Turning Chisel Opinions/experience

Re: Old Files......

Russ Fairfield

>"Old files" are two (2) words gets my attention real quick. Use them at your own risk. It isn't "if" it will break, it is "when".

Old Files are a readily available source of a hardened steel, there have been a lot of articles published that describe using them, and every gathering of woodturners has at least one "expert" on the subject who claims he has used them for years. This doesn't make them a safe woodturning tool.

In it's normal condition, a file is too brittle to be used for anything other than its intended use. Doing so is cause for immediate dismissal in some shops, and reason for a written warning in most others. Anyone who has seen a file shatter when it is dropped on a concrete floor will become a believer that it is not a turning tool.

Yes, we can anneal, harden, and temper them just as we would another piece of high carbon steel. But, the difference is that every groove in the surface of the file is a stress concentration where a crack into the steel is waiting to start. Many of these files may already have hairline cracks that have started to migrate into the steel. We can grind the surfaces, and we can do all sorts of heat treatment to temper the steel to a useable hardness, but it is impossible to remove a hairline crack, and there is nothing we can do to glue the steel back together again. We cannot see a hairline crack, and it only takes one (1) to make it a dangerous tool.

not that we ever need a second opinion for Russ

steve antonucci

>but I did this once- and it's not pretty. No harm to me, but I did need a change of shorts.

Send your old files to Boggs Tool Proceesing- where they will become new files for about $2 each.

Steve

Re: Turning Chisel Opinions/experience

Bart Rhoads

>Any of the good name brand tools are good. Make sure they are HSS (high speed steel). Taylor, Sorby, Crown etc. You can go up the ladder from there into the more pricey tools with the M4 steel and the PM (powdered metal steel) but they are not neccessary for good turnings.

Re: Turning Chisel Opinions/experience

David

>I'm new to this, but I picked up a set of five Sorby tools that I think are quite nice. They hold an edge pretty well, and are comfortable.

Re: Old Files......

John Lucas

>Russ I'll agree with you 100 percent. We will always get that question. I just got Ray Allens new book on segmented turning and he has photos of all the different tools he made from files. I'll have to go back and look for sure but I don't remember reading one single word about annealing them.

Almost ever time I do a demo someone from the audience askes about using files because that's how they were taught.

Re: Old Files......

Leo Van Der Loo

>There was a time when the wood turning tools that are available now did not exist, I have used and still use some files as turning tools, have never had a file break but the tip of a very small square file, having said that, If you don't know what you're doing, any tool can be a danger to use.

Using a skew or spindle gouge inside a bowl or in the wrong way can be lethal.

So get the right tool for the job and use it the right way is the answer.

Depending on what you want to do you can buy all kinds of needed and unneeded tools.

To turn bowls, get some bowl gouges, scraper and maybe a hollowing tool and a sharpening setup, to be able to keep them sharp.

For spindle turning, spindle gauges a skew and cutoff tool or two. and yes a grinder and jig would be handy to sharpen them.

As for names, most tool makers do not make their own steel but buy from specialty steel makers, Oneway,Robert Sorby,P&N, HenryTailor,Kelton, etc. are known makers of good quality tools, it's up to you to decide what type and price.

Have fun and take care

Leo V

Re: Turning Chisel Opinions/experience

Mark Kauder, Phenix City, AL

>George,

Take a look at the P&N tools offered by Lee Valley and a few others. They are, in my opinion, equal to the basic Sorby, etc gouges. I have many Sorbys, some Packard house brands, Hamlet, etc, but in that price range, I prefer the P&N now. Their roughing gouge is a robust as any around. The only down side of P&N is that they are only offered un-handled, but you can turn your own.

Now, when you get ready to by expensive ($100 plus bowl gouges), that is different, serious question.

Mark

Mark

Broke one yesterday by steping on it

Bill Howatt

>

lucky for not stepping on the scary sharp skew??

Leo Van Der Loo

>

Enlightening - I will bear this in mind! 

Georg Waldhof

>

Re: Turning Chisel Opinions/experience

Chris Wenger-Port Townsend

>Here here!!! on the P & N tools! very satisfied with the bowl gouge blanks........and isnt the process of adding a handle a great way to personalize the tools. Price was right too unlike some of the "unobtainium" tools on the market.

Chris