All woodturners need to wear some sort of face mask or face shield. I was dumb enough to start turning wood without a facemask and thank God I never got hit in the face. But as time went on, watching videos and learning about safety I realized I was gambling with fate because sooner or latter you will experience a piece flying off the lathe and hitting you in the face! I purchased my face shield a couple of years ago but just recently ran into a video on how to make your own woodturning face shield and you know how much I like to make my own woodturning tools!
Face Shield I Use
First I should mention that I use the UVEX by Honeywell Bionic Face Shield with Clear Polycarbonate Visor (S8500) It cost less than $25, however, at times they are hard to get! We are going through the covid 19 pandemic at the time of this writing and some places in the world will not allow you to buy a face shield. So, we are going to make our our faceshield or facemask.
You might be interested in a discussion on how to remove scratches from your woodturning face shield in our facebook woodturning group. Apparently some members have been able to clean, clear and refurbish their faceshields using some of the automotive plastic lense cleaner and restorers. I haven’t tried any yet but plan to ….check out the FaceShield Post on Woodturning Basics.
Making Your Own Face Shield
So I thought in a time of need, whether you are financially strapped or because of the covid virus and you just can’t get a protective faceshield for woodturning this video will show you how to simply make a woodturning faceshield yourself that will get you by or could last forever!
I thought it was pretty cool way to make your own face shield. You can watch the make your own face shield video and use it as a template to fashion your own. I can think of a few enhancements you might like to make but if you just followed his plan exactly you would have something that would adequately protect your face and head from the next flying bowl 🙂 .
Have you ever had to drill down the center of a wood blank on your wood lathe?
Most of us figure out that it is fairly easi to get a drill chuck on a morse taper and install it in the tailstock of your wood lathe and then push it into the piece of wood you are turning to drill a hole. That almost always works and gives the best results. However when you want to drill longer holes or larger holes it becomes a problem on the lathe ….especially if you are turning into endgrain.
But there comes a time when you would like to stick your project on the drill press and just drill down that piece and get it over with. I don’t know if you ever tried that with ash or oak and using a 2″ or 3″ forstner bit but chances are you will get smacked in the head, hand, arm or body because those things can be wild. The piece you are drilling has to be properly anchored and you won’t be able to do that with one hand while the other hand is cranking down on the drill bit…….. guaranteed to take flight!
Verticle Drilling on Your Drill Press for Your Woodturning Projects
I thought I would post this video for those of you looking to do some vertical drilling. I know normally we chuck up the piece on the lathe and on the tailstock install a drill chuck and do our drilling that way.
At times it would be easier to do this on drill press. Or maybe you don’t have a MT mounted drill chuck for your tailstock.
Vertical Drilling for Forming
A Woodturning Chuck Recess
One of my favorite connections for my lathe chuck is the recess. I can drill a recess and leave it in the finished project if I want. I can chuck it back up if it moves too much, cracks or checks and refinish it. It is also a good area to put your logo or signature of some sort.
Recess in wood bowl bottom for scroll chuck
So when I first get a piece of wood ready to put on the wood lathe I will find centers on both ends and use a forstner bit that fits my jaws to drill a 1/2″ to 3/8″ hole on one end. I then simply chuck it up on the lathe and most times pull the tailstock up and I am turning in less than 5 minutes. So a jig that would hold my piece verticle could really come in handy when getting a piece of wood ready to turn with a recess.
Up until now I have held on to the piece with my hands …..doesn’t always work too well. I have used big wood clamps to hold the wood piece to be turned but then have to clamp down the clamp to the drill press table. …….so, I’m hoping I can come up with some sort of variation of the method that is explained in this video …..hope it can help you too!
Hickory firewood piece gets drilled for recess for Nova Chuck 2″ jaws
Vertical drilling on a drill press can get pretty hairy …not to mention not very accurate. The guy in this video came up with an easy solution for vertical drilling a dowel and I thought we might be able to apply it to some of our projects in some form.
This gives me some ideas on how to take cylinders I have turned and need to drill a hole down the center for a rod ….lets say for making rolling pins. Or even for wood turning tools I’m making and forgot to drill the hole before turning the tool……ALWAYS REMEMBER TO DRILL THE TOOL HOLE FIRST 🙂
Or if I am making a coffee cup and want to start the hollowing process with a forstner bit. Although I do that now on the lathe, I think it might be easier if I had a dedicated station for drilling down the center of the cut or vase while it was in the verticle postion. Gravity, plumbness (verticle postion) could all be checked easily.
If drilling a turned piece on the drill press I would leave the tennon on. I would make the tennon larger than usual and clamp it into the piece of wood.
I’m gonna have to give this a try and see how stable it would be and how big a hole I could drill.
Modify the Holding Jig to Hold the Bottom of the Piece and New the Top to Keep it Stable and in Control
Short pieces like the dowel in the video should work fine but if you were doing a 6″ cut or 12″ vase you might want to set up the jig to hold the bottom and someplace in the middle to the top.
Also remember that most drill presses have a hole in the center of the drill press table which would allow you to drill center holes in 3′, 4′ or larger pieces.
Sorry for lack of details, but I wanted to throw this out for you guys to see if you could use any part of the jig or process or have it be a source of some creative juices for something you might build or need.
What Type of Moisture Meter Should I Purchase For Woodturning?
This question comes up again and again. Somehow when we start turning wood, we are trained to think we need to either turn dried wood or we need to dry our wood before we turn it. That simply is not true! Furthermore everyone tells us to buy a moisture meter and the problem is solved ….again….not true!
Yet we find ourselves always trying to get the perfect piece of wood to turn and that requires a dry piece of wood. So how do we dry the wood or should we dry the wood before we turn it. That is what moisture meters and scales for measuring water weight will help us figure out.
However it’s a good idea to know what type of wood you are working with and how much moisture it contains. This will help you further process the piece of wood you are turning and how to deal with it. And you might ask yourself …do I want to apply a finish over dry wood or can I apply a finish over wet wood. Those answers will vary and we won’t discuss them here.
So do I really need a moisture meter to ascertain the moisture in the piece of wood I am turning or is this just needless information?
Wet or Dry Wood ….Good Question!
This is always a good question to revisit …especially for all the new woodturners out there.
One of the members over at www.Facebook.com/groups/woodturningbasics asked what type of moisture meter should he purchase. A good question but a question that can only be answered after knowing a few more facts. Such as:
1. Why do you want to know how wet your wood is?
2.What type of project are you going to turn?
3.Do you need dry wood or are you just wanting it dry because that’s what it seems like all woodturners turn ….dry wood?
4. Do you understand that a moisture meter can only give your moisture readings as far as the pins go into the wood ….maybe a little further?
How Should A Moisture Meter Be Used?
When I first started turning I ran into a suggestions for moisture meters and how they should be used. Most said basically stick the pins in the wood and you get the average moisture content of the blank or bowl you have turned.
To some degree that is true but it is only accurate in a limited way. I have purchased at least 3 maybe 4 moisture meters over the last 3 or 4 years ….in fact, I just got a new one Good Moisture Meter. Its good if you want to find out the average moisture in a 3/4 to 1.5″ piece of wood. It will give you a good idea of what the moisture content is.
The most accurate method of measuring moisture in wood is with a scale. First you weigh the piece of wood then you dry it ….whatever method you use…..microwave, bag of shavings, sitting on a shelf, kiln or oven ….after a period of time you weigh it again and the weight loss is water loss. Keep on doing your drying method and weighing for correct moisture content.
Wood Blank Will Acclimate Itself to Existing Humidy Conditions
Keep in mind….if you are drying a piece that started at 24 ounces and you get it to 12 ounces and it stops loosing weight you have a dry piece of wood. However, if you put that piece back up on a shelf before it is finished it will acclimate itself. That is, if will either keep on drying or it will absorb moisture until it comes to equilibrium with current shop or air moisture …..at that point it will gain in weight!
So, in my humble opinion, moisture meters will give you an idea of the general moisture content of the piece of wood or woodturning that you are working with. That’s helpful if you want to further dry the piece after you rough turn it.
I Turn Almost All Green Or Wet Wood
I turn almost all green/wet wood. I check the blank before I turn a bowl to see how wet it is. Then I rough turn it with walls that are at least 1″ thick. I then will check the moisture via moisture meter and then weight it. At this point I will either stick it on a shelf, or in a bag of shavings or dry it further in the microwave……I plan on making a small kiln to slow the drying process …hopefully eliminating some of the cracks and other deformities.
How you deal with moisture in the wood you turn is an ongoing learning experience from many aspects. First is to understand and know how to find out how wet the piece of wood you are turning is.
Sure, you can turn green wood ….set it to dry or finish it. If the project is for you that’s fine but if you intend on giving it away you should know what will happen with the wood if its too wet when you finish it….will it crack, deform or just fall apart. This is something you will have to experience as you learn about the moisture or water that is in the wood you turn!
Here’s a moisture meter that I just got it seems to have a few more features than the others but it can be used to find out if your wood is really wet, average or very dry. https://amzn.to/3fsfFCM
Could I Make a Custom Woodturning Tool Rest
From Steel Pipe?
Did you ever notice how we limit ourselves to the “known” or “comfortable”? I started thinking about that and wondered if I could make a custom woodturning tool rest from materials I had laying around. I almost forgot the fact … or was imtimidated by the type and scope of the job, that I really like making my own woodturning tools.
My Cast Iron Tool Rest Broke In 2 Pieces
I broke my toolrest and posted about it. Lots of good ideas about getting a new one. One member Al Oggie is sending me one from his extra stash. Not sure when it will get here but I started thinking about making my own wood turning tool rest a long time ago….but I needed one now.
A tool rest for woodturning consists of 2 basic parts:
1. The post which fits on the bango and attaches to the horizontal tool rest
2. The horizontal tool rest that your woodturning tools glide across as it cuts and gouges the wood project you are turning and attaches to the post that is in the banjo
I needed a 25mm steel bar for the post, which was very hard to find and very expensive and a 5/8″ to 3/4″ bar for the tool rest. And I’ve been looking for the materials for the last year. I did find them online but never purchased.
Needed to Know How to Weld If I was
Going to Make a Toolrest
Wood turning tool rest made from steel pipe seems to work as well as solid bar tool rests
I’m not a good welder, just learned in the last 10 years and haven’t done much. In fact, I really do not do much with metal at all. So I kept putting it off.
Pieces of Galvanized and Black Gas
Pipe I Used to Build A
New Woodturning Tool Rest
Then I started thinking….I have some 1/2″ black steel gas pipe I could use for a post, I would need a bushing of some sort so I cut a piece of 3/4″ thin walled conduit and sliced it down the length of it.
I did not know if very many woodturners had used pipe for a tool rest for their wood lathe.
I had some old galvanized 3/4″ steel water pipe I could use for tool rest bar. All I needed to do was weld the post to the bar. (Caution when welding galvanized pipe, do it outside, wear a mask ….not sure if it made a difference but I cleaned up the galvanized pipe …sanding and grinding down to shiney steel)
Started to Make My Own Custom
Tool Rest for Woodturning
Then I decided to use my pipe/tube notcher to drill a 7/8″ hole in the middle of the 3/4″ bar to stick the 1/2″ gas pipe post into and weld those two together. Next I cut some 1/4″ flat steel in triangle shapes to act as braces along the bar and down the post.
I cleaned everything up, ground down my welds because they were embarassing 🙂
I slipped the conduit bushing over the gas pipe post and mounted it in the bango and tightened everything up and gave it a whirl.
Much to my surprise its better than the one that came with it.
I installed the tool rest in the banjo, it was as solid as the old cast iron tool rest
Planning on Making More Specific
Special Use Tool Rests for Woodturning!
I’ve got a hydraulic pipe bender and now I’m thinking about seeing if I can make some S-shaped tool rests for the inside and outside of bowls.
Every tool rest I always saw or read about was made from solid steel or the cast iron. I always thought a piece of pipe would not be strong enough. I made the 3/4″ pipe 12″ long, turned a couple bowls ….did some deliberate catches and there was no movement at all…….maybe I’m coming to conclusions too quickly but it seems to work. And the 3/4″ steel tool rest allows me to rest my hand on it as I push or pull my bowl gouge across it!
When I think about it, I watched videos of turners in 3rd world countries using just about anything from 2×4’s to a straight piece of steel or angle iron for tool rests. In fact, I saw some local guys making tool rests from steel pipe with the base embedded in a 5 gallon bucket of concrete for a toolrest when turning outboard…..they did not have problems with it.
Got Some Skills…..Cheap Option for a Few Custom Tool Rests for Your Wood Turning Needs!
I know solid steel is better but if you are in a tight spot and you have some skills or you’re not afraid to try something new ……it is possible to make a tool rest with steel pipe because I did it.
I’m sure I will get comments on how this isn’t safe. If so, tell me why! I think the only danger would be my poor welds (gonna practice since I am liking this project) but I put the diagonal steel triangular bracing pieces that should help keep it together.
Tools I Used For Making Custom Woodturning Tool Rests
I used the following:
Tube & Pipe Notcher—> https://amzn.to/2CrGTMa
Super Deal PRO Commercial MIG 130 AC Flux Core Wire Automatic Feed
I used this tube notcher for drilling a hole for the tool rest post, you could probably use a drill bit in a vice
Welder Welding Machine —> https://amzn.to/2Zmta2h
3/4″ steel pipe (galvanized or black (gas) pipe) —-> Local Hardware store
1/2″ steel gas pipe (for post) —> local hardware store
3/16″ steel plate (scrap from local supply house)
3/4″ thin wall elec conduit —> get piece from local hardware store
I used a cheap 4-1/2″ angle grinder https://amzn.to/3iUDCG8 with a thin metal cutting wheel https://amzn.to/3iWyFwv and I used some sanding flap disks to clean the metal and the grinds (also use these on bowls and turned items for live edge or just clean up) https://amzn.to/2DzbOqy
Why Buy Tools For Woodturning Jigs and Projects
I’ve had most of these tools for a long time, however, all come in handy when making different jigs and other projects around the shop. Best thing is I can now make 5 or 10 special use wood turning tool rests without paying big bucks for them ….besides not wanting to spend the money …simply because I don’t have it, I really enjoy thinking out of the box and making my own tools.
Where to Buy Woodturning Tool Rests for Wood Lathes
It would be remiss of me if I did not tell you where you can get tool rests for your woodturning lathe. Not everyone wants to take the time or has the time to make their own wood lathe toolrest. Many online woodturning stores offer toolrests of different shapes and purposes. You can go to the manufacturer of your lathe to see what they offer for toolrests, but you will find more diversity in toolrests from 2nd and 3rd party vendors. Or you can click on toolrests for wood lathes to see what is available and what you might need. You can see the sizes, shapes and purposes of different tool rests for woodturning and then either make a purchase or do more exploring.
Final Thoughts for Woodturning Toolrests
Remember the best toolrest for woodturning is designed to get you close to your work so you don’t have to extend your woodturning tool far over the toolrest, thus inviting a nasty catch or just losing control of your gouging. That is why many woodturners will have more than one toolrest for their woodturing projects and will have a favorite toolrest for the type of woodturing they do. And that is one of the reasons I decided to build my own toolrests for my wood lathe. Once you get the concept down, you might find yourself with 5 to 10 different toolrests for your woodturning projects….. each specialized for that project, making it easy to complete along with being safer.
Good luck with your toolrest investigations …surely you will find that there are many options available to you! I plan on building a few more woodturning toolrests and hopefully will be able to include some video of the process. So stay tuned and keep watch for the new toolrests, I already have three built and they are working wonderfully for all my special needs in turning big wood bowls. I hope you might take time to leave a comment on what you like best.
So on our Woodturning Basics facebook group a new member had a question about what tools to buy. What should he get, he didn’t have a lot of money and wanted to be frugal.
So, I shared some of my experiences with him and gave him some ideas on what kind of woodturning tools to buy or consider buying.
Which Woodturning Tools Should I Get?
I don’t feel like working tonight so I think I will put a little thought into your question.
First I will assume you are either new to wood turningor you haven’t turned that much yet?
Let me tell you my story first.
My Start In Turning Wood
I don’t know why, but suddenly I had the urge to buy a lathe…maybe because I kept seeing it at Harbor Freight. So….I bought the 12×36 and the cheapest set of Chinese turning tools they had…..I think it was around $40 bucks.
Up until this point I hadn’t turned anything since high school, probably 45 years ago. I did not watch any YouTube videos, didn’t read anything online, didn’t attend a club and didn’t even read a book. This is not the approach I would recommend to anyone 🙂
I set up my lathe. Figured out there was a faceplate to use or to turn between centers.
My First Woodturning Project
I cut a piece of dead ash tree branch about 4″ wide and maybe 12″ long. Put that between centers and tried to figure out how to make it round by sticking each tool into the rotating piece. You can imagine some of the tools didn’t work so well. I did get it round, put a little design on it, coves and round overs. Then I sanded, finished and drilled a hole in the top for a candle. First project, gave it to my wife and she is so good…..encouraged me to do more ….the thing was pitiful 🙂
I share that story because I had to learn how to use traditional tools that were crap. They were unsharpened, I had no idea how to sharpen them when I started.
After a while I found YouTube and the wealth of info on all things related to woodturning.
Sharpening My First Woodturning Tools
Best way to sharpen your woodturning tools, gouges and chisels is the oneway wolverine sharpening jib
After watching enough videos I decided to try and sharpen my tools by hand. It wasn’t pretty but they were sharper than when I purchased them. It was amazing what a difference it made.
So….my first suggestion is to get a cheap set of tools and a wolverine sharpening jig along with an eight inch grinder with white oxide stone wheels. Mind you, I’m telling you the cheapest way to go, others will say get daves, thompsons and get cbn wheels before you know it you spend $1000 and all you’ll do is grind those expensive tools away to nothing. My theory is to learn with the cheap stuff unless you have deep pockets. Once you know how to sharpen your woodturning tools, go ahead and buy some good stuff.
#1 Get a Cheap Set of Turning Tools to Practice Sharpening On
-I found this set of woodturning tools for $20 and its probably the worse set you can buy, but you should buy it so you can learn sharpening https://amzn.to/2LFvuMh
-As you grow in your knowledge of woodturning tools you can reshape these tools into specialty tools if you so desire, making tools is fun!
#2 Next you need to get a Wolverine Sharpening System.
This is important because you will learn how to properly get consistent angles and sharpening on your cheap tools, once you get that figured out you will be able to sharpen you new good tools and not waste metal. The wolverine sharpening system is the first of its kind and the one everyone is copying. This is the exact one I purchased https://amzn.to/2YfAAR5
#3 You can use it with just about any grinder
But …..you will want to set up a dedicated grinder. I did a lot of looking and found one at Harbor Freight, 8″ grinder with a lamp. If you use their 20% or 25% coupon I think I got it for under $40, you can order one online if you don’t have a store near by https://www.harborfreight.com/8-in-bench-grinder-with-gooseneck-lamp-62501.html
#4 You should change out
the grinding wheels.
I got an 80 grit and 120 grit POWERTEC 15505 White Aluminum Oxide Grinding Wheel, 8-Inch by 1-Inch, 5/8-Inch Arbor, https://amzn.to/2LGaIfj Also look into a stone dresser, I went at least a year without properly dressing my grinding wheels, when I did, my sharpening was 100% or more better https://amzn.to/30TqnLN You can use the wheels that come with the harbor freight grinder…..they will be hard to keep true and will not do a very good job ….but better than nothing.
Now you have some new woodturning tools. Wolverine sharpening system and a grinder. You just need to practice. Watch some YouTube videos, the Wolverine system comes with a dvd that is pretty decent. It just takes time and it won’t matter if you grind those tools down the the wood….you will only have lost $20 🙂
#5 I pieced my tools together after I figured I needed some decent tools.
The first woodturning tool I got was a 1/2″ bowl gouge, then some scrapers, I made some tools [parting tool and carbide tool] check them out here:
The most expensive wood turning tools I have are Robert Sorby’s and the difference in the sharpening and the steel is nothing short of amazing. I have yet to have any Thompson, Carter or D-way tools, they say those are just dream tools…..maybe some day. Until then I just have to sharpen my tools more.
#6 What type of turning will you do?
Depending on what type of turning you will want to do will determine what type of tools to buy. Lets say you want to turn bowls. Then you’ll need some good bowl gouges and a couple nice scrapers.
#7 Consider Getting Some Hurricane Woodturning Tools.
If you are unsure of what to get then you won’t go wrong with getting a set of Hurricane Tools. I did not buy the set but one or two tools at a time. This Hurricane set has just about anything you would need to start out. The steel is good and I’ve found I can get them almost as sharp as the Sorby tools. Hurricane Woodturning 8 Piece Starter Set – Bowl Gouge, Scraper, Roughing Gouge, Lathe Chisel Set https://amzn.to/2YiAacO
In my opinion this PSI set PSI Woodworking LCHSS8 HSS Wood Lathe Chisel Set, 8-Piece is a step below the Hurricane but it is half the price….around $70 but still, a good set to practice with and many turners use these as their all around turning tools, you get a nice selection and can always add to it latter https://amzn.to/2SDe9nA
#8 I found as I started turning that I had 100 catches a minute.
I thought of changing my name to “Catch” although I still get catches I have learned how to use the tools properly. But there are times when I am turning an odd shaped piece or difficult piece and I just can’t get my bowl gouge in correctly …or I’m just ripping up the fibers of the piece or I’m just uncomfortable using a gouge.
I discovered Hurricane’s big scrapers. They are 1-1/2″ wide and almost 1/2″ thick so they can take some abuse and you can control it. A scraper takes a bit to learn also, it all depends on how you hold the tool. If its 90 degrees or more to the work you are guaranteed a catch. But if you go 90 degrees to your work and pick up on your handle slightly you will get good cuts and you can easily spill any catches that might come up. I would highly recommend this set of scrapers if you are doing bowls. https://amzn.to/2JNQ9f2 you get a right side, left side and round nose scraper. They are easy to sharpen and they are pretty easy to learn how to use. The robo hippy (Reed Gray) https://www.robohippy.net/ does almost all his turning with scrapers and you can learn how to do shear scrapes and other cutting scrapes that make mirror finishes. Make sure you check out his YouTube channel
I might add for you or anyone else if they wanted to get into the “best” quality of wood turning tools Robert Sorby Woodturning Tools has a great selection and you’ll find Carter and Son with some of the best turning tools there is also D-way Tools I heard the owner sold the business so I cannot confirm the quality and Thompson lathe tools these are high end tools and the only ones I have experience with are the Robert Sorby turning tools. You can learn a lot from the other 2 sites, they have a lot of sharpening videos and how to use their tools.
#9 I would be remiss if I did
not mention carbide cutters.
I didn’t buy a complete carbide woodturning tool but made a couple for myself. I had no knowledge of how to do that, just followed some directions …YouTube again. You can buy a bar of steel, tap it and screw on a carbide cutter and of course turn a handle for it. It will service you well and you just might want to make a few for yourself. I purchased the carbide cutters in packs of 10 https://amzn.to/2yb4coa these round carbide cutters (inserts) are my go to for hollowing. I also picked up a pack of 10 square cutters (inserts)https://amzn.to/2LImmpV
The nice part of carbide cutters (inserts) is they take abuse and last forever. Also you can sharpen them with a diamond hone and they will be just like new.
When I get a little scared working a piece of wood that is odd shaped, I will go to my carbide tools ….the round cutter. It takes a beating and I’m comfortable with it. It basically is a scraper so the finish isn’t going to be great until you learn how to shear cut with it.
Also, the carbide tool (round insert) is one of the best for tough hollowing situations. The smaller the size the less you bite off and the easier it is to hollow and not gouge out, catch out the interior of whatever it is that you are hollowing.
I tried to hollow a cup with those Chinese tools I told you about. That pretty much scared the crap out of me and I almost walked away from wood turning. I had a small round edge scraper extended 4″ or more off the tool rest, the thing was catching every 10 seconds. I tried other tools to no avail, I got it done but then I had to try to sand it …..it was scary. A carbide tool with the round insert would have saved the day and gave me some confidence. I recommend anyone who is starting to turn wood to have a round and square carbide. That doesn’t mean you should not learn tradition tools! But in some cases, carbide tools keep a new woodturner turning wood ….and there is nothing wrong with that 🙂
So, if you don’t want to make your own carbide tools, pick one up. It will last you forever. Don’t go cheap, that is, don’t get the smaller size. If you are doing bowls, cups, vases and other bigger items you will want the large size carbide tool, of course if you are doing pens and small stuff the small carbides work fine. They are categorized as full size, mid size and small of mini size. Here’s a list of tools I would chose from:
Wood Turning tool FinisherYUFUTOL Carbide Tipped Wood Lathe Full Size Bar and Handle set With 18mm Round Carbide Insert，Screw，Star Key Wrench,for wood hobbyist or DIY or carpenter,Type R-18 https://amzn.to/2Yh040t
Here is about the cheapest set of carbide turning tools: Simple Woodturning Tools – Pack of 3 Full Size Carbide Tools (Rougher, Detailer, Finisher) with Interchangeable Foam Grip Lathe Tool Handle, USA Made, Stainless Steel https://amzn.to/2LCNuqF
Understanding a Starter
Set of Lathe Chisels
This is a basic video on how to use basic woodturning tools for spindle turning. That is, a piece of wood between centers of the headstock and tailstock.
Basic Woodturning Tools
Needed for Spindle Turning
Well, I hope I haven’t confused you but you find this info helpful. Just remember to have fun with it, be safe, ask questions. There are many guys/gals in this group that know much more than I do and I would hope they would be willing to help you along the way ….so, never be afraid to ask 🙂
Good luck, let us know how things progress and what tools you get. I always get excited when someone posts pics of their new tools and equipment …I truly am happy for them ….and a little jealous 🙂
Making A Wood Tool Handle For A
Half Inch Sorby Spindle Gouge
A couple of years ago I didn’t have a clue as to how to build or make a woodturning tool. And….I didn’t know why I would want to make a woodturning tool, except for the fact that I did not have enough money to go out and purchase a whole bunch of woodturning tools !
Now, I really enjoy making different tools …almost as much as I enjoy turning wood. You save a bunch of money by making your own woodturning tools, you solve your own problems by making your own turning tools and you learn how the tool best operates when you make your own woodturning tools.
Quick Method For
Building Woodturning Tools
I really didn’t want to make this a post on how to make your own woodturning tools but it really is simple.
-turn a tool handle
-use a piece of copper pipe as a ferrule when the tool inserts into the wood handle.
-either buy a tool blank or make your own and insert and glue into the handle.
There are a lot of videos of guys showing how they make their own tools, watch them and you will get some good ideas ….then perfect a process that matches your needs and abilities. Just go to Google and type in something like “DIY Woodturning Tools” and you will start your journey down the rabbit hole. Or check out some of the articles on this site regarding making your own woodturing tools.
Making A Sorby 1/2″ Spindle Gouge
I just made this spindle gouge from a Sorby 1/2″ spindle gouge (steel only) and turned a handle from an oak branch I had laying around. I purchased the spindle gouge blank from Amazon https://amzn.to/2pBdNjK .
Today there are many different types and quality of woodturning tools. Some of us have to start with the cheapests tools, for instance, mine came from Harbor Freight …which came from China! I had a hard time getting started and I soon learned it was because of the poor quality of tools I had and …….not knowing what I was doing. After some research I found out that you can spend up to $200 for a high quality steel woodturning tool. I guess the price comes from the advanced and high quality steel that is used to make the woodturning tool.
I really did not understand that until someone bought me a Sorby bowl 1/2″ bowl gouge. This woodturing tool would cut through wood like butter and it stayed sharp at least 5x longer than the cheaper tools. So my goal is to replace the cheap tools I have with expensive tools ……and at times you can cut the cost by purchasing just the steel, that is, the tool blank. If you have the tool blank, you turn a handle and drill a hole in the end and glue the tool into the handle with some epoxy. You can make it more complicated if you wish, but that’s it in a nutshell.
I Had An Oak Wood Handle Blank Ready to Turn
I already had a round oak wood blank ready to shape into a handle, it had some cracks in it so I used some Stabond CA and glued it, the cracks were pretty large in size and I wasn’t sure if the Starbond CA would hold it ….as it turned out, there was no problem. Finally, I was really trying to figure out how I wanted to make my tool, how long the handle would be and if I would glue the tool blank in the handle or make it removable.
Finishing The Tool Handle
With Thin Stabond CA
Finally, I got everything done, finished the tool handle and I decided I would try to do a CA finish using some of the Thin Starbond CA glue, I don’t think I have ever done one before….this was kind of large, I did not know how much it would take and I felt like giving it a go. I’ve avoided using CA glue as a finsh because I assumed it would take a lot of product and me, being cheap, didn’t want to use up all my Starbond CA glue on one handle …..but I decided I would live on the wild side and give it a go 🙂
I ended up putting about 5 coats of Starbond Thin CA on the oak handle. It took a lot of sanding and I was surprised that it really did not use a lot of CA to get the job done, in fact, I hardly noticed the level of CA go down in the bottle and that was for 5 coats of CA on a 24″ handle. As I already mentioned, I used Starbond thin CA and you can hardly notice any missing from the bottle ….I was happly about that because I thought it would take a lot of CA to finish something this big.
Trying to Remember How Pen Turners
Applied CA and Finished The CA
I watched a lot of pen making videos that used Starbond CA glue as a finish. There was some beaufiful luster and thick gloss, but I needed to understand the sanding sequence and the method of application. I won’t go into it now but I must have gotten it right because that handle started looking like a high gloss 24″ pen 🙂 …in fact it looked like glass!
Making a Handle Finished with Starbond CA For A Sorby 1/2″ Spindle Gouge Tool Blank
I can’t remember but I think it was something like 8000 grit that I finish sanding the tool handle and then cleaned it and buffed it. It really looked great, felt good in my hand. Even though it had a high gloss finish the tool felt good in my hand, I could grip it strongly, no slipping and the shape felt good. I guess you can say I impressed myself 🙂
You Must Know This Big Mistake When Making Tool Handles!
I’ve been studying different finishing techniques for woodturning projects. Different types of finishes, such as a CA finish in this case and how to bring out further luster to the project. So I was trying to recall what else I might be able to do to make this the “slickest” tool handle I have made to date!
Then I remembered watching a video on finishing and buffing. One guy recommended applying some car or boat wax to the piece after the finish was applied. Just so happened I had some car or boat wax laying around that I used on my cast iron bandsaw and tablesaw tables. So, I thought I would give it a whirl.
Think Twice Before Applying A Car Wax Finish to a Wood Handle!
Since one of my son’s left a can of car wax, I applied a little to the handle while it was on the lathe, used the applicator pad and applied while turning. After it dried, I buffed the tool a soft cloth and buffed out the wax and WOW, the shine came through and it looked awesome! If you have been paying attention, you must realize I broke the rules ….I used a soft cloth to polish the wax …..Capn’ Eddie says, “Never use a rag or cloth anything when on the lathe ….paper towels only”
Insert Sorby Spindle Gouge Tool Into The Handle
Next, I temporarily put the steel tool portion into the wooden handle, I did not glue or CA the steel blank in yet so I shimmed it tight with some small slivers of wood….I made it tight enough that the steel tool could not be pulled out and then I tried it out.
Making a Handle Finished with Starbond CA For A Sorby 1/2″ Spindle Gouge Tool Blank
The Sorby Steel cuts just great, you really notice the difference between Sorby and a cheap tool. I can tell you how different it is when using good steel versus cheap steel tools but there is nothing like experiencing the difference. The best analogy I can think of is using a dull butter knife vs. a sharp steak knife to cut a nice big steak. You suddenly feel like you are a real woodturner and you’ve come into your own!
Oops! One Small Finishing Problem
I’m telling this story because I screwed up majorly. I suppose I could have said the same in 2 or 3 paragraphs but then you would miss all the drama in between, the products you might want to buy and my brilliant writing 🙂 I’m kidding of course, but I do like to write, I do like to explain and I hope when I take the time to document a process, procedure or tool you might find it interesting, helpful and informative. I also share my failures along with successes ….I am a humble man!
I made a major faux pas though. I screwed up royally. The handle is so slick it slips out of my hands. The wax on a handle is a bad, bad, bad idea …..don’t do it! If I would have thought about it, I might have realized that wax on an already slick finish will make it more slippery 🙂
I did like the Starbond CA finish, it was glossy, it was thick …really showed off the wood ….even though the piece I used wasn’t anything spectacular ….after applying the Starbond CA and going through the finishing grits ….the handle felt good in my hand, no slippage at all. I guess maybe the wax is for bowls or other woodturning projects that doesn’t require you to hold on for dear life 🙂
Duh!!!
The tool looks nice, still have not decided how to mount the tool blank in the handle and I’m going to have to take off the wax or wrap some duct tape on it or something. I guess I could just mount it on the wall as a trophy type thing ….or a reminder of my igornance!
Actually I am going to try to remount the handle and burnish it with sawdust and shavings. Basically that means I’ll hold a handful of shavings and sawdust up against the handle as it turns to see if I can remove some of the finish and allow my hand to hold it securely while using the new Sorby Spindle Gouge!
One More Thing
I guess there are a bunch of lessons to be learned from this project. But the most important one is for anyone who works with wood ……learn to fix your mistakes. Don’t throw out your bowl because it has some cracks …apply some Starbond CA glue or epoxy. Did your bowl explode? Find the pieces, glue them together with CA or Epoxy ….Starbond CA with Acellerator is my favorite….and the bowl, paint it and put a crackle finish on it. This saying is no longer politically correct, but “there is more than one way to skin a cat” 🙂 Once you learn to start fixing your mistakes you will advance on the woodturners/woodworkers latter of success!
I wanted to share a post I made about hollowing problems in our facebook group called Woodturning Basics. This is what our member Pedro had to say:
I must be doing something wrong while I’m hollowing out a cup.
I got a forstner bit to get it started, but even then it’s taking hours to hollow out a small maple cup. The only thing that does a good job of hollowing it, is my parting tool. Everything else catches badly including my $100.00 bowl gouge (that was recommended I use and it’s basically useless. Damn thing catches on everything.)
So, anyone have any suggestions?
Hey there Pedro ….I feel your pain my friend!
Pedro’s Problem with
Hollowing A Wood Cup
When I first started, I turned a little candle holder. Then I did a cup. I had no idea what I was doing and trying to hollow out the cup just about killed me! I tried all my famous harbor freight turning tools ….that’s all I had …spindle gouge, roughing gouge, scraper, parting tools, a really small gouge of some kind ….I ended up hacking the inside out with a small round scraper …..the thing was extended 4 inches into the up ….diaster waiting to happen 🙂
I got it done though.
Learning by myself, it took a while to figure out what tool is supposed to do what ….and then trying to make the tool do what its supposed to do is another story. But hollowing was always a nightmare!
Some Thoughts on Your Hollowing Problems
I had a couple of thoughts on your hollowing of the cup problem. You drilled it and then tried to use a bowl gouge to finish the hollowing …correct?
You say you have an expensive bowl gouge and all you get is catches? Are you pushing into the cup, entering from the top of the cup toward the bottom and then across the bottom?
I wonder what size your bowl gouge is? Minium for me is 1/2″ or 5/8″. If you are using a fingernail grind, you can cut down the side but as you move across the bottom you will catch. You need a standard grind if you are trying to use a bowl gouge ….even then, a bowl gouge is tough to do end grain hollowing.
Use A Pull Cut When Hollowing
I WOULD NOT use a push cut into the cup, you could try to pull the gouge across the bottom using tip, and then use the bottom tip/wing to pull up the side of the cup ….kind of a scraping cut for hollowing a cup. You just need to get the feel of it ….but it can be done.
Scrapers for Hollowing
Woodturning Projects
Better yet is to use scrapers for hollowing your woodturning projects.
I get as much out as I can (after drilling) with a gouge and then I use scrapers to finish up the hollowing.
One of the easiest methods to hollow is to use carbide tools. Use a 1/2″ or 5/8″ bar with a 1/2″ or 5/8″ carbide cutter mounted to it. You can make it yourself or you can buy one already made, carbide hollowing tool!
How to Prevent Catches When Hollowing
Carbide cutters take some time to learn how to use, but once you get it figured out you will be amazed at how easy it is to hollow out a cup, vase or bowl using one of these cutters. Just don’t try to hog out too much at once, learn to take light cuts and you will avoid catches. Also the postion of the scraper, being 90° off of the tool rest and then lifting the handle a little will prevent catches dramatically!
Using Tradional Scrapers for Hollowing
Along with carbide scrapers you should consider getting at least one big scraper. I have a Hurricane Scraper 1 1/2″ wide …almost 1/2″ thick round nose scraper. At https://amzn.to/2oQBmVB. The reason you want a big scraper is so you can extend it over the tool rest a good amount and still keep control of your cuts. I imagine part of your problem is that you are trying to hollow out a cut and have your tool extended 3 inches or more over the tool rest (disaster waiting to happen) I’m just about ready to purchase a right and left side round edge scraper …you can see what I’m taking about here https://amzn.to/2Nt0T51 these are used inside a bowl or cup and outside of the same turning project.
So, for hollowing out projects get some good scrapers. Yes, spindle gouges work better on end grain but when it comes to hollowing ….you need some specialized tools. You can make these or buy them. One of the members in our group runs Yufutol, you can pick up an extra discount ….make sure you get a full size tool unless you are doing really small projects. https://amzn.to/2NndAhN
Make Your Own Hollow Tool With Carbide Cutters
Or just buy the carbide cutters ….this is what I did. Mount the cutter on a big cold steel bar. I keep one bar with a 5/8″ cabide cutter, I use this all the time. Over time I have learned how to use it …initially you will get some catches but you will learn the angle of approach and how to gouge out and how to finish cut with this one cutter. It actually becomes fun once you get a handle on it …..you just need to press on, practice, practice, …screw up, catch here and there until you master the process. At one time I thought I would start going by the name of “Catch” ….so I know how you feel 🙂
You can make your own carbide woodturning tools CLICK IMAGE to see cutters
Big Bar For Hollowing
The reason why you want a big bar is so you have some control and stability as you extend the bar over the tool rest. The bigger the bar, the further you can safely extend the tool over the tool rest. I’m thinking of making one of these carbide cutter tools with a 3/4″ bar ….just so I can have more control.
Consider A Hollowing System
Once you get into hollowing large vases, hollow forms etc …you need to think about getting a hollowing system. Just google “hollowing system” and check the same thing on youtube and you will see what that’s all about.
As I think about your problem I wanted to mention something about the tool rest. You should be at the middle of the turning with your tool, not the tool rest….but you want to tool to hit the center of your turning. You want the tool rest as close as you can to the surface you are cutting. This means, if possible, stick the tool rest into the project your are trying to hollow out. Otherwise you are left with a tool that hangs over the edge by a lot ….thus the need for a hefty scraper, whether round nose scraper or a carbide cutter on a big bar.
I’ve been just thinking out loud …hope some of that makes sense.
Again, just keep at it.
You’ll get it figured out. When you get into trouble, keep posting your problem and maybe we can help further.
As I answer questions, I learn myself ….you will too. As soon as you get it figured out you’ll be sharing your wisdom 🙂
I’m always trying to learn new techniques, trying to learn how to use and sharpen new tools. Always looking for the flawless finish so I don’t have to get a disk sander out to get my project ready to finish 🙂
I started out my woodturning journey with some cheap tools and the only ones that I could make work were ‘scrapers’ that were ….maybe 3/16″ thick and I thought they would break in half at any moment …especially after some of the nasty catches I would get.
Getting Started With Scrapers
….An Essential Tool
In the beginning I made some homemade tools, some scrapers and some carbide tipped or carbide insert scrapers. I learned to use these and at least I figured out how to shape to a project without injuring myself, breaking the tools, cracking the tool rest or sent tools and project flying across the room!
I enjoy writing, always wanted to be a writer…..so to some of you who think I might be too verbose ….please forgive me 🙂 There is a reason behind my madness in almost all my posts. I always intend to share a lesson I have learned and something that will help you become a better woodturner.
Finally Purchased A Hefty Scraper
I like scrapers, I finally got a 1 1/2″ round nose scraper that’s almost 1/2″ thick, from Hurricane Tools …a 1 1/2″ Round Nose Scraper…every wood turner should have a good hefty set of scrapers. Once you learn how to use them you will have the courage to attack the most unruley piece of spinning wood. You should really get a set of these heavy duty scrapers, they will last many, many years. You will get a round nose, left and right scraper. If I could encourage new turners one set of tools to get it would be this Hurricane Scraper Set.
Learning How to Sharpen and Put a “Burr” on Your Scraper
Well, I started learning about the “burr” on the cuting edge of a woodturing tool, in particular, scrapers. There are many kind of scrapers and I thought you just sharpened them and you would be good to go! Now I find out that I need to have a “burr” or “bur” on the end ot the tool. OK…I figured out what a bur was and I could probably make one ….but which side do you use. Do I turn the burr up so it contacts the wood first or do I put the stupid burr on the bottom …..who knows and what’s worse everyone assumes you know where the burr needs to go.
So, I gave up and figured when the Great Turner in the Sky wanted me to know how all this burr stuff works out and how to use it, it would be revealed to me 🙂
Well…..enter Mike Peace.
A Proper Burr Makes for a Glass Like Finish
Just watch the video and everything regarding a woodturning tool burr becomes clear…. how to make the burr, what position to use the burr.
Bottom line, is that the cutting tool burr will help you make clearner cuts ( I have no idea how it does this) which means you end up with a better project, less sanding and you are now a very fine woodworker.
Mike shares a variety of scrapers and mostly talks about negative rake scrapers. If you don’t know what that is ….don’t worry, you’ll figure it out from the video pictures or his explaination. But this video will get you on your way to learning how to be a better woodturner.
You should bookmark this post or video because you will want to “perfect” this concept….that is, scraping and creating a burr on your tool.
Sharpening Carbide Inserts for Woodturning Tools Known As Carbide Cutters
About 3 years ago you might be able to find 2 or 3 guys making videos on how to make carbide cutter woodturning tools. Now….has to be close to 100 tutorials or videos on cabide cutter woodturning tools.
You can make your own carbide woodturning tools CLICK IMAGE to see cutters
So….the secret is out on how to build your own carbide insert cutting tool, start with a carbide cutter, piece of 1/2″ or larger square steel bar, turn a wood handle, copper furle, epoxy, drill and a tapping set.
Of course you could buy a carbide tool set, professional brand from Easy Wood and enjoy a professionally made woodturning tool that cuts wood like butter.
There are other brands out there but Easy Wood Tools is probably one of the best. Especially if you are looking for a good quality hollowing tool
Or a set of professional carbide cutter turning tools, you can’t get better than Easy wood tools because of the quality of the carbide cutter and the size of the steel shaft. These are the best in my opinion for any wood turner, especially if you are just getting started wood turning.
For me, I use the carbide tools when the turning gets a little hairy 🙂 you can make plunge cuts, you can shave, you can sheer cut and you can hollow depending on the tools. The learning curve is short and you can saftely turn a project if you are a woodturning amature.
These tools advertise the fact that they do not need to be sharpened. This is a big plus with woodturning tools because you need a grinder, expensive grinding wheels and an expensive grinding jig ….now that you have all this you need to know how to use it. Go ahead and watch a bunch of videos, but it won’t matter until you give it a whirl!
How to Sharpen Carbide Cutters
Here’s a little secret about carbide cutters.
You can reshape and resharpen them with little effort and sharpening equipement.
That’s right, they teach you to through away your carbide cutters once they become dull and put on a new one. That’s fine if you have money to burn. But if you’d like to breath more life into your carbide cutters you can sharpen them with a diamond sharpening card and some cutting fluid.
To sharpen your carbide cutters its as easy as rubbing the top of the cutter, (largest surface area) on a diamond sharpening card, rub it around until the slurry becomes black….take a look at it and then give it a try.
Sharpening Carbide Inserts
for Woodturning Tools
Sharpening Carbide Cutters
Often times the square cutters will chip on the ends and they are at that point useless ……unless you reshape the cutter and sharpen you carbide cutters with the carbide card.
Watch this video on reshaping and sharpening carbide cutters.
The roughing gouge and spindle roughing gouge is very easy to use provided you use it in the correct manner. Always use these gouges on material that is turned between centers and the wood fibers run parallel to the lathe bed. DO NOT USE the roughing gouge on end grain!
My First Experience with
Spindle Roughing Gouges
I remember setting up my lathe and putting the first piece of wood on it. The first piece was a branch and I was going to try to turn a candle holder. I opened up my set of harbor freight turning tools and grabbed something that looked like a gouge of some sort….I really didn’t know at that time and plowed ahead. The candle holder worked out and it sits on the shelf as a reminder to myself.
Big NO NO …I used the Roughing Gouge on a Bowl!
The next project was a bowl. I watched some videos and mounted a piece of wood on the faceplate. Grabbed my harbor freight tools and started to turn. I had 3 gouges, I thought they were bowl gouges they wqere 1″, 3/4″ and 1/4″. I knew enough to not stick that little skinny tool into the spinning wood, so I tried the other gouges. What a mess! I had one heck of a time, catches every time I stuck the tool into the wood. I didn’t know what I now know, never use a roughing or spindle gouge to turn a bowl …..IT IS VERY DANGEROUS!
Roughing Gouge Lesson
Learned the Hard Way!
To end the story, after about 50 catches and feeling very defeated, ready to sell my new lathe…..I tried some scrapers. I ended up finishing the thing with scrapers.
So, if you are new to woodturning and want to know what roughing gouges and spindle roughing gouges look like and how to use them check out this video, it will be very helpful to you and keep you from making the stupid mistake that I made!
Also remember that most drill presses have a hole in the center of the drill press table which would allow you to drill center holes in 3′, 4′ or larger pieces.
I discovered 
