Musings About Tool Purchases

by Dinyar Chavda, Ellis Walentine, Andy in Raleigh, Russ Fairfield, Mike Schwing,and Mark Kauder

Dinyar Chavda:There are always posts regarding what turning tools to buy, what lathe to buy, what chuck is best, etc. Most of these are from relatively new tuners, an indication of the explosive growth of the craft in recent years (credit the retiring baby-boomers for that), and one question that often comes up is whether the person should "splurge now and buy the best they can afford", or start small, see if they enjoy it, and then move up.

A lot of good advice has been given on this rather difficult issue, and I have gone through most of the posts at least 3 times (at my age, one of the pleasures of life is that you forget things, and so you get to enjoy the same thing for the "first time" again and again–I really had to stretch for that silver lining for the loss of memory experienced by every baby boomer!) A similar question was debated a few years ago on rcw, and recently, I came across my response, which Fred Holder was kind enough to publish in his newsletter. On re-reading it, I found that a lot of the comments I made then also apply now, and so I thought I'd share it with you. If you read it before, you can skip it, unless you are also an aging baby-boomer :-). If you haven't read it before, you might come to the end of this posting and decide you were better off before! But, here is what I wrote a few years ago, with very minor revisions:

The question is whether one should recommend to newbies (and also those who have been turning for a while and wish to expand their arsenal of tools) that they buy tools that are not the best, in fact, might be downright inferior, or whether they should spring for the best they can afford. The answer, as is the case for most of the interesting questions in life, is "Yes" and "Yes". Yes, they should buy inferior tools (I do not mean unsafe) if it is all that they can afford, because if they didn't, they would miss out on the opportunity of finding out whether they like the craft enough to progress further (and spend more money–or make more tools themselves with all the guidance they can get from the Internet). On the other hand, they should buy the best they can afford, because, if they bought inferior tools, they might get frustrated with them, or might not be able to do the things that they can with better tools and equipment. (Actually, an interesting aside is that, ironically, for the sake of your mental equanimity, you should buy better tools for a chore that you don't want to do, than for a hobby that you love doing–think of that one for a second).

So which is it? I could argue either case (probably due to my Jesuit training), but, my answer, based on my personal experience, is a resounding "Yes". Clarification: The purpose of a good Jesuit training is to come up with answers that mystify at first blush, and hope that by the time you get to the end, the listener/reader will have forgotten his confusion, and you don't have to explain what you said! :-)

I started turning because of SWMBO (there's a statement subject to a multitude of interpretations!) For some reason she wanted me to take the adult education night course in woodworking at the local high school. Why, I still don't know, given that I had exhibited absolutely no aptitude for doing anything remotely like it. In fact, I have the hands of a klutz! Couple that with impatience, and you have someone who should not be doing any craft that requires manual dexterity and a willingness to take one's time to do it right. My memories of woodworking were from school in India, where we traced designs onto a piece of plywood, and then tried to cut it with a hand-held fret saw (emphasis on "tried"). Given my natural inclination, I would push too hard, break the blade, and so spent much more time changing blades than in actually cutting! Speed, speed, speed–that's what's important (was my attitude). It is the same trait that makes me a failure as a cook. If a recipe calls for baking for 30 minutes at 250 degrees, I always think that you should be able to get the same result in 15 minutes at 500! After all, the heat content is about the same. I know it doesn't work that way, but there is always a part of me that says "Maybe this time." It's the same reason that I quit Chemistry as a major in college. Every time there was an explosion in the lab, the other students and the teachers would look at each other, shake their heads, and say "Chavda" (in India, we followed the British custom of referring to one another by our last names). So, I quit Chemistry, and became an accountant–no one objects to an accountant that wants to add up numbers in a hurry! I switched from that profession to marketing when I came to the States, but that's another story!

Anyway, to get back to night school–I prevaricated for several semesters, on the grounds that I traveled a lot as a consultant, and would often be out of town when the class was held. Eventually, SWMBO reminded me that there was a reason for her title, and that it was a real title, and not an honorary one! So I signed up. And I loved it! There were these machines, and they could do things fast! Seriously, though, I had an enthusiastic teacher, a variety of equipment to learn about and to use, and a whole new set of skills to pick up. It was wonderful. Oh, and by the way, all my business clients were informed that for the 20 weeks of class, I had to be in Philly on Tuesday evenings–no exceptions.

Well, initially I used all the equipment that was there, making various things for the house and the garden using primarily the table saw, the bandsaw, planers, drills, etc. But slowly, and for no real reason, I gravitated to the lathe. I was "playing" on the lathe, initially with no specific end-result in mind.

I would laminate pieces of pine shelving together to make large enough blocks (I did not know about turning green wood), and turned them into bowls and vases. The lathes that we had were the most unstable things created–in retrospect, they were truly meant for light spindle turning. If the wood was even slightly out of round, the whole thing would start walking across the room. In fact, one often had to recruit the assistance of a fellow-student to hold down the lathe while you initially turned the wood–sort of a human sandbag!

Furthermore, I found out (later) that I was trying to turn bowls and hollow vessels using spindle-turning tools–--the kinds of sets that you see on eBay, made from carbon steel, shaped wrong in many cases, and SMALL! So I was using the wrong equipment on a lousy lathe, and it cost me all of about $40 a semester. And it was great! I was having the time of my life. I was doing things that I never thought I could do–heck, I hadn't even conceived of the possibility of doing them, and, over time, I was doing a fairly decent job of them!

So, that's where my emotional "Yes, use whatever you can afford to try it and see if you like it" comes from. It is just as possible that I might have been turned off by the frustration of using inferior equipment, but I think that turning is insidious–for some of us there is something about it that gets into your system, and if that happens, you're going to stick with it no matter what. Nowadays, when my friends want me to show them how to turn, I warn them of the danger of getting hooked. Well, now for the flip side of the argument, i.e., the reason to buy the best tools you can afford (but I'll add a caveat).

I went to that night school for several years, as our house does not have a basement, so there was no place to put the lathe. Then, as a birthday present, SWMBO sent me for a long weekend class with David Ellsworth. The funny part is that I had no idea who he was. He was recommended by another turner whose work we had bought, and he said David was a great turner and a wonderful teacher. So I went to Quakertown. Where I learned that I had been turning bowls and hollow vessels using spindle-turning tools (and no, I was not doing end-grain hollowing!) When David pulled out the standard bowl gouge and his swept-back gouge (he hadn't named it his "Signature gouge" yet), I was impressed–this was a big piece of steel! Lesson #1–stand further away from the lathe than I was used to, if I wanted to avoid gouging the wood inadvertently! Talk about a steep learning curve. And then when it came to hollowing using his tools and riding the lathe–that's when I realized why the tools I had previously used to hollow kept on being knocked out of my hand.

As an aside, just to show the diversity in the class, there I was at the bottom in terms of ability, knowledge, etc. (heck, I did not even own a lathe!), and also present in the class was Trent Bosch!

Well, to make a long story short (Hah!), I realized after the next night school semester that I had to get my own lathe. So I discussed it with David, and ended up getting a Woodfast, plus several tools that he recommended. And, of course, I started to produce objects that I hadn't even imagined before.

So, is there a benefit to recommending that newbies buy good equipment–absolutely, if they can afford it. If not, go with whatever you can, even if you have to do what I did, which, in effect, was to borrow it!

Now for the caveat that I had mentioned re buying the best equipment. When I had discussed buying the lathe with David, he had mentioned that I would have to level the lathe, and described how to do so by using a bolt on the leg that wasn't quite in contact with the ground. Well, somehow that got translated in my mind to having to make the lathe horizontal, while what he meant was to make sure that all four feet were in contact with the floor. So I made it "level" based on my definition, and, no matter what I did, that lathe would shake at the slightest provocation. I tried everything–added a wider base at one end, weighted it down with sand, got a center-steady. And made sure that it was horizontal on both axes! I was seriously thinking of somehow bracing it to the wall, when a turner at the club I had joined asked me if I had tried to shim it. And then he said the magic words "You know, it does not have to be horizontal!" Light-bulb time! I did what he had suggested, and the lathe has worked like a dream ever since. My point (yes, there is one) is that you can have the best tools, but that is no guarantee that you will not mess it up royally! Would I buy a different one today? Yes, but it does the job, and the shortcomings in the results are due to me, and not the lathe.

I consider myself very fortunate to have been "forced" to turn. Whether using the right tools or the wrong tools, it is hard to describe the satisfaction and joy that I derive every time I take a log and transform it into something else–all of you know what I am talking about, and then, when other people admire your work–well, that is just the icing on the cake.

A couple of years ago, I started to donate my pieces to the local library for them to sell. The library system in my township is a wonderful example of how government works! The township pays for the building, the utilities, the salaries of the library staff, the ground-keeping costs, etc. In fact, although budgets have been slashed drastically this year, it pays for everything. Except for the books (and CDs and movies). Those have to be obtained through community donations. So, in effect, the way the government thinks is that they'll give you everything you need for a library…except for the key reason why people go there in the first place–for that, you are on your own, buddy. As a result, the library has to conduct donation drives. Well, a few years ago, I started to give my work to the library, and it was a win-win-win situation: they got the proceeds, I got a tax deduction, and, hopefully, someone got to enjoy my work. It was great when my first few pieces sold! It wasn't a lot of money, but it was still fabulous. What was just as wonderful was going to the library one day, and seeing some of my pieces, and next to them was a sign the librarian had put up which said something about "Made by a local woodturner and artist". Now I make no pretensions about being an artist. Someday, I hope to be a good craftsman, but, even so, that sign used a term to describe me that I had never ever associated with myself.

This year, there was a craft show at the library where I took a table, and it was great to have people come up and say something like, "You know, I bought one of your pieces as a wedding present for my cousin, but after I took it home, I liked it so much that I could not part with it, and so I kept it!" So, yes one should buy the "best" tools that one can afford. And yes, we can borrow everything like I did initially, or buy the starter sets and a starter lathe!

But finally, the most important thing is not which tools to buy, but to use them, to enjoy what you can do with them, and, to get help in using them, either in person through classes and demonstrations, through videos (that you can borrow from clubs or rent from stores if you have to), or through the Internet. Just do it---get yourself some free wood, and make something out of it! I remember a few years ago, going to an extremely well-known craft store that carries a lot of wood turnings, and being accosted by one of the salespeople. We got talking, and I mentioned that I was a turner in my spare time. She said that she, too, was studying turning, and had been for several months. I asked her what kinds of turnings she did. It was then that she reiterated that she was studying turning, and clarified that it was from books, and that she had never touched a lathe yet, but hoped to do so sometime soon! The best tools in the world cannot equal the willingness to try things despite the knowledge that you are almost certainly going to fail. The joy lies in learning, and in progress, and in the final success, no matter how small it may be.

Ellis Walentine: I think I heard you say any tools are good, good tools are better, and no tools will do you any good if you don't use them. What a lovely and thoughtful story

Andy in Raleigh: I have only been turning a few months, so the "grain of salt" applies... I have an import midi class no name ("Rand") lathe, 3 mini HSS tools from HF, a Craftsman HSS 1" full size skew and a set of 8 carbon steel ful size chisels. My total outlay, including shipping and tax as applicable, is about $140 (the lathe and all tools were brand new, BTW). Add in the book and a clip on work light and I am at about $150. I learned what I have so far by reading, watching videos (free checkout from my ww'ing club), reading here and club presentations. I have been doing mostly spindle work; dowels for other projects mostly, some tops, mallets and kitchen tools and a few small vessels. Like Dinyar described his early days, I am really enjoying this.

I don't think this is an adequate set up for the long term, but I certainly don't regret having made the purchases (except maybe the carbon steel set, and that is just a maybe because now I do have tools that I would be willing to sacrifice to grind/beat/bend for special purpose use). Had I not decided to try it on the cheap, I would not have tried it at all. Now I lust after a bigger better lathe and I am pretty sure what I want in one, can be patient because I have something now and continue to learn and grow as a turner while I wait.

Russ Fairfield: I wrote this several years ago as an answer to the question, "Which should be the first lathe that I purchase??" The answer was written as humor, but there is a lot of truth therein. I recommend the Oneway 2036 as the minimum basic lathe for the beginner. Here is my logic. As a beginner who wants to "test the water", so to speak, then you should do that "testing" with a lathe that will not discourage you from woodturning. The frustrations from using a bad machine can easily discourage you from being a woodturner altogether.

In the event that you don't like woodturning, you will find that the Oneway has a very high resale value. In fact, the loss when you sell the used Oneway will be less than the cost of the Jet or similar lathe which will have little to no resale value.

Should you become addicted to woodturning and continue with this art/craft, then you will already have a lathe that will allow your woodturning skills to grow. If you had purchased anything less, I will guarantee that you will be upgrading to another lathe, or wishing you could, in less than 2-years. However, if you were to purchase the Oneway now, you will never have to buy another lathe, ever.

The same is true for those first turning tools. If you purchase the best now, and continue with woodturning; you will not have to replace them because they are inadequate. If you had purchased that Harbor Freight, Sears, or whoever's set of cheap tools, I guarantee that you will be looking at Sorby, Taylor, Crown, or Glaser turning tools in less than a year. Should you choose not to continue with woodturning, and had purchased the cheap tools, you will be throwing them away because nobody else wants them either. However, if you had purchased the quality tools, they will have a resale value. I recently saw well used Glaser gouges selling at a woodturning vlub auction for almost 75% of their new value. Now the only problem is convincing your wife of the economics that it is less expensive to start out with the best, even if you were to quit woodturning after a year.

I don't want to start an argument over which high-end lathe should be recommended. At the time this was written the Oneway-2036 was new on the market and the only high-end lathe readily available, and the 2436 wasn't in production yet. Today there are more options, but the logic should still be valid because the Oneway lathes are still holding their resale value better than any other.

Mike Schwing: I can relate a little bit of what its like to be a new turner. First - I'm a textbook learner. Like that friend of yours, I read, read, read, read, and then give it a try. I find it immensely rewarding to encounter an issue and have a little tick in my brain that says "hey, I read about this! Or, hmm..what book was that in?" It saves me countless hours of frustration, and gives me experience where I have none.

About 6 months ago my new lathe followed me home. I'll leave the make/model out as its not important. I've been fortunate enough to buy very good equipment right from the start for most of my hobbies, and the machine I bought is a very good mid range machine. I should have bought the OneWay, as I know many of the things I already have a desire to put in my skill-set will be more satisfying and productive with a higher end machine. I did not go about buying my lathe with the same exacting criteria that I have bought other machines. I NEEDED a lathe now to finish an important table I was building. However, it has surely tantalized my interest and I have managed to crank out a few beautiful things, and learn tons and tons and will serve me well for long into the future.

As for newbies and tools - the lathe came with a starter set. They were WONDERFUL, but I knew no better. They in retrospect caused me much frustration, but I also suspect that I learned better technique trying to use these tools effectively. Over the past few months I've bought better, larger, heavier, higher quality tools as the need arises. Each time I try one of them for the first time I'm overwhelmed at the improvement. My work shows great improvement, and you could very likely separate the items I've turned with which toolset simply by eyeballing them. Has my skills-et improved or is it the tool? Probably both. If I had to start over? I'd sure wish I had these nicer tools. One thing more - the OneWay would have required a discussion with the bride, as it was over our "discretionary" spending limit. The one I bought did not. Its likely if I'd still be hanging out exclusively on the Hand Tool board if I was holding out for the OneWay.

Mark Kauder: As a member (and current president) of the local woodturning club, I am often asked by new turners much the same questions about what to buy. In fact, I got a call from a local guy with no prior woodworking experience, that had recently retired and whose wife insisted that he take up a hobby. He decided on woodturning. He proceeded to drive up to Atlanta, found Highland Hardware, and bought a Jet Mini and Stand. Now he wants to know what else to buy, and how to turn. He spent 2 hours in my shop with me last night, and we talked about what he wants to do and what tools to buy to get started.

My response is always, get the best that you can afford. Years ago (not that many really), I was a member of the US Army International Rifle Shooting Team, and a Member of the U.S. National Rifle Team (Olympic Sports). As some sort of "Expert" I was constantly asked these same questions by new shooters or parents of new shooters, and the answer was the same there. Buy the best you can afford. For the same reason that Russ explained. If you buy junk, it can remove much of the fun out of the doing. Even if you do your best, the result may be less than satisfactory. It leads to blaming the tools. Secondly, when you decide that it is not for you, or you decide to move up, it is far easier to sell good used equipment, than Junk. That said, if you already have equipment, make the best of it, realize it's limitations, and have fun within those constraints.

I have aspirations to a big lathe. However, I have two children that we are putting through the best private school in the area, and my daughter was just accepted into Virginia Tech for Aerospace Engineering ($23K a year) for next year (stealth gloat). As such, I may have to live with the Jet Mini for a while. A such, I will continue to make the most of it, and enjoy it as I can. Have fun, that is what hobbies and crafts are supposed to be about.