Wood turning

[MrJeff]

I don't have a ton of cash to spend, and I certainly can't afford to buy a set of nice turning tools. So, in your opinions, what is absolutely necessary in terms of turning tools to turn bowls on a lathe? How many different turning tools do you usually use to turn one bowl? Any advice is appreciated.

[zack]

Go to harbor freight to get some turning tools. they aren't the best but its a start and you can sharpen them.

[Tyler]

3/8" spindle gouge and a 1/16" parting tool.

Those two will let you do almost everything you need.

A Harbor Freight set is not a bad idea either. The difference between good chisels and bad is generally how well they take and hold an edge. A cheapo set that you need to sharpen often is a good way to get to turning, and also teaches you the VERY important lesson of sharpening. It is not near as scary to learn to sharpen on a $3 chisel as it is on a $40 chisel.

[MrJeff]

Thank you Tyler, that was the kind of insight I was hoping for. Looking forward to others opinions as well. As a matter of fact I was in Harbor Freight the other day for some steel wool and felt. I looked around the whole store while I there and did not see any wood turning tools at all.

[Tyler]

Thank you Tyler, that was the kind of insight I was hoping for. Looking forward to others opinions as well. As a matter of fact I was in Harbor Freight the other day for some steel wool and felt. I looked around the whole store while I there and did not see any wood turning tools at all.

I started with a Harbor Freight set, so they used to have them. FWIW, I'm glad I started that way.

[MrJeff]

Found them on the website. Not too expensive at all.

[KurtHuhn]

I almost never recommend tools from Harbor Freight, but in this case I do. The steel is not as good as the Wood River brand from Woodcraft (which I recommend highly), but as others have pointed out, you have to learn how to sharpen somewhere, and these are a good place to start.

In the future, when you decide this is something you really like and you want to do a lot of, you can upgrade your chisels - as most of us have.

As far as which ones? I recommend a 1/4" fingernail (aka bowl) gouge, a 1/2" skew, and a 1/16" parting tool. This, however, is based on my own personal preference. Listen to everyone's advice and take it all under advisement when deciding on your own tools.

In the meantime, that Harbor Freight set will definitely get you started in the right direction. And from there you can decide what you are most comfortable with.

[Daniel Y]

Personal preference plays a huge part in lathe tool selection. The HF set is a great starting point. They are cheap so you don't feel guilty about the ones you never use. They also offer you plenty of sharpening experience since they do not hold an edge as long as the higher quality tools do. but the edge they will take is more than adequate and the tools work as well to form a shape as the ones that are much more expensive. sharpness of the tool is far more important than the cost by the way. My experience with the lathe and turning tools is from making pens. Which I have done for many years now. I originally purchased a HF set of chisels and learned that I prefer the 1/2 inch spindle gouge with a fingernail grind. although on some days I will switch to a 3/8ths or even a 1 inch depending on my mood and coordination etc. yes my mood actually effects my turning ability. I also learned I prefer a 3/4 inch skew. the first tool I upgraded to though was a 1/16th inch parting tool that I bought just the blade and turned my own custom handle for. The greatest thing my HF set of tools did for me. was to allow me to find out exactly what I wanted and why I wanted it. it made my $50 to $100 turning tools worth every penny to me. No regrets

[taharris]

I have done quite a bit of wood turning, but very little pipe turning.

I have found that the most usefull tool for doing the bowl is a 1/2" drill bit and a 1/2" round nosed scrapper.

The scrapper I reshaped to give it a more pointed (but still round) profile.

The 1/2" drill bit will take the bowl to the depth you need and then the 1/2" scrapper can be used to give the bowl it's final shape.

What do you guys use the 1/16" parting tool for?

[KurtHuhn]

I have done quite a bit of wood turning, but very little pipe turning.

I have found that the most usefull tool for doing the bowl is a 1/2" drill bit and a 1/2" round nosed scrapper.

The scrapper I reshaped to give it a more pointed (but still round) profile.

The 1/2" drill bit will take the bowl to the depth you need and then the 1/2" scrapper can be used to give the bowl it's final shape.

What do you guys use the 1/16" parting tool for?

You know, I had a hell of a time visualizing how you were using a drill bit as a turning tool, then I realized that you're speaking of drilling the tobacco chamber!

When we speak of turning the bowl or shank of a pipe, we mean the outside - turning it to shape. For drilling the tobacco chamber, most folks use specially ground drill bits to avoid having to hand shape the hole.

I use the parting tool for a handfull of stuff - mostly for parting off length, setting diameter, or squaring off the end of stuff.