I review the 6Pc M2 Cryo HSS Woodturning Tool Set from FindBuy Tool in this video ua-cam.com/video/TyHBulDIZbA/v-deo.html. Spoiler alert - I find it an excellent value for the money. As a marketing affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases at FindBuy Tools, LTC. Here is a link to their Cryo HSS Tools shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=2534125&u=4355938&m=108237&urllink=&afftrack=
Great video! I found this to be very informative. I like how you broke down the categories and said what is worth paying for and what is not. Thank you!
Nice video. Good explanation on some of the differences. Just starting out so I got the HF Windsor chisel set to start. I figured it be a good brand to learn on. I did get the Oneway Wolverine Sharpening System. Been looking at the Thompson Tools web site for switching over to Thompson. Thank you for verifying want I learned so far. Still not sure when roughing down blocks for bowls, which is best to use. Some say bowl gouges are for spindle work. Good tips, Thanks.
Glad it helped. Unless you know what you are doing, generally you will use bowl gouges for roughing out bowls. Some folks use bowl gouges for spindle work, but typically a spinle gouge is better for doing beads and coves.
Great points, Mike. Allow me to add: I *used* to advocate getting Harbor Freight's Windsor Design set. I no longer make that recommendation. The set I originally bought was made from good quality HSS. The skews required some work with a belt sander to soften the edges, but each tool held an edge and worked well. (The 3/8" spindle gouge and the 3/4" roughing gouge are still in my rotation, as are the 1/2" and 7/8" skews.) For $35 (after coupon), it was a bargain. However, when the sets were on sale a few years later, I bought another. The plan was to reshape some of the tools for specialty scrapers. The quality of the steel on some of the tools was good quality. The rest were junk. What I learned is that I was very lucky with my first set. So, since you cannot tell in the store if the tool will hold an edge, I suggest passing on them. (I have the same rule for Benjamin's Best tools. One year my family bought me several Benjamin's Best tools for Christmas. Less than half were worth the trouble to sharpen.)
Yes, quality control and heat treating are a crapshoot on the cheaper tools. Alan Lacer did an article years ago on tool steels and hardness as I recall. He identified that some BB were ok and some did not pass muster. I can say I got my money out of the two HF sets I bought with the repurposing several tools into specialty scrapers. But from what I have seen, BB tend to be better with a much better tool mix in their 8 piece set.
Great video Mike, Thank you. I watched a ton of UA-cam videos to when I started turning a year ago to help me figure out the various tools available and videos like this help a lot. As a new turner its hard to know if you are one new tool away from being a better turner or you simply need to learn to master the tools you have. Once I bought my first Doug Thomson tool, it became clear that both are true to some extent.
Mike appreciated the zoom meeting with you at the "Space Coast Wood turners" I am begging to realize the skill of sharpening wood turning tools is crucial to a comfortable wood turning experience. I am looking at a system offered by "WoodTurners Wonders." Ken and his staff speak very highly of you, your dedication to the wood turning community. Having visited several of your UA-cam videos I feel comfortable in knowing enough now to ask basic questions. So here we go. I would appreciate any advice regarding my possible purchase of; CBN - 4 in one eight inch, - 1-1/2 Mega Square 8"; - Kodiak complete sharpening sys., - 1/2 hp Rikon... Thank you your view/advice.
I think the Kodiak system is a good one. I like the easy setup with the univeral base which makes it easy to get up an running with everything squared up. I started with the Oneway system and getting it squared up was an effort. I bought Robo Rest which is no longer made. Ken's platform was not available then and I really like it. It is more rigid. Personally I prefer the Mega square wheel to the radius one. I think you will be happy with it. I use an 80 grit and a 180 grit.
Fantastic tips, Mike! Thanks a lot! 😃 I'm from Brazil and most things from the US tend to have a REALLY expansive shipping fees... 😕 So my best option is Banggood, really. And I know people who bought stuff there and didn't like the quality and so on, but I tend to take my time and choose what I'm going to buy very carefully, so I never had problems. I always bought good stuff there. Maybe I'm lucky, I don't really know. 😬 Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
I’m in this boat right now Mike. I’ve been turning pens and seam rippers and have been using carbide tools exclusively. I’m wanting to move to larger projects but not sure when I’ll do bowls. Buying a new set of turning tools has proven to be very confusing at best. This video is very informative and helpful. Thank you for your willingness to teach this wonderful art.
Thanks, Sam. Thing is it was going to be the first in a series but it performed well below my channel averages. I followed it up a bit later with this one on Parting tools. ua-cam.com/video/tWH6M6PqiU8/v-deo.html. It performed below average as well. So I have not moved on to any more "Tool" videos. Even with the research on SEO tags and titles using apps like TubeBuddy and MorningFame, it is still a crapshoot on what folks want to see.
Well Mike I used some of your ideas to turn a toothpick holder for my mom's kitchen table. I didn't make a top for it but I made it out of poplar was kind of upset more of the green didn't show but it doesn't look bad.
Great summary video, Mike. When I started, I bought the better of the two Harbor Freight sets, and a set of carbides from Rockler. I soon decided I needed something better and started buying individual tools from D-Way. I still use several of the HF tools - the 1/4 inch parting tool, the spindle roughing gouges, and the 3/8 inch detail gouge. Other HF tools have been re-profiled for special uses, as a box scraper, etc. The carbide tool are almost never used. I hated them. If I were starting again, I'd buy three or four good tools: a bowl gouge, a thin parting tool, a roughing gouge for sure.
Just came across your video. I picked up the Harbor Freight steel wood turning set. Haven’t opened it. What’s your opinion on them. And any Lathe recommendations for someone starting out
I don’t want to be a grammar Nazi, but I noticed something that was not quite right. Around 10 min mark, you state A10 and M42 are better than M2. The previous caption said M2 > M4 > M42 > A10, which implies that M2 is the best (reads M2 is greater than M4 which is greater than...). Change all the > to < and it wiCorrespond to what you say in the video. Thank you for making this video. It would have been a great video for me to watch a year ago, before I got my lathe. I started with just two tools, a SRG and a bowl gouge (Both Benjamin’s best). Since then I acquired some second hand high carbon steel tools (Skew, bowl gouge, diamond parting tool). As budget allows I am going to add a scraper and replace all the HCS tools.
I checked out the tool set you recommend, and it is nice but well above my means. I need advice about a high ENOUGH quality set which still fits very limited budgets, and can get a beginner started until they are actually ABLE to afford better tools. I might at some point be able to manage A set that costs about a quarter as much. But, I don't even have the lathe I am planning to get, yet. I may be able to get the lathe by June, or possibly sooner.
Check out my Amazon shop link in the show notes to every video. Perhaps consider the 8 piece Benjamins Best set here amzn.to/3JQVoY5 and a decent 3/8" spindle gouge, perhaps this one without a handle and make a handle amzn.to/3JQVoY5.
I am a beginner and will probably be using a small lathe, something like a 10" Jet. I have seen turning tools listed as midi or mini and it would seem that the shorter tool would be a good choice for the small lathe. What are your thoughts on this? Thank you very much for taking the time to share your experience with us.
I have one from DWay tools and a Benjamins Best (not the best!). The Thomson Clewes gouge I believe is parabolic. I know Thompson makes one only availble from Lyle Jamieson.
They are also brittle and can have micro fractures so caution is in order. I saw one break on a YT video and it was scary. If it works for you great but I would not be advising them for the typical novice turner who may be unaware of the dangers.
Too poor to buy cheap. With a good steel that keeps its edge, I assume we need a good sharpening system. What about the quality of CBN wheels. When I wanted to buy some, I have been told they came from China, which frighten me. Is there better manufacturers than others in that field?
There are some CBN wheels made in Austria. My wheels are from Ken Rizza at Woodturerswonders.com. They are from China. I have not heard of any complaints. His prices are the best. I have had mine for 6 years with no problems.
I review the 6Pc M2 Cryo HSS Woodturning Tool Set from FindBuy Tool in this video ua-cam.com/video/TyHBulDIZbA/v-deo.html. Spoiler alert - I find it an excellent value for the money. As a marketing affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases at FindBuy Tools, LTC. Here is a link to their Cryo HSS Tools shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=2534125&u=4355938&m=108237&urllink=&afftrack=
Great concise information. Thank you. Wish this video had been out 2 years ago when I started turning.
Thanks for watching! Maybe it will be helpful to newer turners.
your the man mike good explanation . your always looking out for us noobs . your the man .
Great video! I found this to be very informative. I like how you broke down the categories and said what is worth paying for and what is not. Thank you!
Awesome! Thank you!
Excellent review Mike. This should be great help for new turners. Also for some of us older guys too. Thank you for sharing.
Glad it was helpful!
As always a clear concise and easily understood video. Good job Mike
Glad you enjoyed it
Nice video. Good explanation on some of the differences. Just starting out so I got the HF Windsor chisel set to start. I figured it be a good brand to learn on. I did get the Oneway Wolverine Sharpening System. Been looking at the Thompson Tools web site for switching over to Thompson. Thank you for verifying want I learned so far. Still not sure when roughing down blocks for bowls, which is best to use. Some say bowl gouges are for spindle work. Good tips, Thanks.
Glad it helped. Unless you know what you are doing, generally you will use bowl gouges for roughing out bowls. Some folks use bowl gouges for spindle work, but typically a spinle gouge is better for doing beads and coves.
Great points, Mike. Allow me to add: I *used* to advocate getting Harbor Freight's Windsor Design set. I no longer make that recommendation. The set I originally bought was made from good quality HSS. The skews required some work with a belt sander to soften the edges, but each tool held an edge and worked well. (The 3/8" spindle gouge and the 3/4" roughing gouge are still in my rotation, as are the 1/2" and 7/8" skews.) For $35 (after coupon), it was a bargain.
However, when the sets were on sale a few years later, I bought another. The plan was to reshape some of the tools for specialty scrapers. The quality of the steel on some of the tools was good quality. The rest were junk. What I learned is that I was very lucky with my first set. So, since you cannot tell in the store if the tool will hold an edge, I suggest passing on them. (I have the same rule for Benjamin's Best tools. One year my family bought me several Benjamin's Best tools for Christmas. Less than half were worth the trouble to sharpen.)
Yes, quality control and heat treating are a crapshoot on the cheaper tools. Alan Lacer did an article years ago on tool steels and hardness as I recall. He identified that some BB were ok and some did not pass muster. I can say I got my money out of the two HF sets I bought with the repurposing several tools into specialty scrapers. But from what I have seen, BB tend to be better with a much better tool mix in their 8 piece set.
Great video Mike, Thank you. I watched a ton of UA-cam videos to when I started turning a year ago to help me figure out the various tools available and videos like this help a lot. As a new turner its hard to know if you are one new tool away from being a better turner or you simply need to learn to master the tools you have. Once I bought my first Doug Thomson tool, it became clear that both are true to some extent.
Right on..
Mike appreciated the zoom meeting with you at the "Space Coast Wood turners"
I am begging to realize the skill of sharpening wood turning tools is crucial to a comfortable wood turning experience.
I am looking at a system offered by "WoodTurners Wonders."
Ken and his staff speak very highly of you, your dedication to the wood turning community.
Having visited several of your UA-cam videos I feel comfortable in knowing enough now to ask basic questions. So here we go.
I would appreciate any advice regarding my possible purchase of;
CBN - 4 in one eight inch, - 1-1/2 Mega Square 8"; - Kodiak complete sharpening sys., -
1/2 hp Rikon...
Thank you your view/advice.
I think the Kodiak system is a good one. I like the easy setup with the univeral base which makes it easy to get up an running with everything squared up. I started with the Oneway system and getting it squared up was an effort. I bought Robo Rest which is no longer made. Ken's platform was not available then and I really like it. It is more rigid. Personally I prefer the Mega square wheel to the radius one. I think you will be happy with it. I use an 80 grit and a 180 grit.
Thanks, Mike, for another super video. Really enjoy sharing your knowledge with my turner friends.
Great to hear!
Fantastic tips, Mike! Thanks a lot! 😃
I'm from Brazil and most things from the US tend to have a REALLY expansive shipping fees... 😕
So my best option is Banggood, really. And I know people who bought stuff there and didn't like the quality and so on, but I tend to take my time and choose what I'm going to buy very carefully, so I never had problems. I always bought good stuff there. Maybe I'm lucky, I don't really know. 😬
Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
Thanks for sharing! I bought something from Banggood. I tend to not think about that as a source since the items are so hit or miss.
I’m in this boat right now Mike. I’ve been turning pens and seam rippers and have been using carbide tools exclusively. I’m wanting to move to larger projects but not sure when I’ll do bowls. Buying a new set of turning tools has proven to be very confusing at best. This video is very informative and helpful. Thank you for your willingness to teach this wonderful art.
I appreciate your comment, Steve. You will be a better turner for switching and climbing that learning curve.
Ok, I see you’re answering the questions I asked. Thanks
You bet
Mike, doing a little research on a possible tool video.....ran across this. Really well done and good info. Sam
Thanks, Sam. Thing is it was going to be the first in a series but it performed well below my channel averages. I followed it up a bit later with this one on Parting tools. ua-cam.com/video/tWH6M6PqiU8/v-deo.html. It performed below average as well. So I have not moved on to any more "Tool" videos. Even with the research on SEO tags and titles using apps like TubeBuddy and MorningFame, it is still a crapshoot on what folks want to see.
Well Mike I used some of your ideas to turn a toothpick holder for my mom's kitchen table. I didn't make a top for it but I made it out of poplar was kind of upset more of the green didn't show but it doesn't look bad.
Sounds great! I am sure she loves it.
Another good and interesting video Mike! Great resource for all levels of turners. Keep up the good work!
Thanks, will do, Bob!
Wow, I really needed this video. Thanks for making it.
Glad it was helpful!
Great summary video, Mike. When I started, I bought the better of the two Harbor Freight sets, and a set of carbides from Rockler. I soon decided I needed something better and started buying individual tools from D-Way. I still use several of the HF tools - the 1/4 inch parting tool, the spindle roughing gouges, and the 3/8 inch detail gouge. Other HF tools have been re-profiled for special uses, as a box scraper, etc. The carbide tool are almost never used. I hated them. If I were starting again, I'd buy three or four good tools: a bowl gouge, a thin parting tool, a roughing gouge for sure.
Thanks for sharing. I am surprised you are able to use the HF 3/8" SG. It is a good candidate for upgrading.
Just came across your video. I picked up the Harbor Freight steel wood turning set. Haven’t opened it. What’s your opinion on them. And any Lathe recommendations for someone starting out
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching!
I don’t want to be a grammar Nazi, but I noticed something that was not quite right.
Around 10 min mark, you state A10 and M42 are better than M2. The previous caption said M2 > M4 > M42 > A10, which implies that M2 is the best (reads M2 is greater than M4 which is greater than...). Change all the > to < and it wiCorrespond to what you say in the video.
Thank you for making this video. It would have been a great video for me to watch a year ago, before I got my lathe. I started with just two tools, a SRG and a bowl gouge (Both Benjamin’s best). Since then I acquired some second hand high carbon steel tools (Skew, bowl gouge, diamond parting tool). As budget allows I am going to add a scraper and replace all the HCS tools.
Umm. I guess I should have shown Good on M2 and Best for A10 as I was showing a progression not "greater than"
Easy to fix Mike. M2-->M4-->M42-->A10. I really enjoy your videos! Thank you.
I checked out the tool set you recommend, and it is nice but well above my means. I need advice about a high ENOUGH quality set which still fits very limited budgets, and can get a beginner started until they are actually ABLE to afford better tools. I might at some point be able to manage A set that costs about a quarter as much. But, I don't even have the lathe I am planning to get, yet. I may be able to get the lathe by June, or possibly sooner.
Check out my Amazon shop link in the show notes to every video. Perhaps consider the 8 piece Benjamins Best set here amzn.to/3JQVoY5 and a decent 3/8" spindle gouge, perhaps this one without a handle and make a handle amzn.to/3JQVoY5.
Thank you,
You are welcome!
I am a beginner and will probably be using a small lathe, something like a 10" Jet. I have seen turning tools listed as midi or mini and it would seem that the shorter tool would be a good choice for the small lathe. What are your thoughts on this? Thank you very much for taking the time to share your experience with us.
You can turn small projects things with large tools but you cannot turn larger projects with smaller tools. Avoid a small set.
@@MikePeaceWoodturning Thank you very much for the quick response. I will go for a standard size starter set.
FWIW, that rikon grinder you are recommending is no longer available from amazon.
Might want to update it.
Done, thanks.
They sure do make a lot of skews, I've found you dont really need more than two sizes to get the job done.
Yes, one size does not fit all
1
Where did you get the "parabolic" bowl gouge? I was looking at thompson, and I only saw U and V shapes.
I have one from DWay tools and a Benjamins Best (not the best!). The Thomson Clewes gouge I believe is parabolic. I know Thompson makes one only availble from Lyle Jamieson.
Old mete files make fine scrapers and parting tolls.
They are also brittle and can have micro fractures so caution is in order. I saw one break on a YT video and it was scary. If it works for you great but I would not be advising them for the typical novice turner who may be unaware of the dangers.
If you are looking to buy a chuck watch this ua-cam.com/video/mfZCJYLIAfw/v-deo.html
Too poor to buy cheap. With a good steel that keeps its edge, I assume we need a good sharpening system. What about the quality of CBN wheels. When I wanted to buy some, I have been told they came from China, which frighten me. Is there better manufacturers than others in that field?
There are some CBN wheels made in Austria. My wheels are from Ken Rizza at Woodturerswonders.com. They are from China. I have not heard of any complaints. His prices are the best. I have had mine for 6 years with no problems.