I have three sets of full size (not for pen turning) turning tools. I don't know their history as I got each set from descendants of the original owners. I am trying to identify whether they have good steel and are worth keeping for my future turning aspirations. In the future, I expect to turn some furniture parts, a few bowls, but turning will not be the main part of my woodworking efforts.

I think the sets are pre-1980s and probably pre-1970s or even 1960s. They are described as follows:

Set1 (9 tools) - These have a label on the handle that says "Craftsman" (ala Sears) and that label could be a decal. It is well attached. The handles are wood and stained red. The steel is dull and looks, to the uneducated eye, as the same as I see on old, quality chisels. No markings on the steel.

Set2 (8tools) - These have a blue paper label on natural wood handles that says "Marples Made in Sheffield England". The steel is bright and some are marked (surface printed) with both imperial and metric sizes.

Set3 (8 tools) - These have the brand stamped into both the steel and handle, which is natural wood. The lettering says "Disston USA" with a keystone logo. The letters and logo in the handle are colored red. The steel is bright.

These all have some light surface rust, which should clean up fine, however the rust on the Craftsman tools gives me more a feeling of quality steel (gut feeling, not sure why).

Are there ways that I can evaluate these sets to determine if they have good steel and are worth keeping and using? Any insight you can provide is much appreciated.

Thanks,

Bill Leonhardt

PS: Also cross posting to alt.craftes.woodturning

On 12/03/2016 4:25 PM, Bill Leonhardt wrote:
I have three sets of full size (not for pen turning) turning tools. I don't know their history as I got each set from descendants of the original owners. I am trying to identify whether they have good steel and are worth keeping for my future turning aspirations. In the future, I expect to turn some furniture parts, a few bowls, but turning will not be the main part of my woodworking efforts.

I think the sets are pre-1980s and probably pre-1970s or even 1960s. They are described as follows:

Set1 (9 tools) - These have a label on the handle that says "Craftsman" (ala Sears) and that label could be a decal. It is well attached. The handles are wood and stained red. The steel is dull and looks, to the uneducated eye, as the same as I see on old, quality chisels. No markings on the steel.

Set2 (8tools) - These have a blue paper label on natural wood handles that says "Marples Made in Sheffield England". The steel is bright and some are marked (surface printed) with both imperial and metric sizes.

Set3 (8 tools) - These have the brand stamped into both the steel and handle, which is natural wood. The lettering says "Disston USA" with a keystone logo. The letters and logo in the handle are colored red. The steel is bright.

These all have some light surface rust, which should clean up fine, however the rust on the Craftsman tools gives me more a feeling of quality steel (gut feeling, not sure why).

Are there ways that I can evaluate these sets to determine if they have good steel and are worth keeping and using? Any insight you can provide is much appreciated.

Thanks,

Bill Leonhardt

PS: Also cross posting to alt.craftes.woodturning

Almost certainly carbon steel. I've explained more in r.c.woodturning.

On 3/12/2016 5:25 PM, Bill Leonhardt wrote:
I have three sets of full size (not for pen turning) turning tools.
I don't know their history as I got each set from descendants of the
original owners. I am trying to identify whether they have good
steel and are worth keeping for my future turning aspirations. In
the future, I expect to turn some furniture parts, a few bowls, but
turning will not be the main part of my woodworking efforts.

I think the sets are pre-1980s and probably pre-1970s or even 1960s.
They are described as follows:

Set1 (9 tools) - These have a label on the handle that says
"Craftsman" (ala Sears) and that label could be a decal. It is well
attached. The handles are wood and stained red. The steel is dull
and looks, to the uneducated eye, as the same as I see on old,
quality chisels. No markings on the steel.

Set2 (8tools) - These have a blue paper label on natural wood handles
that says "Marples Made in Sheffield England". The steel is bright
and some are marked (surface printed) with both imperial and metric
sizes.

Set3 (8 tools) - These have the brand stamped into both the steel and
handle, which is natural wood. The lettering says "Disston USA" with
a keystone logo. The letters and logo in the handle are colored red.
The steel is bright.

These all have some light surface rust, which should clean up fine,
however the rust on the Craftsman tools gives me more a feeling of
quality steel (gut feeling, not sure why).

Are there ways that I can evaluate these sets to determine if they
have good steel and are worth keeping and using? Any insight you can
provide is much appreciated.

Thanks,

Bill Leonhardt

PS: Also cross posting to alt.craftes.woodturning


An alternative is to spend a couple hundred dollars and get a set of 3~4
carbide tools. Learning curve, almost zero. They stay sharp for a very
long time and the cutting tips are replaceable. No sharpening on your part.

On 3/12/2016 5:25 PM, Bill Leonhardt wrote:
I have three sets of full size (not for pen turning) turning tools.
I don't know their history as I got each set from descendants of the
original owners. I am trying to identify whether they have good
steel and are worth keeping for my future turning aspirations. In
the future, I expect to turn some furniture parts, a few bowls, but
turning will not be the main part of my woodworking efforts.

I think the sets are pre-1980s and probably pre-1970s or even 1960s.
They are described as follows:

[snip]

Makes little to no difference, Bill. A chisel of carbon steel 3/4" wide
and sharpened at the proper bevel will work just as well for you as a
piece of properly sharpened carbide of similar dimensions. It just
won't do so as along, requiring you to take a break and sharpen it. At
the most basic level that is the sole difference in turning tools.

Not unlike the question of which camera takes the best photographs? Top
of the line Nikon or the comparable Canon model? The answer lies in who
is the best photographer.g

In article om,
says...

On 3/12/2016 5:25 PM, Bill Leonhardt wrote:
I have three sets of full size (not for pen turning) turning tools.
I don't know their history as I got each set from descendants of the
original owners. I am trying to identify whether they have good
steel and are worth keeping for my future turning aspirations. In
the future, I expect to turn some furniture parts, a few bowls, but
turning will not be the main part of my woodworking efforts.

I think the sets are pre-1980s and probably pre-1970s or even 1960s.
They are described as follows:

[snip]

Makes little to no difference, Bill. A chisel of carbon steel 3/4" wide
and sharpened at the proper bevel will work just as well for you as a
piece of properly sharpened carbide of similar dimensions. It just
won't do so as along, requiring you to take a break and sharpen it. At
the most basic level that is the sole difference in turning tools.

Not unlike the question of which camera takes the best photographs? Top
of the line Nikon or the comparable Canon model? The answer lies in who
is the best photographer.g

Bottom line is, sharpen 'em all up and see which ones you like best. Or
just trade 'em off as they get dull and turn that much longer before a
sharpening session.

In article om,
says...

On 3/12/2016 5:25 PM, Bill Leonhardt wrote:
I have three sets of full size (not for pen turning) turning tools.
I don't know their history as I got each set from descendants of the
original owners. I am trying to identify whether they have good
steel and are worth keeping for my future turning aspirations. In
the future, I expect to turn some furniture parts, a few bowls, but
turning will not be the main part of my woodworking efforts.

I think the sets are pre-1980s and probably pre-1970s or even 1960s.
They are described as follows:

[snip]

Makes little to no difference, Bill. A chisel of carbon steel 3/4" wide
and sharpened at the proper bevel will work just as well for you as a
piece of properly sharpened carbide of similar dimensions. It just
won't do so as along, requiring you to take a break and sharpen it. At
the most basic level that is the sole difference in turning tools.

Not unlike the question of which camera takes the best photographs? Top
of the line Nikon or the comparable Canon model? The answer lies in who
is the best photographer.g

Forgot to mention, which is the best camera also depends on what you
shoot. Both have some specialized bits available that aren't in the
other maker's lineup.

Back in their day, and maybe even today, Marples, Craftsman, Disston, all made fine tools. But if the age you state is correct, 80s, 70s, 60s, then it is unlikely the tools are made from the current modern high speed steels used in all the high end turning tools today. They were just regular carbon steel. As others stated, you will get plenty of sharpening experience using these tools. They will function just as well as newer upper end tools. Just more sharpening. keep them and use them. Doubt the tools have any collector or used value.

It is always great to be able to use the latest and greatest, but sometimes the old stuff works just fine. I agree with the earlier posts that these are probably carbon steel, the kind used for several centuries before we got to today's super steels. Most likely your set(s)are a moderate quality 1095, or even 1084 (more shock resistant) carbon that is hardened somewhere in the mid 50s on the Rockwell scale.

When I was teaching turning, I saw a lot of those as they are plentiful. The good news is that they are soft enough to sharpen easily and they need it much more often than the tools with inserts or the tools made from high speed steel. Most of my tools are made from M2 and for me work fine, but a lot of turners use tools from steels that are vastly superior to mine. However... they can't sharpen their tools as easily or as well without a fuss, and I free hand sharpen, which is something you can do with those tools to learn how to grind the edges you want.

I would happily grind away on them to get my edges and use them to the nub. Check this page (and a couple after it) out and you will probably see your tools there somewhere with different colors of handles in different condition. IIRC, the guys that had some of those tools found them at garage/estate sales from time to time and loose they paid about $5 each, and in a set they paid from about $5 to $8 per tool.

I used to know some of the older turners that hung onto their carbon tools as they do take a finer edge than M2 and the other steels out there which made them ideal for finish work.

Robert

Thanks for all the advice on my tools. Sometimes (most times?) I over think things. The best advice was to just use them and get on with your life. :-)

I am rebuilding a Rockwell 46-111 now and hope to get it on-line soon so I can really give these tools a tryout.

Thanks again to all respondents.

Bill


On Saturday, March 12, 2016 at 6:25:12 PM UTC-5, Bill Leonhardt wrote:
I have three sets of full size (not for pen turning) turning tools. I don't know their history as I got each set from descendants of the original owners. I am trying to identify whether they have good steel and are worth keeping for my future turning aspirations. In the future, I expect to turn some furniture parts, a few bowls, but turning will not be the main part of my woodworking efforts.

I think the sets are pre-1980s and probably pre-1970s or even 1960s. They are described as follows:

Set1 (9 tools) - These have a label on the handle that says "Craftsman" (ala Sears) and that label could be a decal. It is well attached. The handles are wood and stained red. The steel is dull and looks, to the uneducated eye, as the same as I see on old, quality chisels. No markings on the steel.

Set2 (8tools) - These have a blue paper label on natural wood handles that says "Marples Made in Sheffield England". The steel is bright and some are marked (surface printed) with both imperial and metric sizes.

Set3 (8 tools) - These have the brand stamped into both the steel and handle, which is natural wood. The lettering says "Disston USA" with a keystone logo. The letters and logo in the handle are colored red. The steel is bright.

These all have some light surface rust, which should clean up fine, however the rust on the Craftsman tools gives me more a feeling of quality steel (gut feeling, not sure why).

Are there ways that I can evaluate these sets to determine if they have good steel and are worth keeping and using? Any insight you can provide is much appreciated.

Thanks,

Bill Leonhardt

PS: Also cross posting to alt.craftes.woodturning