board games, photography, woodworking). Is there any reason not to get this PSI chuck set? Its about the same price.