PSI Woodworking LCHSS8 8 Piece HSS Wood Lathe Chisel Set

Customer Reviews

good tools, great price

2008-04-14
I am pretty happy with this set. I will be comparing this set to a 5 chisel set I previously purchased from Woodcraft at a sale price of $86 after tax, original price was $130 + tax. The PSI set cost me under $50 with free shipping and no tax. The blades on the PSI chisels measure between 6.25 to 6.5 inches from ferrule to tip, which is the same as the more expensive Woodcraft set. The Woodcraft set came with what I felt were clumsy, overly large, overly long, and slippery handles that felt too light, while the PSI handles are made with denser/harder/heavier wood that IMO handle better for more detailed work. The overall fit and finish of the PSI set is better, except that the Woodcraft set is sharpened better. For some reason, the edges of the PSI chisels that are supposed to be flat (not the ground cutting edges) round over near the tips of the new tools. Grinding/sharpening gets rid of the problem for good but that means you'll have to spend more time preparing the tools for use. This is the reason I gave it 4 stars out of 5. The PSI set also comes in an softwood/plywood case while the Woodcraft set came in a sad cardboard box. Funny enough, the PSI case needed some fixing just as I had read from the other reviews here. It wasn't broken though, there just wasn't enough glue applied to the lid and bottom of the case. A tiny bit of glue and some light clamping pressure fixed it up like new - a job that really should be a piece of cake for anyone. Amazon did a good job of packing it. The case is actually a nice touch. It's good enough to use on it's own, but I keep all my tools in a large rolling chest with drawers. The tools will roll around even if your drawers are lined with the good tacky drawer liners, so I unscrewed the hinges of the box, removed the lid and placed the box in one of my shallow drawers. This saved me the trouble of having to make individual partitions for each chisel inside my drawers to keep them in place. The PSI set was overall better, cost about 40% less, and came with three extra chisels, so I returned the more expensive set. I found all the tools included useful, except I don't need two skew chisels of similar size so I plan on grinding the tip into a different shape when the need arises. The well known Sorby chisels are good, but I couldn't justify spending $30-$40 for just one tool when an extra $10-$20 buys me eight of these.

Pleased

2008-04-05
It is true that they require sharpening often...but for the money, you really can't go wrong...unless you"ve been turning for a while and are ready for the next step. I've turned dozens of piece (exotic hardwoods - we're talking hard wood) and I am happy with the tools. I need to resharpen about twice per piece...but I'm ok with that.

Nice Case

2008-02-28
I just received my tools today. When I opened the box I couldn't get it out in one piece because the case was falling apart! I had to laugh out loud. Now the tools look nice to me, but I am a rookie turner. They look real "Beefy" and are labled nicely with M2 HSS and the size in fractional inches. The edges look great and I can hardly wait to try them. (My lathe is on order)
Right now the case is clamped and the glue is drying. It is a pretty nice case, just comes as a "kit". But I would have bought the tools without the case, so big deal.

IT IS TRUE...!

2008-02-26
Do not expect the box to make it thru shipping, Amazon could do a better job of packing but a little glue cures the box problem. Now the LATHE TOOLS are a very good beginners set. Quality tools good enough for getting into wood turning without spending $200 just to see if you like it. NOTE: They really do need to be honed to a fine edge.

Good for the money but...

2008-02-24
I didn't expect a lot for the price so I can't complain too much. One chisel had a loose handle and the wooden box's bottom needed to be reglued.

You get what you pay for

2008-07-02
At $6.50 a tool you get what you pay for, not a bad purchase for the price. Next time I will pay more and get better quality. I had to re-temper the tips, because they would hold an edge.

Tools are a great beginner's find

2008-06-12
I had no idea what all I wanted but I found this set and feel it will teach me how to use the lathe. Also will teach me what tools I will need in the future. The tools I found a little dull and needed sharpening. The tools came in a timely manner

Works good after sharpening

2008-06-11
This set is nice and heavy, seems like a good deal, but make sure you sharpen the edges straight out of the box. I'm new to turning so at first I didn't know anything was wrong, except that people on TV seemed to cut through stock like butter, and I was struggling to round-out a square blank. I honed the blades a little with an eze lap paddle, and wow, the difference was like night and day. I don't know how long these chisels will hold an edge, but they are capable of very nice cuts. Also, there is some kind of coating on the steel that I removed with fine sandpaper before honing.

Good set

2008-04-21
Overall good set of chisels - I would recommend esp for those new to turning or sharpening. I was very concerned about the loose handles as others have described, but fortunately my set were all secure. I think the picture led me to think they would be longer than they are, but had I paid attention to the "Product Details" that stated the shipping dimensions are only 18x2x13, my expectations would have been more realistic. Regardless, they are still comfortable and fun to use. All pieces needed sharpening before using especially the 2 larger gouges, so be sure you have access to a grinder (slow speed) or somewhere you can get them honed - I think Woodcraft offers a sharpening service. Given the free shipping and $30 savings for opening an Amazon credit card, the cost was only $19.99 - about $2.50 per chisel for M2 steel! Bottom line, I'm glad I got them and I'd get them again.

Good midi set

2008-04-19
I have to say I have purchased three of these sets in the last few years. I like them for small turning work. They aren't the highest quality available, but more than worth the money.