Brad Vietje
Hey Brian,

All the responses I've seen are good ones, and have merit -- there are always more than one way to do things!

I would advise a middle ground: Instead of buying up lots of cool tools before you really know which you will use/need/like, if you want to invest carefully (and learn from the large number of us who didn't )you could purchase one or two high-quality tools that you will certainly need, and a sharpening system to start off with. You could also get a less expensive set to practice with, and to learn sharpening without grinding away a lot of expensive tool steel.

Summary: 4 Steps

1. Find an AAW Chapter
2. Start with just a few critical tools
3. Get or build a good sharpening system
4. Practice basic turning and sharpening -- your skills in both need to progress in unison.

American Association of Woodturners (AAW): The chorus is loud and clear that learning about sharpening, and finding a local AAW chapter are keys to your success. This is standard advise for any novice turner. You will probably learn more in a single 2 hour club meeting than 6 months of struggling to learn on your own. If you attend a turning club meeting, don't be afraid to speak up, and introduce yourself as someone who would like to learn all about woodturning. In my experience, most experienced turners would be very glad to advise or mentor you in your shop or theirs, and the experience is the single best way to learn to enjoy the sport with a smile and all fingers attached.

Tools: I'm with Carole; If I could have only 2 tools, they would be a 3/8" (flute) bowl gouge and a parting tool. With a fingernail grind and some practice, a bowl gouge can perform most of the tasks in wood turning. If you intend to start with spindle turning, a good quality 3/8" detail gouge will come in very useful for finer details. If you start with a basic set, beware of tools you will rarely, if ever, use. I got a cheap-o set on-line over 10 years ago for $12 plus shipping, so the tools cost me about $3 each. I used them to try out different grinds on my tools. Once I learned what shaped I liked, I re-ground the high-quality tools, and have mostly stuck with those grinds and sharpening methods. The unneeded tools were then turned into scrapers for different tasks. A basic set from Packard has tools you really will use (spindle roughing gouge, spindle gouge, parting tool, bowl gouge, and skew). Don't forget good safety glasses for spindle work, and a helmet with face shield for bowl work.

Sharpening: There are many ways to go. Find a mentor who's both a good turner and a good teacher (above) and do what they do, at least for now. A good quality 8" grinder will be useful for the rest of your life, so it's a good investment. Get at least one friable Aluminum Oxide wheel to replace the grey wheels that come with most machines. Avoid grinders with small diameter wheels -- they will result in grabby, fragile, and aggressive tools that are harder to use. You can look at the Wolverine jigs from Oneway and either buy one, or fabricate something yourself that does the same thing. A set of 3 diamond hones is around $15 or so, and you will eventually want a set to keep tools sharp and avoid so many trips to the grinder. Check out YouTube videos and you can see a number of shop-built jigs. I prefer and advise using jigs instead of free-hand sharpening. You might also find a few old salts at a club meeting that have a used lathe, chuck or tools for sale.

Practice: have fun and stay safe,

Brad Vietje
Newbury, VT