Carbide Chisel Set

[bpatters69]

Hello All,

Can you give me a recommendation for a 3 set Carbide chisel set? I am just getting into turning and I want a basic set that is versatile.

Thanks, Bill

[Arlin Eastman]

Bill check amazon for some cheap sets that are as good as ez sells

[greenacres2]

Bill…what lathe are you using and what are you turning for starting? I’ve got a small Rockler set that came with a lathe purchase that I keep meaning to post for sale, but they’d need new inserts so even “cheap” might not be a great deal compared to new.
Earl

[bpatters69]

Bill…what lathe are you using and what are you turning for starting?  I’ve got a small Rockler set that came with a lathe purchase that I keep meaning to post for sale, but they’d need new inserts so even “cheap” might not be a great deal compared to new.
Earl

I have the Delta Tabletop Lathe which I bought and I have hardly used. I have seen Mini Lath sets which I presume are for making pens? I am thinking I want to get a full sized set but I am not really sure. I am just starting off and I have no experience with turning. I imagine pens, salt and pepper shakers and other small items will be my first projects. Any suggestions for starting projects?

[Bill Holt]

Bill, welcome to the slippery slope.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I.  The Easy Wood tools were the only carbide tools when I started; that's what I have and I have no experience with any of the other brands.  Now I enjoy Doug Thompson's tools and the carbide play a "support role".

Ok, the original question answered.  My reason for responding is to offer some advice I wish someone had given me....FIND A WOOD TURNING CLUB.  It would have saved me several hundreds of dollars.  I bought tools I do not need.  I started out with the wrong sharpening system.  The club members are warm, genuinely interested it helping/teaching, and they gently push me to try new things.

There are members in our club that drive for a couple of hours to attend.

Google wood turning club, likely, there will be one in your area.

[greenacres2]

I have the Delta Tabletop Lathe which I bought and I have hardly used. I have seen Mini Lath sets which I presume are for making pens? I am thinking I want to get a full sized set but I am not really sure. I am just starting off and I have no experience with turning. I imagine pens, salt and pepper shakers and other small items will be my first projects. Any suggestions for starting projects?

Pens & bottle stoppers used little material, and gave me confidence that i could actually do something.  Downside--i got used to "doing" something, and did not get in the habit of turning practice sticks.  It feels like wasting wood, but putting a 1.5" square x 8-9" long maple stick on my lather to practice beads & coves is a great skill builder, and probably saves a lot of "good wood".  I'm better at doing practice sessions than i used to be but (confessing here) i'm not doing that lately!!

I did look at those Rockler carbides last night--have the mini set of "Ergonomic" chisels, and a full-sized round Ergonomic.  The mini set looks to be an okay size, they do make a shorter "pen turning" size--that would be way to small for my taste.  There's some good independent makers out there--NC Woodturning Tools is one i've worked well with--John makes a good bar and is a good guy.  Some of those makers can make you new tools for less than new "brand" tools can be bought as carbides.  

Good luck!!
earl

[Cian]

Ok, the original question answered.  My reason for responding is to offer some advice I wish someone had given me....FIND A WOOD TURNING CLUB.  It would have saved me several hundreds of dollars.  I bought tools I do not need.  I started out with the wrong sharpening system.  The club members are warm, genuinely interested it helping/teaching, and they gently push me to try new things.

Good advice. I really need to find one too.

[adamcherubini]

I think you should start the old fashioned way. Skip those tools and get a carbon steel gouge and a skew chisel that you can sharpen. Especially if you have a small, less powerful lathe. Google “robin wood” and see what is possible using traditional gear.

Correct me if I’m wrong; those carbide tools appear to be used in a scraping like manner like a metal lathe.

I don’t have one, but I think when I get back into turning, I’m going to buy an oval skew. And I’ll look long and hard for high carbon steel and not HSS.

[Arlin Eastman]

I think you should start the old fashioned way. Skip those tools and get a carbon steel gouge and a skew chisel that you can sharpen. Especially if you have a small, less powerful lathe. Google “robin wood” and see what is possible using traditional gear.

Correct me if I’m wrong; those carbide tools appear to be used in a scraping like manner like a metal lathe.

I don’t have one, but I think when I get back into turning, I’m going to buy an oval skew. And I’ll look long and hard for high carbon steel and not HSS.

Do not buy high carbon steel tools.  They do not last as long and if you do not know how to sharpen them they will be useless in a week.  Get a cheap set of M2 tools or like you asked use carbide to learn how to turn and once you do that go to a good set of M2 or the best of M4 which I wish I could afford.  Or again powdered metal.

Here are two sets for you to start with.

1.  https://www.pennstateind.com/store/LCHSS8.html      Cheap set with all that you need and cheap enough to learn how to sharpen them

2.  https://www.amazon.com/Woodturning-DW-3-...47&sr=8-10        Good set for small turnings of 6" or less anything more and you will need a larger set.

[iclark]

I think you should start the old fashioned way. Skip those tools and get a carbon steel gouge and a skew chisel that you can sharpen. Especially if you have a small, less powerful lathe. Google “robin wood” and see what is possible using traditional gear.

Correct me if I’m wrong; those carbide tools appear to be used in a scraping like manner like a metal lathe.

I don’t have one, but I think when I get back into turning, I’m going to buy an oval skew. And I’ll look long and hard for high carbon steel and not HSS.

Why would you want an oval skew?

It may be hard to find one that is high-carbon steel. I seem to recall that the miss-communication that lead to the oval skews happened after the transition to HSS by the major manufacturers.