Thoughts on Easy Wood Turning Tools?

[rcarmac]

Recently I have been considering purchasing the Easy Wood Tools Starter Kit. I hadn't 100% made up my mind when I received them as a gift for Christmas. Thoughts or Experiences? I am considering keeping them versus returning.

 

[KenOfCary]

We use them pretty much exclusively for our outreach events. They are very easy to use to teach people basic turning. The finesse required of traditional turning tools is not there with EWT. This is a good thing for quick learning to turn and for an experienced turner to quickly produce basic shapes. You can do more with traditional turning tools by finessing the result - they require less sanding than EWT after the fact, but at the expense of a higher learning curve.

Charlie uses EWT for the marvelous segmented turnings that he turns out, so very professional results are definitely possible.

Personally, I use a combination of EWT and Traditional tools, but whenever I get frustrated trying to do something with a traditional tool, I usually just swap it out for the EWT and get the job done. I do tend to use a traditional roughing gouge to get to round from square though. Seems to work faster for me than the Easy Rougher.

 

[JonB]

The first questions are what kind of turning will you do and how involved in turning do you intend to be? If you will just do simple stuff only occasionally then EWT have a shorter learning curve. Be aware that EWT are scraping tools, they don't cut so you will always have to deal with torn grain and the additional sanding that goes with it. Fine, precise turning (i.e. small finials) are not suited to EWT. Traditional gouges are far more versatile although the learning curve is steeper but once you learn good tool control you'll find that it's more satisfying to cut rather than scrape. I learned to use traditional gouges before EWT came out, I've used EWT a few times and didn't really like them. With conventional tools you get shavings and curls, with EWT you get dust.
In the end, in most cases, if you look at a finished piece you can't really tell what tool was used but only to the turner will the process matter.

 

[Mike Davis]

If I got one for a gift I would keep it. They are useful in certain situations even if you are expert with traditional tools.

 

[gritz]

I turn a large variety of both soft and hard woods...mostly from green stock that I process, rough-out and dry. Some I get from crotch-slabs and boles that are already pretty dry. I rarely turn any piece that doesn't have very unusual color and grain characteristics. That means that tear-out is almost always a factor, and a good finished product is challenging.

I started turning with EWT because we had a discount buy here on NCWW. I had seen an impressive y'alltube video of a guy in Japan spinning off yard-long green wood strings, and I decided I wanted to do that.

Eventually, I was not satisfied with the amount of tear-out and sanding required to produce finish turnings in pieces with such varying grain structure. I only use the EWT now for occasional roughing or hogging off wood. Finessing and finish turning is done with traditional tools, with much less sanding required. The basic difference is whether you are scraping the wood fibers at a 90 degree angle with the EW Tools, or slicing the wood fibers with properly sharpened and applied traditional tools. As with all tools, the user is the final judge.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced turner, I'd say keep them because they were a gift, and because there are uses for both EW and traditional tools. You just have to figure out what works for you. If you don't like them, you can always sell them here.

 

[TENdriver]

Robert, I use traditional turning gouges and don't own any EWTs. I had to google what your set looks like.

The short answer is by all means keep that set. I can see the set being useful to even a more experienced turner. While I don't own any EWT scrapers, I have more than a few conventional scrapers in HSS, cryo etc. There are certain cuts that are easier and safer (as in not destroying a piece with one final pass) to do with a scraper.

Sometimes I will even custom grind a scraper to do a specific cut.

No hesitation about those tools. Grab some stock and start turning with them. You'll enjoy it.

 

[Mike Mills]

I haven't used the Easy Wood but I do use carbide occasionally for roughing out. I agree with others that more sanding is typically required and you are much more limited in spindle work with the cuts available.
My biggest problem with the Easy Wood is the $$$$. In the full size it is $120 but the cutter is $20.
So that is $100 for a bit of square bar, handle wood, and tap and drill bit; maybe $20 total.
I tried to find "Easy Wood Tools Starter Kit" but it did not show up in a search.
"Easy Start Turing Tools" did show up but they state they are only 12.5" length overall.
I don't think you will be able to do bowl work with a tool that short. But the Starter Kit may be completely different.
If full size I would keep since they were a gift, if the small/miniature set I would consider swapping.

 

[JGregJ]

My experience matches Ken's comments. I use a mix of EWT and traditional tools. I'm still learning and sometimes the traditional tools pose challenges and I'll turn (hehe) to the EWT to get past the hardspots.

 

[TENdriver]

Robert, I went back to the EWT web page to see if I could clarify the 100% banner. When I click on it nothing happens. Dug a little deeper and found a letter from the founder that says to use the tools and if you're not 100% happy with them we (EWT) will buy them back.

I'd try those tools and see how they work for you. If you don't try them...well, I suspect very few people end up not being happy with them.

 

[Sam Knight]

Like most here have already chimed in, I have and use a mix of carbide and traditional tools as well. You will find out that they do come in handy at certain stages of turnings. Cutting a mortise on the underside of bowls or tenons on spindles the square EWT works great and the round tool will transition from the inner side walls to the bottom with ease compared to bowl gouges. They do tend to be grabby at times so a light touch is crucial. I have a good friend that turns mostly bowls and he uses EWT almost exclusively. He gets very good results but he has two of each tool so he switches to the freshly sharpened tool for the lightest final pass and can start with 120 grit. Keep the tools, you will not regret it and I'm sure you will reach for them often.

 

[Mike Davis]

I know they instruct you to keep the tool at 90° to the work, but I have experimented with turning the tool at an angle for a shear cut and got good results. Don't always blindly follow instructions if you are sure you can be safe and may find better results.

 

[KenOfCary]

I have both the full size set and the mid-size set - I tend to use the full size mostly, but the mid size are useful for pens, bottle stoppers, etc. Small stuff.

I get curls when using them. When I start getting dust it is time to rotate, replace or sharpen the carbide. It takes longer but carbide does eventually dull.

There are cheaper sources for the carbide inserts - AZCarbide is one of them - find them on smile.amazon.com.

 

[aplpickr]

My wife has been turning for at least 11 years. Everything she turns is small and from dry, kiln dried wood. She concentrates on pens and Christmas ornaments. She uses a steel roughing gouge, and 98% of her turning is done with a combination of EWT and Hunter tools. She does not get tear out. She does not turn bowls. She hollows at least 50 ornaments in southern red maple before she has to rotate the cutter. She does not like sharpening because of the fire danger from the sparks. We got her a Tormek. The carbide cutters allow her to keep a sharp edge. She turns at least 125 ornaments and fifty pens annually. A properly used carbide tool will produce as fine a finish as any other tool! Carbide tools require proper angle control, JUST LIKE ANY TURNING TOOL. Do you remember what you produced before you learned to support the bevel? Time spent sharping is time you are not turning.