Wood turning tool/s recommendation please

[Pmaynard19]

Hello, I am hoping to get into turning my own brush handles. Maybe wood and plastic/acrylic. I would also be interested in making very small bowls and pens eventually but I want to focus on handles for now. My question is; is it possible to only buy maybe a couple of tools first and accomplish handles? Like a small spindle gouge or 2.. And if so, can I buy them for maybe under $50 and not waste my time? Any recommendations on a nice economical tool? Thanks.


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[Lightcs1776]

You could use one tool and make good handles. Some people use a boring bit for the knot hole, which makes a lot of sense to me. You might find some used spindle gouges that are economical. However, unless you have a slow speed grinder and sharpening jig, or another method of sharpening, I recommend getting a tool with replaceable carbide tips. I haven't personally used them, but they are well spoken of and eliminates the need for a sharpening system.

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[stone and strop]

Hello, I am hoping to get into turning my own brush handles. Maybe wood and plastic/acrylic. I would also be interested in making very small bowls and pens eventually but I want to focus on handles for now. My question is; is it possible to only buy maybe a couple of tools first and accomplish handles? Like a small spindle gouge or 2.. And if so, can I buy them for maybe under $50 and not waste my time? Any recommendations on a nice economical tool? Thanks.


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I would buy an inexpensive small set of tools to start.
Try to buy HSS items. Look for sales on theses sets and you will actually pay alot less then buying them one at a time.

 

[Graydog]

I started with a vintage Craftsman set and a vintage Shop smith set that I bought off eBay
for a reasonable price . I didn't want to spend a lot of money because I didn't know if I would like turning
since I never did it before. As Chris mentioned you also have to be able to keep your tools sharp ,dull tools will make you not have a pleasant experience. After a little while I purchased a few more expensive chisel from Sorby and Thompson . I still use a few of the vintage tools and always try to keep a sharp edge on them. Some woods will dull
them quicker than others. You can find a bunch of used tools on eBay from people that found out that turning wasn't what they expected it to be . There is a lot that goes into , if you have never done it before I would suggest watching a bunch of videos of it . If you live close to a Woodcraft store they do offer classes or check to see if there are any wood turning clubs in your area. Safety should be your first priority , eye's , lungs , face and hands.
Materials turning at 1000 - 3000 rpm
flying off a lathe can cause some serious damage. Turning is the same if it's handles or bowls of pens.

 

[Rudy Vey]

Get the best tools you can afford, like Crown, Taylor or Sorby. In my 20+ years of turning I have learned that the better tools will last longer than the cheap ones, especially, they stay sharper and hold an edge much longer.
Don't forget you need to sharpen your tools from time to time. You can use just a simple grinder (but there will be sparks flying....) or use a wet wheel, like Tormek.
Turning brush handles, pens etc you need spindle turning tools, bowl require different tools, although there are some overlaps.
Basic tools you definitely need are skew chisels, I use two types, the pointed angled ones and rounded ones. With these two types, I do pretty much most of my turning; I have them in different size, though. Rounding over square stock, you need a gouge.
The latest in tooling are the carbide tools, you can change the cutters when they get dull. They come normally in a square, a round or a pointed cutting bit. However, they are also having different shaped holders. Using these tools can be very helpful or frustrating....

 

[Lightcs1776]

I started with a vintage Craftsman set and a vintage Shop smith set that I bought off eBay
for a reasonable price . I didn't want to spend a lot of money because I didn't know if I would like turning
since I never did it before. As Chris mentioned you also have to be able to keep your tools sharp ,dull tools will make you not have a pleasant experience. After a little while I purchased a few more expensive chisel from Sorby and Thompson . I still use a few of the vintage tools and always try to keep a sharp edge on them. Some woods will dull
them quicker than others. You can find a bunch of used tools on eBay from people that found out that turning wasn't what they expected it to be . There is a lot that goes into , if you have never done it before I would suggest watching a bunch of videos of it . If you live close to a Woodcraft store they do offer classes or check to see if there are any wood turning clubs in your area. Safety should be your first priority , eye's , lungs , face and hands.
Materials turning at 1000 - 3000 rpm
flying off a lathe can cause some serious damage. Turning is the same if it's handles or bowls of pens.

Good point regarding safety. My wife and I use a full face shield. Both of us have experienced wood flying off the lathe at a high rate of speed. Also, don't use cloth gloves when turning or use rags when finishing the product on the lathe. They can get caught on the lathe and bring your hand with it. Also, keep shirt cuffs tight or wear short sleeve shirts when turning.

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[CigarSmoka]

Follow Rudy’s advice and get the best tools you can. 1 good 3/8” spindle gouge and a good skew will be far more beneficial than a half dozen cheap tools. I have mostly Sorby which are good especially for the price, although I’m slowly upgrading to a mix of Carter and Son with maybe a Thompson or 2 thrown in the mix.

On carbide tools... I have some collecting dust. They leave a rough surface so you spend more time sanding and they may limit what you can do based on the size of the tips. To replace the tips on the 4 I have is around $90 which is another high quality tool. The real advantage is you don’t need to learn the technique it takes for a gouge or skew so a beginner can make some nice stuff right away, just make sure you stock up on sandpaper. You also don’t need a sharpening setup, although not having to replace tips will eventually pay for one. The only real use I’ve found is the round carbide is good for making coves in resin but again, the cove is limited by the size of the tip. That makes it a pretty expensive one trick pony.