"invest accordingly" says Bill Noble. I like that. Let us face it folks, we
are spending a lot of money to make $20.00 pens that work as well as the .20
ones at the office supply, $60.00 bowls that hold as much salad as the $3.00
ones from WalMart, and so on. Really we spend to produce our "art," pursue
our hobby or feed our addictions. Personally I feel that the $20.00+ pen and
the $60.00+ bowl are worth the cash because of the beauty of the wood and
the hand work in them but taste is taste. Not every one buys my stuff :-)
Figure what you can afford for your hobby or business of turning and go for
it. Some of the cost is comfort, i.e. what you are comfortable spending
given your budget and comfort level. I am one of the cheap types that
questions brand name over quality. If I can get a reasonable tool that needs
a few minutes polishing to bring it up to the standards of a more wxpensive
tool, hand me the polishing compund. I have a nice roughing gouge that came
to me with a Record tool set about eight years ago. When I need a new one in
a couple of years I can get a similar gouge for $60.00 or a set for $100.
Since I will make my own handle anyway, give me the set and for $40.00 I
have some more gouges and skews to play with. For me this works but for
someone else the $60.00 or higher price works better. The nice thing is, I
think we are both right. Plus we get the fun of trying to convince one
another that "only I am right." (fun if both are laughing)
--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS
http://aroundthewoods.com
http://roundopinions.blogspot.com
"William Noble" wrote in message
.. .
may I humbly disagree, please..... look at the amazing work done in the
early 1800s by folks like Francois Barot - this was before any form of
tool steel was invented. Look at the work from the elizebethan period -
carbon steel was at best a guessing game. You don't need super duper
tools to do good art (you do need super duper tools to do high precision
work with interchangable parts, but that's a different topic). A bad tool
will not prevent a skilled artist from making his art, and the best tool
in the world won't help an unskilled non-artist create art.
so, you bowls will not be any better if you use the world's best gouge
than if you use a sharp rock lashed to a stick.
However, you may find it more enjoyable to use a nice fancy tool than the
sharp rock lashed to a stick...... for most of us, this is a hobby after
all, not a profession. Invest accordingly.
"mike vore" wrote in message
news:wq2Gi.2658$282.138@trnddc01...
mac davis wrote:
...
Related question: How much better would/wood my bowls be if I used a
$150 bowl
gouge?
As with any woodworking tool, better tools are easier to work with and
will
allow you to do better work. You will be 'fighting' with a poor tool to
get
'so-so' work.
A good named brand $70-$100 bowl gouge made of HSS will have a good
profile,
be easy to sharpen, and hold the edge lots longer than a cheep tool-steel
one.
Keeping a sharp edge will allow you to work longer and make lots better
cuts
than a dull tool. And will last longer since you won't be grinding it
away as
often. Better cuts mean smoother finishes.
Going to the extreme $150 gouge is way overkill for a beginner. But it
may
keep it's sharp edge way longer.
In short, don't go Cheep or it will actually cost more in the long run.
--
Mike Vore
http://www.OhMyWoodness.com
http://www.OhMyWoodness.com/blog (new - update your Bookmarks)
--
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