First post

David MCCLURG

Member
Messages
7
Been lurking for awhile joined today. Was reading reviews on a nova 1624-44. Looks like all good reviews so I called woodcraft and they have one in stock. Had them put my name on it and will pick it up tomorrow. As this is my first lathe, what do I need to bring home with me to get started turning. Have a 6 inche grinder but need a new wheel. What else? This is a great site. Sure I will learn a lot here. I lam planning on joining a club in Kansas City but I have a pretty bad hearing loss and thought I might try to find someone for some one on one help in this area. Thanks for any suggestions
 
Welcome to the forum.

I have a Nova DVR, so know they are a good vendor, but I am not familiar with that model.

Basic question... will you focus on spindles (wood between the head and tailstock) or on bowls (faceplate work).

If you are primarily interested in bowls, you can do 99% or more with a good bowl gouge (I started with 3/8" but wish I had gone for the half inch). But you probably want to invest in a chuck - an expert recommended the Oneway Talon (to go with the Teknatool lathe), which I bought and have always liked. My favorite tutorial is Bill Grumbine's "Turned bowls made easy" see http://wonderfulwood.com/videos/

If you will primarily be turning spindles, (or pens) other tools are more appropriate - I have a variety but am less expert on what to recommend. The skew chisel is probably the most versatile, but the hardest by far to learn to use - start with other tools until you have more experience.
 
Welcome to the Family, David! :wave:

Sorry I can't help you with the spinny stuff, though. I have a lathe, but 99.9% of my projects have been flat work.
 
Welcome aboard, David. :wave: The 1624-44 is a good lathe. I've not used one, but I know a lot of guys who like theirs a lot.

The "what else do I need" question is never fully answered...you'll find the lathe purchase is just the beginning of your fall into the vortex. (It's a fun fall, though.) Before you get too carried away buying accessories and gadgets, I'd recommend going to the club meeting and seeing if there are any guys with some spare time to give you a little mentoring. That can shorten your learning curve a lot, and save you quite a bit of money, too.

One thing I WILL recommend is a good sharpening jig to go with your new grinder wheel. Sharp tools are a must, and without them, turning is not very much fun at all. A jig makes it easier and faster to get the tools sharp, and you'll grind away less of the tool each time by using the gig. The Wolverine by Oneway is the most popular sharpening jig, and for good reason...it works well. A lot of folks have also made their own version of the Wolverine style sharpening jig. They also work, but if you have the funds, I'd recommend just going with the original.

You'll also need some gouges and scrapers and skews. A lot of us started out with the HSS set from Harbor Freight. They are not great tools, but for their price, they are a pretty good starter set. The next step up quality-wise would be something like the Benjamin's Best tools from Craft Supplies USA. (The Wood River tools from Woodcraft are comparable, but I think they're a bit more expensive.) They are somewhat better than the Harbor Freight tools. The next step up from there is getting into what I consider REAL turning tools, and at that point I'd recommend against buying set, and instead just buying the individual tools you need. (Experience will tell you which tools those will be for your needs.) There are several well-known and popular brands like Sorby and Crown, but for less money, you can have the best: Thompson Tools. (Personal opinion: Sorby and Crown tools are priced at about 2 to 3 times what they're really worth. They are good tools, but priced higher than great tools.)

And don't forget the safety gear. A face shield is a must. Not just goggles...full face coverage, in my opinion. At some point in your turning adventures you WILL get hit in the face with stuff, Better to have the shield on before that happens. You should also have some lung protection for when you're sanding...a respirator, a dust collector with a good lathe scoop, or minimally a good fan blowing the dust out your open shop door. ;)

Welcome to the Abyss!
 
Hi David and welcome to the family. Let me echo some of the good advise you have received and recommend a Wolverine sharpening system and Doug Thompson tools. You will need a face shield and dust mask for safety. You will need some kind of chuck with adjustable jaws....lots to choose from. I recommend a multi-tooth drive center for spindle turning which makes catches less severe. For lathe tools, I would start with a one inch spindle roughing gouge, a half inch spindle gouge and a half inch bowl gouge. Then I would go on line and look at home made lathe tools like the pyramid tool
http://www.davidreedsmith.com/articles/PyramidPointTool/PyramidPointTool.htm
and others. You can find lots.
Sanding: I would also travel to Harbor Freight with a 25% off coupon and get one of their variable speed angle drills to use with sanding pads--which you can get everywhere, but try
http://vinceswoodnwonders.com/
for a starter set.
After you get started (hooked) you will find no end of cool gadgets to spend your money on. Good luck with your new addiction:)
 
Welcome David. What about the Easy Wood turning tools, especially their new chuck? I ask because I do not consider myself a turner, besides I get all my turning advice from Larry Merlau.
 
Bill, the Easy Wood tools are a great addition to the set, and made by a great company, but personally I would feel limited if didn't have gouges and scrapers to go with them. One disadvantage to the carbide tools is the continued cost of replacement cutters. I use the Easy Wood tools, but save their use for times when they are the best choice for a particular cut.

That said, I know there are some turners - especially pen turners - who use Easy Wood tools exclusively and get good results.

I've not used one, but from what I've seen their chuck is innovative and well built. You do pay a premium price for the convenience of easy jaw changes. Personally, I use a cordless drill with a hex bit to remove and replace the jaws on my chucks, so it's pretty quick and painless anyway.
 
Welcome to the Family Bill! When I learn how to turn...I'll chime in with something!! Until then, looks like great advice!
 
Hold your money for now as there will be plenty need for it later. This hobby isn't called the vortex for nothing. If that KC club has a mentor program, get a mentor and spend time with other club members. You will gravitate to either spindle or bowl work which will tell you which tools to invest in first. I know my club has loaner tools and a bunch of members certainly have more tools than they need they might loan out.

If that Woodcraft has turning classes, definitely take them. That's where I started.

This hobby does have the potential to cause injury so please get yourself an impact-rated face shield...no goggles or safety glasses. The face shields sold at the local home store will work but they are not for the long term as they are not usually impact-rated. Classes and a mentor will definitely cover safety with you.

Welcome to woodturning.....welcome to the vortex.
 
Wow, thanks for all the great replies. Have read very good reviews in Thompson tools, and will be contacting them shortly. In the mean time I will need a couple of cheaper tools to get started with. Just like a kid at Christmas. I don't want to wait. Probably buy two wood river tools just to start practicing with and see how it goes. Pretty happy right now, son came over and helped me put a riser block that I have had for years on my delta 14 inch band saw.
 
Hi David,

Welcome to the Greatest Show On Earth---Family Woodworking. The "club" consists of a lot of wonderful people and a few Kooks like me.

When Vaughn McMillan or Ted Calver say something---REALLY PAY ATTENTION. I am sure more great names will follow and add their two-cents worth; pay attention, they want to help you!

I, also, like the Wolverine way of sharpening. However, mine is home made. Were I to do it again I would purchase the equipment. I went into the Wolverine method after spending a lot of money being sucked into the slow speed wet system. These systems do a good job of sharpening at a horrible cost in the time it takes to do the job (As my wife's brother would say, "That's one darn fools opinion.")

I have a Jet slow speed system and occasionally I use it. If it were gone, I would not miss it. However, after spending all of the money on the Slow Speed Wet system and being disappointed, I wasn't about to spend hard earned dollars on the Wolverine system until I was positive that was the way I wanted to go. If you wish I can send you pics of my "home brew" Wolverine. However, I would recommend purchasing the real thing.

I have, and started, with the HF $80.00 set. I learned to sharpen with them. I still use one of them occasionally. However, I was a very slow learner with turning. It was the Easy Wood turning tools that actually were able to get me started with decent turning. Then when I became less of a klutz I progressed back to typical turning tools. I am very glad I purchased the Easy Wood tools. They got me started. I seldom use them now. The initial "Real Sharp" sensation quickly goes away and the tools act more like a so-so scraper. I have 3 Easy Wood turning tools.

I am with Vaughn, Ted and others... My choice is Doug Thompson tools. I believe Doug sells only over the web. I think it is <Dougthompsontools.com>. That sounded tacky so I stopped and looked it up; the correct e-mail address is <thompsonlathetools.com>.

Back to HF's best turning tools. Their HSS tools sharpen well. They hold an edge, however nothing like Thompson tools. They do give you the opportunity to try sharpening to different angles, different shapes, different sharpening methods, etc. with a tool that is a definitely an acceptable tool. They are inexpensive for a decent turning tool. The set lets you find out which tools you will actually use so you don't waste money on more expensive tools that you find out you don't use. I think of the HF turning tools as a good, stick shift, hand crank windows, Chevy. Yes, a Lexus is nicer, quieter, more comfortable, automobile and it certainly is preferable. Think about it; if I am going from LA to NY, the Chevy will do a darn good job of it. However, I'd rather do it in the Lexus. I would rather turn with a Thompson tool than a HF tool. I don't have to have the Thompson to do the job.

Enjoy,
JimB

Welcome to the group and don't worry not everyone here is as gabby and opinionated as I am.
 
......
I am with Vaughn, Ted and others... My choice is Doug Thompson tools. I believe Doug sells only over the web. I think it is <Dougthompsontools.com>. That sounded tacky so I stopped and looked it up; the correct e-mail address is <thompsonlathetools.com>........

The URL - web address (no <>) - is www.thompsonlathetools.com
the email address is Doug Thompson <doug@thompsonlathetools.com>

But don't blame Jim. He is one of the few people on the forum older than me.
 
Welcome! Always glad to meet new members. The lathe you are getting is a great lathe. I had one for quite a while, but sold it to downsize a little, I have a very small shop. I miss the lathe, replaced it with the little Delta which is also a good one, but a lot smaller. As for tools, I started with a set from Harbor Freight. They were around $40 when I bought them. They had a couple sets, I bought their most expensive ones they had. I've used them for years and still do. They just need sharpening more often than some of the more expensive ones. I have also add better tools as I go along and learn. The cheaper one are good to learn on, you will learn what you like to use most and them you can upgrade the ones that you like best. The cheap one are also good to learn sharpening on.
 
Thanks again for the welcomes an all the help. Have my lathe home, now to get it put together. Also bought wolverine jig and vari grind. Only a 1/2 inch spindle gouge so I can mane some chips while I figure what to order from Thompson. Now to learn to use it all.
 
Welcome also from me. Welcome also to the turning vortex. First tool is not a bad choice, but will you use it for roughing? Roughing is the first operation. You need to get the unround piece of wood round. :) On the non-tool side, what are your plans for finding a mentor? Find a woodturning club near you. Need some help there? Let us know where you are, and we can help. Mentors jump start your learning curve, save you money, and keep you focused.
 
Carol yes i need a roughing tool before I can do much. Had a couple pieces of round ash and I played like I was making a tool handle. Tried to copy the handle on the tool I have. Had fun playing. Kansas City woodturners are have an auction Saturday so think I will attend. Hope to meet some turners and maybe pick up some tools. If not I will go back to woodcraft buy a roughing gouge.
 
Top