"Prometheus" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 03:57:04 GMT, "Maxprop"
wrote:


"Arch" wrote in message
...
Max, another forgiving tool for smoothing a spindle surface can be made
by removing the bevel and grinding a new one on the flute side of a
shallow 3/4" or larger gouge. Held upside down & flat on the rest and
pulled at an angle, the wings prevent rotation and 'slam-downs' while
the fixed tangent of curved gouge to curved wood helps control the chip
width and 'dig-ins'. Find the sweet-angle and it works quite well. If
you have an unused old carbon steel gouge you may want to try it.

An interesting idea. As a relative newcomer to turning, I don't have
anything that's old. But I'm replacing my first, inexpensive tools with
better ones as finances allow.

FWIW, while I was waiting for my nicer turning tools to arrive when I
got my first lathe, I picked up a set of carbon steel turning tools
from Menard's for about $15. For that price, you could consider them
"unused old" tools right out of the package, and play with the profile
all you like. It's the special alloys and tool steels that cost a lot
of money- but the carbon steel ones have thier place as well (They
take an edge like nothing else, it just doesn't stay keen as long, and
is prone to rusting)

While I have invested in a rather nice 1/2" bowl gouge that now has a David
Ellsworth profile, plus a couple of other *quality* tools, my first tools
were a Harbor Freight set of HSS tools. Amazingly they aren't all that bad,
but I doubt if the steel is M2. They hold an edge reasonably well, and I
don't worry about ruining them while trying different grinds on the
Wolverine jig. In fact, I've taken my 3/4" skew and put a Lacer-type gentle
radius on it. That certainly made it more user-friendly--I have yet to get
a catch with it after altering the edge profile.

I also want to report that since implementing some of the suggestions made
by those who responded to my original plea for help, I'm now enjoying my
skews tremendously, having almost no catches, and definitely getting better
results.

Thanks to everyone who contributed.

Max