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Budget bowl turning setup

mrGeeze

mrGeeze

Joined
Feb 27, 2006
Messages
55
Likes
7
Location
Hatteras Island NC
A co-worker said he's interested in buying the gear to turn some bowls. I asked him how much he could spend. He said $1500. I figured he could do it.

I'm thinking he needs:
Lathe 12"-14" swing
Scroll Chuck
Tools ( 2 gouges & 2 Scrapers)
Grinder
Sharpening Jig.
1 Video (Grumbine/Mahoney)

I have my own ideas but I'd like to hear from others.
 
get him to take a bowl class
budget the mar 13-15 at Campbell $290
+ food and lodging and gas
he'll turn some bowls and leave the class with the skills

If he doesn't like turning, he's done for $600 and has had a great time.

assuming he likes it

a 12" jet
bowl gouge, spindle gouge, and round nose scraper.
woodcraft grinder and wolverine
the lathe comes with a faceplate and spur drive.
36" bow saw
and he's good to go.

A chuck would be nice if there is anything left in the budget.
A chainsaw would be next

-Al
 
Last edited:
Well i dont think it will end at 1500 but here goes

Rikon Lathe - klingspor's - 329.99
Sorby 6 pc, beginners set - klingspor's - 259.95
Nova G3 chuck - woodcraft - 144.99
Woodturners sharpening kit - Woodcraft - 184.95
Contains the 8" Slow Speed Grinder, the Wolverine grinding jig and the Diamond Tip Wheel Dresser.

Wolverine vari-grind attachment - Woodcraft - 50.99
Turned Bowls Made Easy DVD - woodcraft - 29.95
Beyond the Basic Bowl DVD - woodcraft - 29.95

Totals
woodcraft - 454.82 includes shipping
Klingspor's - 597.93 includes shipping

Total 1052.75

That Leaves about 450.00 for playing with, i.e. extra chuck jaws.

This is basically what i started with minus the videos, had a Great mentor. i had just compiled this list for a co-worker myself.
 
I would say to not buy a set of tools. The reason is I made the mistake of buying a set of tools. I hardly use the tools in the set, and there are a few tools in it I never use. I would say to buy a few bowl gouges 1/2, 3/8 would probably be a good start. A scraper as stated above would be good too. I really like my Wolverine system, however I almost never use the v-arm.
Wyatt
 
Almost never use the v-arm...?

O.K., I'll bite.

If you almost never use the v-arm in the Wolverine, then what do you use in that set-up? Just curious, because without the v-arm, most grinders will come with some sort of flat tool rest. If the flat rest is all you use, it negates really needing the Wolverine set up.
 
bowl turning stuff

in my opion; no dvd needed go to "youtube" more than enought to help anybody;is their for free; & if you join a lathe club they have lending dvd's & books, free Just a though; to save money; daniel
 
I simply use the platform, I used to use the one that came with my grinder, but it is a pain adjust the angle. I still might buy just the wolverine platform and use that for the other wheel. This video shows the method I use to sharpen, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m8-8MNhpvYMike taught me how to do it in his class. It is a bit difficult at first but once you get the hang of it, it is quite simple and fast.
Wyatt
 
That's what I thought you were doing, but wasn't 100% sure.

I sharpen a couple a bowl gouges using Mike Mahoney's method (his YouTube video) on my traditional grind gouges. And I no longer use a jig to sharpen the rest of my bowl gouges, they're all free-hand, which I learned from Hannes Michelsen, the original wood hat guy.

I still use a jig for my spindle gouges and detail gouges, though.
 
I like the idea from Al of taking a class at Folk school, unless you are going to give your co-worker some hands-on.
Joining a AAW chapter is also the best value. Most of them have library of books and dvd for members to borrow. Some of them have hands-on or mentoring program for free or almost free.
As for video from You Tube. Most of them are good. But some of them are just what not to do and disguise as how-to. It would be difficult for a new turner to separate the good and the not safe practice.
Tools alone won't turn him into a bowl turner. At that budget, he has some options. It is better to let him test the water, and decide what his priorities are.
Don't forget the safety gear.
 
Wyatt Holm said:
I simply use the platform, I used to use the one that came with my grinder, but it is a pain adjust the angle. I still might buy just the wolverine platform and use that for the other wheel. This video shows the method I use to sharpen, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m8-8MNhpvYMike taught me how to do it in his class. It is a bit difficult at first but once you get the hang of it, it is quite simple and fast.
Wyatt
Click to expand...

Stu Batty taught me that grind and it is a great way to grind. I use it on my 3/8 gouges for a really fine finishing cut. It's also a great grind for plunge cuts.
 
Mike learned that from Stuart Batty. Mike told me about the video, at the time I had been using my varigrind jig. When I watched the video, I just started and noticed that it was an excerpt from his DVD "Bowl Basics". And I thought I already have this video. Having Mike show you how to do it and what you are doing wrong is a lot better than a video.
 
For the "Irish" or "Long" grinds on the bowl gouges (that's what I use for roughing) then having a jig to ensure repeatable grinds is great, even for an experienced turner. While I admire those turners who can get these grinds done repeatable by hand, I don't have the time and patience to develop this skill. I'd rather be perfecting wood turning skills rather than tool sharpening skills. (I can sharpen by hand, but the jig gives me a better, repeatable surface.) If you use the Michelsen grind, then a jig doesn't help.
For the standard bowl gouge grinds and spindle roughing gouges, I use the table that came with the One-Way. (The tables that came with the grinder aren't worth putting on the machine.) I only use the V-arm for aligning the Vari-grind jig. Using it for the standard grinds can be hazardous; one slip and the tool ends up in the grinder - not a good thing.
I use the jig, and it takes me all of about 30 seconds to do the initial setup for a tool. Once set, I can re-mount the tool in the vari-grind jig in about 5 seconds; about the time it takes for the grinder to come up to speed.
You don't have to buy a grinding jig setup - there are several web-sites that contain instructions and plans for making your own jigs.
 
It took me about fifteen minutes to learn how to sharpen like that. Is that too long of time to practice sharpening? And when I sharpen my bowl gouges the platform is usually set to the 40 degree angle, so I can sharpen start to finish in less than 20 seconds.
 
Hi Wyatt,
You're a better man than me, with a lot steadier hands than me. 😉

Many of the newer turners in our club are not familiar with or comfortable using a grinder, and the jig helps their confidence. Swinging a 3/8" V10 Glaser long grind bowl gouge around the 150 or so degrees can be a daunting task.
With no support, the 2 to 4 lb. tools are a bit hard for me to maintain control.

Like I said, I can hand-grind "good enough" to make the first 2mm of the bevel even, but trying to get the whole 1/4" of the bevel smooth is not easy for me.
 
I thought the stewart Batty grind took a little while to master. I did get a close proximity pretty quickly but I'd say it took quite a few sharpenings to really master it and I've been hand sharpening for a while.
 
Whoa there boys.... focus

notwithstanding the philosophical discussions regarding grinds & jigs vs freehand i think we're losing focus on the thread.

reel it back in, keep tight to the fish, and focus on getting it in the boat.


now - what's the basic $1500 setup.
 
Back on track!

Here's my suggestion for an inexpensive set-up for bowl turning (up to 12" dia.) - $1431

The Chainsaw is for roughing blanks before putting them on the lathe.
The grinding wheels that come with grinders should be replaced for us woodturners. (The 6" grinder is the smallest that you should get, although most people prefer 8", the 6" works fine.) The 60 grit is for shaping and for the roughing out tools, while the 100 grit is used on the tools for the finishing cut.
The Grinding jig from PennState will work just fine, if you really get hooked on Woodturing, then you may want to get a Wolverine down the road (along with another grinder.) Did we mention that woodturners become tool junkies?
Other items that you may want to purchase in the near future include: Dust collector ($200 - $400), Bandsaw (Rikon 13: 10-325 $850), Gas powered chain saw ($200 - $400), Power sander (offset drill Harbour Freight about $30), Sanding Kit set-up (3 3/8" from VincesWoodnWonders.com $32)

Prices do not include tax or shipping charges.

Lathe, 12" Max Dia. - Jet JWL-1220VS (Woodcraft) 600
Floor Stand for the Jet 170
6" Grinder (HomeDepot Ryobi) 40
60 grit Aluminium Oxide Grinding Wheel (Rockler) 18
100 grit Aluminium Oxide Grinding Wheel (Rockler) 18
Grinding Jigs (PennState LCGRIND4) 125
Benjamin's Best Bowl Turning Set (PennState LCBT4) 70
Benjamin's Best Lathe Chisel Set (PennState LCSIXW) 80
Barracda2 Chuck (PennState CSC3000C) 180
Poulan 14 Electric Chainsaw (Sears 07134011000) 70
Bill Grumbine's two bowl turning videos (www.wonderfulwood.com) 60

Join your local woodturning club and AAW, both are great places to get help and learn new things! 🙂
 
Wyatt Holm said:
I simply use the platform, I used to use the one that came with my grinder, but it is a pain adjust the angle. I still might buy just the wolverine platform and use that for the other wheel. This video shows the method I use to sharpen, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m8-8MNhpvYMike taught me how to do it in his class. It is a bit difficult at first but once you get the hang of it, it is quite simple and fast.
Wyatt
Click to expand...


Wyatt.......

I've watched that video of Mike Mahoney's several times before.....good video, for sure. However, like the ladies, I'm using the "v' arm for all my bowl gouges. Some for a standard grind with the "v" arm by itself, and some used in conjunction with the vari-grind jig. I can see that the grind Mike Mahoney does is a slightly different shape than can be done on the vari-grind jig, but I don't believe there's a nickels worth of difference in the versatility of each of the grinds.....freehand, or vari-grind jig. The platform, as Mahoney uses it, and "v" arm used by itself produce virtually the same traditional grind, that is, if the tool doesn't make any swinging motion when using the platform.

Know what I think? I think we all learn to use the methods we've learned to sharpen to the best advantage for our own "style" of turning.......there really isn't any "best way" to do these things because we evolve to use what we got!........(If that makes any sense!)

I'm pretty much just a bowl turner, so the platform jig is used for scrapers almost exclusively. I like that the platform remains set to the angle I've come to use for scrapers......makes it a 10 second resharpen when I need to touch up the edge on a scraper......I like that a lot! :cool2:

Anyway, my methods are not for everyone, but they are what has become best for me!

OOC
 
I believe Mike Mahoney got this grinding method from Stuart Batty.
I watched the Stuart Batty demo dvd he did for our Club. The camera was at the lathe where his turning action was. I can only hear the sound from the grinder. With stop watch in hand, they were 6 ~ 10 seconds. Stuart has the flat platform set at 40 degree fixed. The method Mike shown on You Tube was the slow down, break up motion of left, right and blend in. In real life, Stuart does that with a single swinging motion. In their production mode, the grinder is on constantly next to them, turn around in less than 10 seconds they can back to turning. It would take us more than 10 seconds just to set the stick out on Varigrind and a lot more if the sliding arm has been moved.
Stuart Batty is also a push cut turner. He claims that his grind can get a real consistent 40 degree grind on the whole edge.
The traditional grind with no swinging has a totally different grind. The grind is not as versatile because there is no side grinds.
Odie, you are right. Usually there are more than one correct way in turning. The Stuart Batty method has a very steep learning curve, at the expense of wasting a lot of tool steel.
 
That video was an excerpt from Mike's video "Bowl Basics".
 
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