Lee Valley has started carrying a set of 3 carbide-tipped woodturning tools. The set also comes with a full set of replacement carbide inserts.
As these tools are only 11″ long, they are intended for use on smaller turnings. They have beech handles and shafts that have been flattened on the bottom side for sitting squarely on the lathe tool rest.
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The big advantage of using an insert tool is that when the edge gets dull, you can just rotate the insert and keep turning with a fresh edge. When all the edges are dulled, rather than spending time sharpening, you can just replace the insert.
The set comes with three different tools:
- 1/2″ diameter finisher (round), for shaping and smoothing
- 7/16″ by 1-1/8″ detailer, with double-ended diamond-shaped tip
- 7/16″ square tipped roughing tool with slightly radiused sides
The 3 tip styles give you a wide range of capabilities.
Until January 30th, 2017, this 3 piece set of carbide turning tools, plus the set of replacement carbide inserts, will be $95 plus ~$10 shipping (if you order just this set). After the 30th, the price will increase to $119 plus shipping ($12 by itself).
Price: $95, then $119
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Replacement inserts and maybe even individual tools from the set might be available from Lee Valley in the future, but is not guaranteed. It might be best to consider this a “special offer” type product that might not be available a year from now. (But even if that happens, the carbide inserts look to be standard sized and easily sourced.)
First Thoughts
Initially I skipped over this deal because I have been really disappointed by the markup on carbide turning tools. They are basically carbide inserts on a stick, so why are other places like Rockler charging upwards of $190 for a set of three similar tools when the single inserts alone only cost between $10 and $20?
Then Stuart asked me to consider posting about these new woodturning tools and the introductory pricing, I took another look and am glad I did. I initially missed that they are including a set of replacement tips. So assuming you could find the inserts for $10 each, that’s $60 in carbide inserts and $35 for three handles. That’s not a bad deal at all!
After the introductory pricing, even $119 seems justifiable.
Of course you can find better deals for bulk carbide inserts, but usually only the square ones.
I’ve had a set of carbide turning tools for a few years, but I didn’t pay the exorbitant prices that other companies wanted. I traded my lathe bed extension to a friend for two insert bit holding shafts he machined. All I had to do was buy the carbide inserts and make my own handles. All in all I thought it was a great trade.
Carbide tipped tools have changed the way I turn. I still do use some of my high speed steel tools, primarily gouges for removing the bulk of material, but going from a rough cut blank to a smooth finished turning is so much faster with a sharp-edged carbide tool.
Plus you don’t have to waste time sharpening lathe tools, or learning how to sharpen complex angles or round edges. You can just concentrate on turning.
JMG
So, are there standard metal tooling lathe inserts that will fit on any of these?
Benjamen
Good question, I was thinking about that, but I never looked.
The shafts are machined for a specific insert size, I’m not sure if metal lathe inserts are the same size. Also is here a difference in cutting angle? I’ll have to do some research.
JMG
If the existing tool inserts ever became unobtainium, I would think that it would not take much to adjust the tools to accept other configurations.
The yeti
Lee Valley confuses me . I have one close to my house . I have no idea what type of store they are . Walked in there thinking it was a hardware store . Nope .. they do sell lathe stuff and festool though
Benjamen
This is what they say about themselves:
They seem to serve the high end market, although some of their tools are affordable.
Nathan
For new, high quality, woodworking hand tools, their prices are frankly cheap.
It is a relative term, but it is true. They generally beat Lie-Nielsen on price, and generally match their quality (in some cases a tad behind but still great, in some cases a tad better and more innovative).
Pretty much any new manufacture hand tool that is cheaper than the Veritas brand will require a decent time and effort investment right out of the box to get setup to work properly, at which point, finding good old Stanley (or inspired) tools is an even cheaper way to go.
I like buying old tools and getting them working, but it really depends on what you know and what you don’t. The Veritas prices are great when you’re not entirely confident in the nuances of tuning up a certain type of tool, or even if you are but you just want to get something shiny and new that will perform well right out of the box, and will perform even better if you get the edge on a superfine stone for a few minutes and then strop it.
And LV, as a retailer aside from the Veritas R&D and manufacturing arm, to their credit, happily offers a lot of products at lower price points that are still quality products in their own right, and compete with the Veritas offerings in other regards.
If you need/want a new backsaw, whether for general crosscutting or specific joinery saws, you can’t beat the price + quality combination of the Veritas backsaws. Highly recommended. If you’re used to the cheapo Stanley crosscut backsaw that everyone has with the small yellow mitre box, you’ll find a Veritas to cut slowly by comparison. But you’ll find the finished cut to be very nice right off the saw.
BonPacific
They focus on woodworking, similar to Rockler and Woodcraft in the states, though always a step up in quality. Their Veritas brand hand tools are tied with Lie Nielsen for the best mass-market woodworking planes you can find. Unlike Lie Nielsen, they stock a variety of brands, including well-regarded entry-level tools like Narex.
There is also the gardening side, which I don’t have experience with.
fred
Over the years, their Veritas manufacturing in Canada – has introduced many tools – including planes and precision measuring tools that are of high quality at an affordable price. Their planes typically offer different options (e.g. different choices of steels for their plane irons).
Some years ago they started a new line they called Chestnut Tools – with some unique items – but usually sourced from China.
I have always found them to be a good company to deal with – and my wife likes their Gardening Newsletter.
The yeti
From what I understand. Most products available in canada . Tend to be of good quality . It seems our high taxes keep a fair bit of junk out of the country . Not sure what I think about this . High prices suck . So does cheap junk though
The yeti
I’m far from a woodworker . So I guess I was blind to some of what Lee Valley sells . I do like to garden . Lee Valley seems to cater to the high end box garden crowd . I am not there yet . The store was broken down into 4 quarters . Festool in the back left . Wood turning in back right . Garden in front right . And tills in front left . The store felt empty . I had trouble figuring out was a display and what was for sale . It really seemed odd to me. I was having trouble figuring out exactly what they were selling or to who . It was pretty quiet in there . I do know one wood Turner. I’m sure he goes there .
fred
I’ve never been in any of their stores as I don’t get to Canada much – except for the odd vacation stop. So my experience dealing with them was first mail-order and now via the Internet. My strategy for buying from them is to encourage my wife to buy me one of their 10% off gift cards – when the have that pre-Christmas promotion – and then wait on one of their free shipping deals. Shipping into NY (maybe elsewhere too) they apply sales tax.
Chris Ball
The Lee Valley retail locations work sort of like the old school Sears catalogue stores if you are old enough to remember them. They have most of the SKUs on display on the floor, you write the SKUs of what you want on a piece of paper or use one of their computer kiosk jobbies and then go up to the counter where all the items are pulled from the warehouse at the back for you.
Normally everything that is out of stock is on a big whiteboard behind the counter, or at least this is how the BC locations work.
The yeti
I wondered if it was not a catalogue sales depot . Thank you for clarification. I live in bc as well . We just got our Lee Valley last year .
Rob
Their Canadian Veritas manufacturing arm makes products that are highly regarded and sought all over the world. Mostly woodworking hand tools (planes, planes, planes, etcetera) and related gadgetry.
I can imagine walking into one of their stores and being befuddled, myself, however. No matter how massive their own tool line is, it pales in comparison to how many sku’s their stores/catalogs carry (hardware, gardening, home goods).
https://youtu.be/fOpwhFlD38M
Drew M
I simply can’t understand why anyone would use these since I’m fairly certain you can’t use them to cut. These are only good for scraping, no? Maybe I’m an elitist jerk because I know how to use a skew chisel on a lathe but I don’t consider scraping to be “turning”. Also, sharpening a scraper is soooo easy.
I can pretty much guarantee they aren’t using special inserts and those are all industry standard inserts.
http://www.carbidedepot.com/Inserts-C1.aspx
Craig
They are fairly standard. Some claim a “special” carbide that lasts longer, but that’s more like the PM-V11 vs O1 vs A tool steels in the plane iron market.
I know LOTS of people who have made their own insert based turning tools and they work just as good (and way cheaper based on the insert cost). A metal rod, a turned handle and a little fidgeting with the front where the insert goes is all that is required. (A lot of Youtube videos on the process).
However that said, I have been buying commercially produced ones mainly because I’m not wanting to spend the time making tools for making things. I save my time where I can.
Recall that they were borrowed from the metal working industry that has been using the insert style stuff for years – so the tech is nothing revolutionary.
Some argue that using traditional lathe tools give you a better finish – but for a novice turner, I’m happy to produce fairly good quality pens and bowls with a simple system. I don’t have to sharpen which means less gear in my small shop.
Craig
And yes, the traditionalists will tell you the carbide tools are scrapers rather than turning tools. However, you make arguments along those same lines for the power tool users vs handplanes. Handplanes certainly and without doubt give you a better finish and less dust. However, power tools give you advantages in speed for larger scale work. It all boils down to what you want to use and enjoy and what sort of level you want to get into in your woodworking. I’m moving toward the goal of someday being good with both (a hybrid woodworker if you will) but I certainly appreciate the ease of use that the carbide lathe tools give me since I’m just starting out.
Hang Fire
They are used on Wood Lathes.
William
Picked up an exelcior lathe and a set of 3 carbide chisels from Rockler for $250 this holiday sale season.
Really enjoyed them, and started to enjoy turning so much that I got a full size Nova lathe and a set of full sized Easy Wood tools carbide chisels. I find them to work better than the Rockler ones, and the handles are beautiful and a pleasure to use.
I considered conventional lathe tools, but i have little experience using them, and I wanted to just turn, one day I’ll get a Tormek system and a set of HSS turning tools, but I’m getting good results and enjoying turning.
William
After the Holiday sale, the price went up to 300 for the lathe, no chisels included.
Put the lathe on Craigslist for $220, so I basically got the Chisels for $30
Nathan
not already owning a set of turning tools I’d be very very interested in a set like this. And carbide insert is probably the best way to go overall. If only because you can only sharpen something so many times – vs replacing a piece that is the wear item.
I agree that with the 2 sets of inserts in the box – it seems a pretty good deal.
Do they happen to have different radii on the square bit? I’ve already bought their carbide scraper thing. Love that
Meanwhile I bet that square piece would take “standard” metal turning bits. But I’d almost be inclined to make my own. I mean how hard could it be. famous last words.
Bolt
They’re super easy to make.
Fran
As a long time woodturner, I will tell you that a properly sharpened HSS tool will turn circles around the most expensive carbide cutter. HSS just gets sharper and will slice the wood fibers, not scrape them off ala carbide. That said, there is a place for carbide when it comes to roughing out stock, particularly endgrain in chalices and bowls.
Also, if you have a diamond sharpening card or stone you CAN sharpen the carbide cutters and get more use out of them. Just rub the face of the cutter back and forth a few times flat on the diamond stone and a new edge is there good enough for cutting wood.
I’ve bought lots of lathe tools and made from scratch more than a few dozen of varying types over the years (parting tools, roughing tools, bedans, beading tools, etc.) and carbide has its place, just don’t try to do exacting work with it.
People who moan about “all the time spent sharpening” just need a little practice. I am very confident I can sharpen any lathe tool I own in less than half the time it would take someone to rotate a carbide cutter.
Ryan Price
HSS gets sharper as you use it? That makes no sense. Why would anyone ever need to sharpen their tools then?
Hang Fire
What grade of carbide is used?
I can only see this being useful in a commercial shop, however commercial shops use more automated systems that create consistent results. The idea the hand-use would be done so continuously that tip wear becomes an issue seems to be more of a sweat-shop issue than a high end custom woodworking shop need… and sweat-shops don’t buy high-end tools.
The tools might be a minor commercial success, if (as mentioned here) they use commonly available cutters, then they can made a (relatively) cheap handle for the cutter and sell it at a handsome profit to DIY’s who have no real need.
Really committed wood turners cut their own turning tools, either by grinding down existing ones to new shapes, or from drill rod or knife metal blanks. The only tool I can see as being static in design and in constant use to justify Carbide is the cut-off tool.
Bolt
A lot of people are intimidated by sharpening and carbide tools let them skip that at the cost of having to sand more.
Also since these are mini tools they’re geared towards pen turners a lot of whom love carbide tools. Especially the guys who turn acrylic pens which are murder on the edge of normal tools.
Hang Fire
Good point, turning a material harder or more abrasive than wood is a good justification.
Baz
I’m regular Lee Valley customer. Bought many tools and small lathe. I do sell stuffs I made with that lathe and online too.
The 3 carbide tools cutters are not available now , even they don’t sell them individually, otherwise I bought some f them. I call the head office and they don’t know the spare cutters will be available in the future. without spare cutter you can’t use them long time. I have easy wood carbide cutters and they work well and the cutters are available everywhere. The 3 on sale for 119$ canadian and the cutter smaller than easy wood mini set
Ryan Price
I purchased this set a few days after this was posted and just received it last week. Very happy with it. The square and round cutters are numbered 1-4 so you can keep track of how many times you’ve rotated them. The detailer is numbered as well, 1-2. Despite being made in China its over all very good quality. No fit/finish concerns at all. Even the box is decent. I like the flats on the steel rods for maintaining proper presentation of the blade parallel with the turning axis.