HSS Recommendations

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TonyL

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I want to move beyond carbide and get into HSS. I have read reviews about Benjamin's Best sets (3 for $30) and the Robert Sorby (5 for $150 and up). I know that you get what you pay for, and have a good budget. Please provide me with your opinions.
 
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Dan Masshardt

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I have no regrets about starting with the harbor freight red handles set. Only that set though.

I'd advise avoiding "pen turning" sized tools. Just get regular sizes.

If you are limiting yourself to only pens you won't need that many tools. Skew, parting tool, gouge.
 

Ed McDonnell

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If budget isn't your biggest concern and if you have the equipment / skill to sharpen HSS turning tools then consider buying thompson lathe tools.

http://www.thompsonlathetools.com/default.asp

They come unhandled. I enjoyed making custom turned handles for mine, but if that isn't your thing you can buy handles for them.

One unhandled tool will likely cost you more than a whole set of what you get from HF or Pennstate. You get what you pay for.

If you don't know how to sharpen, buy a single Sorby gouge and work with it until you can reliably sharpen it.

You don't have to spend the big bucks for the best steel. You can take a crowbar and sharpen it and make decent turnings (but don't do that!). Anything can be made to work. Even the cheap stuff from HF. But once you have the skill, better quality steel will make a huge difference in your results and in the frequency and amount of time you spend at the sharpening station.

Just one person's opinion.

Ed
 

WalkOn

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I did what Dan said, "started with harbor freight red handles set". Which was the best thing for me because of what Ed said, "having the skill to sharpen HSS turning tools", which I don't have.

Learning to sharpen takes time, so I'd rather do it on a less expensive set.

Kev
 

TonyL

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This is great. If you all don't mind, can you tell me the three or more types and sizes that I should get (regular sizes, not the pen making sizes). I also don't want to make my own handles - but that is a nice idea.

Thank you!
 
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Dan Masshardt

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Not that my sharpening skills don't still need some improvment, but I am now buying mostly very high quality tools when I need a new one.

But if I had done to a Thompson bowl gouge what I did to my first Benjamin's bowl gouge , I'd be a sad boy.
 

juteck

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I'll agree with Ed, and recommend Thompson tools, followed next by P&N tools and Sorby. Getting an un-handled tool is good, so you can make the style you like. I use my Sorby bowl gouge handle as a model for most handles I make.
 

Dan Masshardt

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This is great. If you all don't mind, can you tell me the three or more types and sizes that I should get (regular sizes, not the pen making sizes). I also don't want to make my own handles - but that is a nice idea. Thank you!

Usually the tool size is indicated by the size if the metal and the handle sort of follows. So if you get a 3/4" or 1" skew the handle will generally be the appropriate 'full size for that tool.

The pen turning tools have tiny handles (and blades) usually.

- 3/4" or 1" oval skew (or reg skew if you prefer)
- narrow parting tool.

Both of these can be sharpened with a diamond hone.

I think you would be very pleased with the sorby spindlemaster as well. It's a nice tool for pens. And can be honed without a grinder as well. Bob has a version also but I've not used it.

The tool i currently use to get all my blanks close to size before going to the skew is a spindle gouge. Either 3/8" or 1/2". A grinder is best to sharpen this IMO but when I started I easily made a jig to use with spindle gouges to avoid buying the wolverine jig for a little bit.
 

TonyL

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Thank you Steve. They are over 100 dollars apart in price. I don't get that.
 

mtgrizzly52

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I've tried Sorby's, Grizzly, and BB and to be quite honest, I really like every BB tool I've bought. I'm not the best or the worst turner, just average, and for my needs I like BB the best. They sharpen up really well, last a long time and seem to hold their edge well, even when turning acrylics and corian.

I know the purists will tell you Thompson (which are great if you can afford them) and Sorbys are the only thing to buy, but for an intermediate level turner like me on a fixed income, BB works just fine.

mtgrizzly52
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dogcatcher

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Remember, you can grind a $100 chisel to a nub just as fast as you can "sharpen" a cheap chisel down to a nub. Learn the ins and outs of sharpening on the cheaper tools, when you are sure you know what you are doing, then start investing in the higher quality chisels.

I started turning over 50 years ago, all we had was carbon steel I was used to sharpening all of the time, today even the Harbor Freight HSS work miracles compared to the old carbon steel chisels. I have 2 sets of HF chisels, most of which I have reground to my own specs. The only "good ones" are bowl gouges, both Thompsons.
 

TonyL

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I will go with the BB until I get better at using HSS. Right now, I stink at it. For the cost of a few blanks, I really can't go wrong. All great guidance and advice.

Thank you.
 

Wildman

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I always recommend buying individual tool as you need them even if buying some BB tools. I too like Thompson tools but make my own handles. I also own Crown, Hamlet, Henry Taylor, P&N, and Sorby some of those tools over twenty years old.

Many vendors will give a percentage of if buy more than one tool at a time and some vendors often run sales on some brands. Craft Supplies carries a house brand made by Henry Taylor and Packard Woodworks house brand is made by Hamlet. HT & H share the same mailing address in Sheffield Eng.

Both of those vendors carry other brand name tools as well been doing business with them for over twenty years.

Pen Making, Bowl Turning, Wood Lathes, Wood Blanks, and Turning Tools for Woodturners | Craft Supplies USA

www.packardwoodworks.com

Might be worth having a look at their web site even if do not buy anything.
 
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randyrls

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Tony; I would recommend that any skew be flat ground. I sharpen my skews with a large 12" disk sander. A hollow ground skew from a grinder will be "grabby".

Also get a diamond hone. I hone my tools about 10 times before I need to go back to the disk sander.
 

TonyL

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I am a little confused, but that is good...means I have lots to learn and lots of options! Thank you!
 

GaryMGg

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When I asked about Bowl gouges on Woodnet, a number of folks recommended Hurricane tools.
Pricing seem reasonable.
Wonder what the differences between Hurricane & Benjamin's are?
 

Wildman

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From an article online about tool steel BB tools bought from PSI okay but stay away from those sold on E-bay by private vendors.

Not sure anyone has any technical data on Hurricane turning tools but prices on some tools in line with BB.

Woodturning Tools

I have started to see more people asking about his chucks than turning tools. You can click on Chucks at same site linked for more info.

You can meet the man behind Hurricane tools & chucks on this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yz08uUQA5w

I have no experience with Nova or Hurricane chucks, but Hurricane chucks look very similar to me.
 

jfoh

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I like used tools and so should you, we all use them. Learn how to shape and sharpen tools and even badly abused tools can be returned to great condition. I have bought a lot of good turning tools off EBay. All as single tools, for a fraction of their regular price.

Here's a tip for you if you use EBay much, learn how to spell like a moron. Sorby can be listed as Sorby, Soarby, Sorbee, Sorbey and Sorbay. If you do a search and spell it correctly you will only find those tools listed correctly and so will all the other bidders but you miss the poorly listed items. If you search for the odd, miss-spelled versions, no one else will find them and you can pick and choose. Buy a 1" Sorby bowl gouge for $9.99, as the only bidder, and you feel like its Christmas.

Also look at large groups of tools. Sometimes in a group of average Craftsman tools you will find Sorby or Henry Taylor tools mixed in. So the group of 50 dollar tools has two or three tools worth that much alone. Also turning tools will often be listed as carving tools and vice versa.

I bought both of my Tormek sharpeners that way, Tormek not Tormeck. Both for less than $200.00 with attachments. Sold off the duplicate attachments and have less than a hundred bucks in each machine.
 

KenV

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High Speed Steel (HSS) has been around the machine tool business for 115 years -- about 1899 it hit the market and the machine tool world changed. We who turn wood and acrylic were late adopters because we want long pieces.

HSS is all about two things -- the heat treat and the alloy. Heat Treat quality and consistency is where there is a lot of variability in the low end of the market. Alloys make a difference in durability/wearability.

Bens Best appears to be a generic M2 like allow and has a fairly consistent heat treat outcome. Harbor freight has some terrible shapes at the bottom end with better shapes in the red handles line. Heat treat can be inconsistent and tool finish (which translates to edge finish off the grinder) is usually a bit rough.

Get a good sharpening setup and learn to sharpen a few tools really well -- then head towards more inventory and better steel/heat treat.

Be careful with the used tool market as there are a lot of high carbon steel tools floating around -- and they need much different treatment at the grinder.
 
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