Wood Lathe Chisels

[racecar builder]

should i stick with getting the craftsman set OR
are those other ones ok?
it's for the craftsman benchtop lathe, the big cast iron
one not the little plastic one.
they're recommended alot.
l'll post pic and info on them.

Have A Nice Day!

 

[Tony Wells]

If you get so good that you can tell the difference and can't make the parts you want to without some expensive turning chisels, then by all means....spend the money. I've a couple of wood lathes, one an old Rockwell, and I have an old Craftsman now. I don't know about the quality of the chisels Sear currently sells, but the old ones were good. Go shopping at Lee or Rockler and you may find the Craftsman are good enough to at least get going. Probably good enough in general.

 

[racecar builder]

tony
here they are
http://www.pennstateind.com/store/LCHSS8.html
now we're getting down to cases.
what do you think of these?

Have A Nice Day!

 

[Tony Wells]

Well, it's just personal preference, but I like the butt end of the handles rounded. I read the reviews, and a few said they needed sharpening on arrival. That's probably just a difference in people's perception of sharp. Turning chisels should be razor sharp. Maybe people don't expect that from the factory. I don't. Never have seen it. But then, I like really sharp tools for woodwork. Overall, that seems pretty reasonable for a starter set.

 

[george wilson]

I prefer the
hss wood turning chisels. Sometimes I turn metal freehand,doing the antique repairs I sometimes do,it is the only way I have of making nice moldings. I used to make a lot of steel spinning chucks for making the PGA trophies. I'd block them out as much as possible,then take hand held wood lathe tools and finish up the contours. The HSS sets stay sharper longer.

I never have sprung for powder steel chisels,but they are probably better yet. Just pretty expensive.

 

[Tony Wells]

I've also never tried the PM chisels. I thought going to HSS was a great upgrade. They seem to hold their edge better, and hold up longer. I'm sure most of the hype on the PM chisels is just that...hype. But then, in making parts, I have made quite a few out of some PM's, and I do know that for certain applications there are advantages, but I'm not convinced that turning chisels qualifies.

 

[Newmetalmark]

I do a fair amount of turning, so let me offer a tip-You need four basic tools to get started- roughing gouge, skew chisel, parting tool and a spindle gouge. You're better off to buy these at mid range prices in good steel than to buy a set that has tools you won't need or use in lesser quality steel.
Packard Woodworks-http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=packard- has a 'house' line that are made in England(?) that are really great tools at the price. They take and hold an edge very well, handle very nicely too. And oh yeah, the ends of the handles are rounded and are more comfortable IMO.

 

[racecar builder]

HMer's
1 dad & i have NO lathe wood chisels.
some wood chisels that are EXCELLENT MADE IN USA quality.
2 thinking about chisels pointed out the BENCHTOP GRINDER
to sharpen chisels is missing from benchtop power tool lineup
or maybe it's not i'll ask him.
3 the $40 each BASIC FOUR are something for the
second time around.i think we'll should for MADE IN USA.
4 right now gotta fix the NO WOOD CHISELS situation.
i think it will improve Craftsman benchtop wood lathe usefulness.

Have A Nice Day!

 

[Dutch]

I recently bought an 8 piece set named Windsor Design. They are HSS and perfectly good for most of what I do. I paid $30 + $12 shipping. The wooden box they were in was broke and one or two of them had been used very slightly. Don't pay $40 per chisel..

Ebay has some very good deals if you search through "lathe chisels" and take your time.

This seller on ebay is A-1. I've bought these "Benjamins Best" gouges from him before. Perfectly good HSS Chinese chisels. His 1" roughing gouge gets more use than I would've imagined when I first got it. He will answer your questions.
http://stores.ebay.com/L-and-R-Collectibles-and-Crafts?_trksid=p4340.l2563

I use a combination india stone with oil to hand hone all my wood lathe tools. I grind very little on them. You sharpen a knife with an oil stone. I sharpen lathe chisels the same way.



Scrapers made from files. Been working 20 years.

 

[racecar builder]

dutch
i think i'll just get the craftsman set.
i'm a craftsman tool person.
shoot, i better look and see how much they are now!
regular price on lathe now is $470.
when we got it sure it was something off but
it was about $300.

Have A Nice Day!