Buying lathe tools

Ok so I have been looking back in the threads here and on line for turning tools.
The question is where is the best place to get them from? Some times a buck or two cheaper is not always the best deal.So lets hear it where did you guys buy from and was the perches smooth? Or a nightmare?
Would you buy from them again?
Chuck

Chuck, I've had nothing but great service from >> Craft Supplies USA <<

They have a ton of products and their service is great.

Otherwise, I've always liked Lee Valley.

Cheers!

I've gotten good deals on Sorby tools from The Best Things and great service too. http://www.thebestthings.com/

From a woodturner who makes his own tools.

http://thompsonlathetools.com/

You do have to make your own handle for these. But you won`t get a better steel grade anywhere else. He also makes these in his home shop. So at times he gets sold out.

http://www.woodturnersresource.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1205163539

I'll expand on Chuck's question and ask the experienced turners here - "What turning tools should a turner have?"

I'm an occasional turner who turns mostly for furniture (spindle turning) and a few bowls and boxes (not hollow forms).

I have the following:
1" roughing gouge
1" skew
1" round nose scraper
5/8" bowl gouge
1/2" spindle gouge
Parting tool

I manage to get everything done that I want to do but are there any other tools I would find useful?

Mike

Chuck...

I'm not a master turner by any stretch so I feel a little tentative jumping in here, but as they say "I'll bet you're gonna tell me anyway aren't-cha?" I've gotten pulled in by the powder metallurgy steels...Packard sells them as ASP 2030 and ASP 2060...they're made by Hamlet Craft Tools in England and private labeled for Packard. Crown Tools also has a few tools in their line made from a similar processed steel...they call them Crown Pro-PM. What intrigued me about this steel was the claims about edge-holding ability...these claims seem to be backed up by independent sources. Anyway, I've discovered that if I want to turn I'd better keep my grinder nearby and all suited up with its turning tool jigs...sharpening is an undeniable fact of turning life. So I thought maybe if I spend some extra bucks per tool (they are definitely pricey) I wouldn't be standing in front of the grinder so often keeping them sharp. That's been my motivation, and we now come to the end of my usefulness on this thread because I don't have years of experience with hss turning tools to be able to offer a comparison. I can say that I've been happy with these, but maybe I'd have been just as happy with a tool fashioned from the tine of a garden rake. I think they're worth a look...at least you can say yeah I looked at those and they're not for me.

As far as vendor support, I think both Packard (The Woodturners Source) and Craft Supplies offer excellent service. I'd probably give the nod to Packard, but then we're both on the same coast. If you're going to stick with hss then Lee Valley also has excellent service as well as The Best Things.

Cheers

Chuck, in order of my preference:

Thompson Lathe Tools - http://www.thompsonlathetools.com/ - I've not had any gouges that held an edge like these. Powdered metal, cryogenically treated. And the price is very reasonable compared to other tools made of similar metals.

Craft Supplies USA - http://woodturnerscatalog.com/ - CSUSA gets a slight nod from me over Packard simply because they are closer to the West Coast so shipping is a bit faster and less expensive.

Packard Woodworks - http://packardwoodworks.com/ - No bad experiences with these folks at all, but they are on the other side of the country from me.

The Thompson stuff is unique and only available from him. For other tools, I check both CSUSA and Packard to see if there's a significant price difference between the two.

While I've gotten a couple "sets" from online places, most of my good ones have been gotten at Woodcraft. I have little enough experience in wood turning that holding a tool in my hand before I lay money down is still important to me. Most of mine are Crown with a few Sorby's. It may be my inexperience, but I really can't tell the difference in their use.

That being said, I've found it useful on some occassions to make a custom tool for a special purpose, so I've picked up and made use of several cheap carbon steel sets for modification. Also, cheap HSS sets from HF etc make decent tools for modifying to a specific shape for one or another purpose.

Hello Chuck,
I am new at turning also, I took the advice that Jerry suggested and got a 7 piece set at HF for around $15. I am happy with this set for now, I think as I get better I will upgrade. I had to put a new edge on this set but they work fine.

Brad Hungler said:

Hello Chuck,
I am new at turning also, I took the advice that Jerry suggested and got a 7 piece set at HF for around $15. I am happy with this set for now, I think as I get better I will upgrade. I had to put a new edge on this set but they work fine.

Click to expand...

The HF, and other El Cheapo, tools can be alright, especially considering the price. Steels vary. So some will be as fine as the expensive stuff. And some might be agonizingly soft. But, on caveat. Do check the tang length. Some imports have very-very short tangs which provide virtually no strength when turning. Pull one and check. If it is only 1" long, pitch the whole works. If they are 3-4" long, they are OK.

The old standard is Buck Bros. I have always turned with them, Been around for a long time and they are comfortable to hold and the price is not bad. I think you can suffer about $80 or so for a complete set. Good Steel HSS holds an edge very well.

In college that is what we had, In my high school as well, and in the schools where I taught, that is what we had/have. I have an assortment of them as well as the "El Cheapo" and some Taylors and Sorbys but I grab the Buck Bros as a rule. Cheap guys are great for special grinds to make odd cuts. I get them at yard sales and fleamarkets sometimes. I hve one ground to a dovetail that fits my chuck, handy for sockets and spiggots w/o measuring. Another with a deep side bevel for inside edge of boxes (under the lip), one with a "hook" for captured rings, etc. Last count was over 40 but I use 6 regularly... One can never have too many

My old skew is a Buck Bros. On the tang is says "cast steel", whatever that means. My new skew is a Taylor HSS. Now that I've use the new one for a while, I have to say that it's edge holding capabilities are only slightly better than the Buck. A bit of a disappointment, I must say. I think my next tool will be a large scraper made with hard powder steel and cryo treatment. But, my budget is saying that will be a while. Big chuck next toy.

I was watching some Sorbys on ebay but the fools bidding on them where to dumb to look up what they cost new and ran the price up over what woodworkers has them priced at. The seller had them starting around 10 bucks less than packard has them listed for.