Reddit reviews PSI Woodworking LCHSS8 Wood Lathe 8pc HSS Chisel Set

Cheap tools. Cheapest of the cheap. I don't even see them labeled as HSS. They're probably some really soft carbon steel.

See how straight and clean that snap line is? Almost perfectly perpendicular to the steel bar. I'd bet money that the break line is approximately even with where the steel stock was tempered to. My guess is when you got the tool far enough out over the tool rest, it snapped. Modest quality tools are tempered a few inches; good tools are usually tempered most of the usable length.

If you want a good set of HSS entry-level tools, check out this set which is well reviewed and commonly recommended.

Edit to add: I would toss those tools in the interest of safety. If one is willing to snap like that, others might be equally as brittle. Too much liability for my tastes.

I have the round and the square from Rockler. Now that I have a decent set of bowl gouges (and I'm focusing mainly on bowls) I don't really use them much any more. I have found that I can get a much better (smoother) surface from a shearing cut. I very much prefer this to the surface you get with the scraping cut you must use with most carbide tools of this shape. That said, I'm keeping mine for the occasions that I need to do some spindle work.


In hindsight, I'm not sure I would have bought them if I had it to do over again. I started with a standard $70 amazon set of old school chisels (see below). I wish I had skipped straight from that to the good stuff (some examples listed below).



Apologies if this next section is a little pedantic. I was hoping to write something we could link from the sidebar.



So here's my recommendation:

Step | Description | URL
:------|:------|:------|
1 | Find some cheap (but not crappy) tools. | amazon link
1a | Figure out how to sharpen things. |
2 | Experiment, figure out what works, figure out what kind of turning you want to be doing. | Join the AAW, Find tutorials on youtube.com, take classes at your local woodworking store, etc.
3 | Find great tools. You don't want to spend a ton of time working with crappy tools. | when possible all my future tools will be from this guy: http://d-waytools.com/tools-gouges.html I also have tools from Sorby, Pinnacle, DWay, etc.

The expert advice is to not buy a set but to instead only buy chisels for what you'll be doing. However if you're exploring turning you really don't know the exact kinds of turning you'll be doing, and you'll always be reading about oddball tools/techniques that you'll want to try.

So I'd advise a starter set that has at least one of each major tool type. This one fits that bill pretty well, I started out with it an still use everything but the "continental gouge".

Your two cents are well worth having, when I said day it's because I need to change the shape of my tools and put on the edge again. When I first started I picked up this set of tools and from all of the reading I've been doing about angles and grinds I want to take the time to make mine right instead of what came out of the box.

For Pens, its not so much the tools you need as the accessories. Small tools are fine for pens, there isn't much material. If you really want the bigger tools, this was my starter set and I'm really happy with it.

http://www.amazon.com/PSI-Woodworking-LCHSS8-Chisel-8-Piece/dp/B000KI8CTS/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1375795181&sr=1-1&keywords=lathe+chisel


Accessories: Pen mandrel, morris taper (probably #2 but check) to hold the mandrel. Bushing set (slimline is easiest to learn with) and CA glue.

I went with the same HF model for my first lathe and got a good start. Just watch how the centers line up. I found that I have to twist my tailstock clockwise before tightening and it's usually fine.

I've also got the Rikon grinder that you linked, but I picked mine up from Rockler last month, on sale for $100. As far as tools, I'd suggest picking up a semi-cheap set of HSS. Hurts a lot less when you realize you completely screwed up a bevel and have to grind off a lot more metal than you intended from a cheap one versus a high dollar one! I have a set of Benjamin's Best and have been happy enough with them for the price.

The Hurricane Tools are pretty decent. I've never tried carbide turning tools, but I feel that regular steel tools are just as good.

I primarily use the bowl gouge set, and then for everything else, I bought the cheap Benjamin's best 8-piece set.

For almost a year I sharpened them by hand because I really was unsure of grinding. I just have a cheap 6" grinder with stock wheels, that I always feel like it would eat up, and burn the tools. I was really tempted to buy the wolverine jig, so I tried to copy it out of wood. I replicated both of these jigs (though the one on the left is all you really need) and used some old rusty flat head screw drivers to practice the bevel. It worked surprisingly well on the screw drivers, I could even turn with them.

Sharpening the actual tools worked fantastically well, they finally "cut" for the first time, heh. Again, I thought I would burn them up, but light even pressure, and multiple passes made it super simple. It really only takes a few seconds to sharpen them, it actually takes me longer to adjust my custom jig. If you're using the same tool, and jig position, it's super easy though.

Next you'll be wanting info on chucks ;)

https://www.amazon.com/PSI-Woodworking-LCHSS8-Chisel-8-Piece/dp/B000KI8CTS/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=wood+turning+gouges&qid=1568416993&s=gateway&sr=8-4

Has worked well for me to start with. One tool is useless and when I took a class from someone in the club with a lot of experience he had to look it up. And what we found was most people reshaped it to something else.

Get these chisels for him they are for a lathe, while it isn't the best lathe if he doesn't have lathe tools then he can't use it. Bench chisels and Mortising chisels are more for furniture making and without a hand full of other tools they are pretty useless depending on what he plans on making.

Here is the mobile version of your link

What is the difference between these two sets(aside from number of pieces)?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KIECW4/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KI8CTS/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

I am trying to figure out what to get for my boyfriend for Christmas, and he's in a similar situation of having a lathe but no turning tools. I also have a face shield in my amazon cart. He's had a box of smaller turning blanks for a while now.

He does a reasonable amount of woodworking(makes a lot of furniture, is super into hand tools), but he's new to turning, so if you have any suggestions, it would be appreciated!

I bought these http://amzn.to/2cohxkc and have been happy with them for a few years now. Don't forget to consider the price of buying a grinding wheel to sharpen the chisels you buy.

So just hauled my grandfather's lathe home and was anxious to start making wood chips and dust. Found a roughly straight oak log and went to town after de-barking.

Lathe I used. More info shows that it is a 12x42. After finishing the piece I noticed that the tailstock is seized up and not sure how to go about in repairing. I dosed with PB blaster and will let it sit for a day. I'm sure the friction and heat helped the bearing /s ... stupid I know.

Minus heating up the tailstock, the wood borer'd oak, and the dull chisels everything went well. I am looking at this set and this chuck, would these be good for beginner use? Looking for some feedback.

Here's some tools for turning. PSI Woodworking LCHSS8 Wood Lathe HSS Chisel Set, 8Piece https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000KI8CTS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_WgDVDbX2HTGM3 It's 70, but they have good reviews. But if you shop around for the same sort of keywords, and check reviews, you can find something good.

Face shield!!! $15

set of basic lathe tools PSI has a decent set for sale $80

http://www.amazon.com/PSI-Woodworking-LCHSS8-Chisel-8-Piece/dp/B000KI8CTS/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hi_4/180-3590963-5929100

Wood from neighborhood=free
reddit for cool ideas=free

you'll have to figure out where to spend your last $5

https://smile.amazon.com/PSI-Woodworking-LCHSS8-Chisel-8-Piece/dp/B000KI8CTS/

I have this set, I also have very nice crown and sorby tools. This set works 90% as well. Make it 98% as well if you turn some nicer handles to replace the ones they come with.