crown turning tools

[BrentK]

I have ordered the crown turning tools pro. I also paid to have them sharpened my question is how often do you guys sharpen your tools. I know it depends on how much they are used. How long should they hold a decent edge. Any comments are appreciated.
Thanks
Brent Keever
Maurice La

 

[ahoiberg]

it also depends on the material being used. for just a standard turning piece of wood (not too hard), i can sometimes get through a pen or two before resharpening. but for acrylics and harder woods, you might be advised to sharpen half-way through. you'll start to notice the sound a dull tool makes and see it on the wood also. good signs that a sharpening is in order. also depends on which tools you use most often. my gouges seem to get sharpened more than my skews, i know a lot of people here prefer the skew, but i haven't practiced enough with it to use it that much.

 

[Dario]

I read a tag line before (can't remember whose)

"I sharpen my tools not because they are dull but because they can be sharper"

Very wise words that I only hope I can practice. I use the cheap HarborFreight set in most of my pen turnings and use the skew, roughing gouse and scraper the most. I would say I touch up my tools after 20 pens or so in average. Not the best practice but that is what I do and works for me. I don't set numbers but know when it is time to sharpen.

Crown should hold its edge longer.

 

[DCBluesman]

I touch my tools up at least once per pen...because they can always be sharper.

 

[rlharding]

You sharpen when the shavings from your turning stop being curls and become dust. Same idea as your chain saw. Of course, the ideal is to catch it before it gets to that size. Forget having them sharpened by someone else. Make all the mistakes you want while you learn, but learn you should. There are numerous jigs you can make or buy. Today I was working for 4 hours on a huge bowl - not the one in the pic I posted, that's rough turned and drying. This bowl right now is 19 x 8. These are a pain in the ass and take a lot out of your body in the beginning and I have the bruises to prove it. During the 4 hours I can't tell you how many times I sharpened my big roughing gouge, but it was a lot. As someone said, it all depends on what wood you are using, the size and the original edge of the gouge.

When I started turning I was so afraid of ruining a gouge that I bought a new one when it got dull! That didn't last too long. Then turners would say 'take lessons' 'you will cut down your gouge steel to much'. I decided to heck with that, it's just a piece of metal and if I run it down while learning to sharpen that's OK. Now it's automatic. My grinder sits a step away from my lathe and it's second nature. Just go for it.

 

[Firefyter-emt]

Well, I still use HCS over HSS because I am cheap, and it sharpens better. I touch them on a diamond card about 4 times per pen. I like them SHARP!

 

[IPD_Mrs]

The last pen I did, I must have sharpened the skew 50-60 times before I finished.
Mike

 

[Firefyter-emt]

Aughhh, Dang Mike... That blank a little scarey?

 

[IPD_Mrs]

Actually what was scary was turning it with the Tormek skew sharpening jig on the skew. Turn for a couple of minutes...apply CA...sharpen...Repeat 50-60 times.

Doing it with the jig on the skew probably saved me a good hour of turning time. I would get about .005 off of the diameter between sharpenings.[:0]

Mike

 

[rherrell]

Mike, Mike, Mike, I don't care WHO made the blank, you took all the fun out of it. Get yourself a nice hunk of wood and go back to having FUN!!

 

[IPD_Mrs]

No Rick, the fun was giving our daughter a complete pen not blown out peices in a bag![8D]

Mike & Linda

 

[R2]

See how many opinions come from a simple question!!
When I turn I sharpen as often as I have to according to the timber being turned. Gidgee, for instance, is incredibly hard and requires proper attention to your tools. Beefwood, is not as hard but is hard on your tools because of the resins it contains. The other point about many of our native Accacias is that they have a high silica content, a known terror to tools. Tasmanian Blackwood is an example of this.
So it is not just timber hardness that effects your tools. You have to be constantly aware of what is happening as you turn.

 

[dontheturner]

I read a tag line before (can't remember whose)

"I sharpen my tools not because they are dull but because they can be sharper"

Very wise words that I only hope I can practice. I use the cheap HarborFreight set in most of my pen turnings and use the skew, roughing gouse and scraper the most. I would say I touch up my tools after 20 pens or so in average. Not the best practice but that is what I do and works for me. I don't set numbers but know when it is time to sharpen.

Crown should hold its edge longer.

Are the Crown PM ? I hope so- I love them!

 

[Arnold]

I don't sharpen my tools I rotate the cutting edge...

 

[RichAldrich]

A lesson is always the cheapest tool you can purchase. It usually comes with safety instructions and the advice you do not need to purchase every tool and accessory available. Learn to use the ones you have.