Hello all,
I don't post here much but I have learned a great deal from all of you. The willingness of the experts around here to help and teach newcomers like me is always nice to see.
I'm currently turning on an Excelsior lathe from Rockler. All I have is their pen turning carbide set for tools. I've been lucky enough to sell several pens, and that has helped keep me focused on honing my skills. A few weeks ago, I was given an incredible opportunity to make 175 pens as gifts for my brother, who runs a realty group in Chicago. I now have access to the kind of funds that I thought would have taken me years to earn. As such, I'm planning to upgrade my lathe and make the jump to traditional turning tools. I was hoping to throw out my ideas for tools and get feedback from you all.
Lathe: I'm about 90% sure I'm going with the Laguna Revo 1216. This will be a substantial upgrade, obviously, but will not break my budget and it's big enough to handle pretty much everything I want to turn, especially with the availability of a 20" bed extension. I've considered the Jet 1221 and the Rikon 70-220VSR, but the outboard turning capability of the Laguna is unmatched in the class. I see this as an advantage even when turning smaller bowls and boxes.
Sharpening: Again, pretty much decided on this one. I've decided on the Kodiak System from Woodturning Wonders. This is due to overall ease of setup and the fact that I can get the entire package, including the grinder, in one fell swoop. From what I've seen, it will be more than capable of fulfilling my needs.
Tools: Here's where I need the most advice from you all. I'm currently leaning toward this package: https://www.pennstateind.com/store/LXWM1007.html. It looks to me to have pretty much everything I'll need to get going with traditional tools at a good enough price that I can get more tools as I need them. What other tools do you think are necessities? Are there better sets out there, or should I go ahead and invest in higher quality tools (DWay, Thompson or Sorby)?
I'm mostly interested in turning bowls and boxes but will certainly be doing some spindle work from time to time. Thank you all for your advice.
I don't post here much but I have learned a great deal from all of you. The willingness of the experts around here to help and teach newcomers like me is always nice to see.
I'm currently turning on an Excelsior lathe from Rockler. All I have is their pen turning carbide set for tools. I've been lucky enough to sell several pens, and that has helped keep me focused on honing my skills. A few weeks ago, I was given an incredible opportunity to make 175 pens as gifts for my brother, who runs a realty group in Chicago. I now have access to the kind of funds that I thought would have taken me years to earn. As such, I'm planning to upgrade my lathe and make the jump to traditional turning tools. I was hoping to throw out my ideas for tools and get feedback from you all.
Lathe: I'm about 90% sure I'm going with the Laguna Revo 1216. This will be a substantial upgrade, obviously, but will not break my budget and it's big enough to handle pretty much everything I want to turn, especially with the availability of a 20" bed extension. I've considered the Jet 1221 and the Rikon 70-220VSR, but the outboard turning capability of the Laguna is unmatched in the class. I see this as an advantage even when turning smaller bowls and boxes.
Sharpening: Again, pretty much decided on this one. I've decided on the Kodiak System from Woodturning Wonders. This is due to overall ease of setup and the fact that I can get the entire package, including the grinder, in one fell swoop. From what I've seen, it will be more than capable of fulfilling my needs.
Tools: Here's where I need the most advice from you all. I'm currently leaning toward this package: https://www.pennstateind.com/store/LXWM1007.html. It looks to me to have pretty much everything I'll need to get going with traditional tools at a good enough price that I can get more tools as I need them. What other tools do you think are necessities? Are there better sets out there, or should I go ahead and invest in higher quality tools (DWay, Thompson or Sorby)?
I'm mostly interested in turning bowls and boxes but will certainly be doing some spindle work from time to time. Thank you all for your advice.