Has anyone had experience with Serious Tool works tools?

[jacklewis]

http://www.serioustoolworks.com/woodturning-gouges.php
Reputed to be of better steel than other tools on the market. Also are double ended. Is double ended an practical advantage? Are replaceable shafts held with set screws or locking collar as reliable as regular ferrule mounted shafts?

 

[hockenbery]

Is double ended an practical advantage? Are replaceable shafts held with set screws or locking collar as reliable as regular ferrule mounted shafts?

Haven't used the Serious tools have used a full fluted gouge.
I think the handle attachment is personal preference. I am prone to loosing set screws so I avoid them.
A double ended gouge has +++ & --- . If you do demos you can have a gouge with two grinds Saving weight in the tool bag. You always end up with a good bit of unusable flute when the gouge gets short. Hard to use in a wooden handle.
If you work over the tool rest a good bit, a round bar will vibrate less than one with a flute ground its whole length. If you stick to 3" or less over the tool rest you probably won't see a difference.

 

[robo hippy]

I don't know which type of metal they use, but I don't think it is V10 like Doug Thompson uses. It is very hard. Is it V15, I don't know. I Scott Trumbow (or how ever he spells his name) gave me a sample some years back which held an edge really nicely, but I didn't like the flute shape at all, but it was a prototype. I saw him in Atlanta, and the shapes are better, but I don't have one that I have used.

robo hippy

 

[Mark Hepburn]

It is hard to imagine that the Serious steel is better than Doug Thompson, or the Crown PM. I'm not an old hand at this, but personally I prefer to have a wood handle because I like the feel of the better, and for work a bit far over the rest, I just have some long heavy handles.

I do have a set of the Glazer Hi-Tec tools and they're very nice, precisely machined and it has a spring-loaded collar with a set of detent bearings that snap the tool into place. Very elegant system and I really like the tools, but I really don't like swapping out tools with a single handle.

I know there's lots people don't mind that, but for me I just don't like it so it's just something to think about. As to security of the tool, I use epoxy to mount in the handle. And, the handles can still be taken off although some effort.

 

[Bill Blasic]

I have the 5/8 serious gouge (secret steel) and handle and yes it stays sharper than M2 it does not stay sharper longer than Thompson Lathe Tools steel. Thompson vs Hi tech -same steel (10V) difference between a 5/8 tool and handle is the price check it out for yourself.

 

[Steve Worcester]

Are replaceable shafts held with set screws or locking collar as reliable as regular ferrule mounted shafts?

About %90 of the tools I use are in Bosch or Thompson handles, which use 2 set screws, no problems at all. I also have some Robust collet handles and those work well too.

As far as double ended tools, maybe it is my mind, but I just thing they aren't as rigid as single ended.

 

[Mark Hepburn]

Bill, how do you like your Serious gouge?

I like the Hi-Tec tool set but it's a bit on the small side. I got it for some classes I did (and hopefully will) take when things normalize down here in the oil patch.

 

[Roger Chandler]

I have 3 of Serious Tool Works gouges, 1 large scraper and two of their Cam-Lock handles. I am a real fan of the cam-lock handles, and the gouges do have a flute milled the entire length, which does allow for 2 different grinds if one wants that, or the same grind, which is quick and easy to swap ends when a grind gets to the place it need sharpening.

The tool steel is proprietary to Serious, and they do not reveal what it is, but it is hard and holds a great edge. I have and use Thompson lathe gouges, and have several other makes as well.....Sorby, Crown, Pinnacle kryogenic [made by Crown] and Serious. In my opinion, the Serious is pretty much on par with other makes. Their "ultimate gouge" is 12" long and has the best edge holding abilities, and their regular M-2 steel holds a good edge as well, but the Ultimate gouge hardness is somewhere between 68-70 on the Rockwell scale, which makes it a pretty long lasting edge.

I used one of the Ultimate gouges a week ago when turning a calabash bowl at a club demo...........I never had to take it to the grinder for resharpening for the entire bowl. I use CBN wheels to grind with and they work great on the Serious gouges, probably better IMO than the white aluminum oxide wheels. Norton 3x wheels do well on them also.

Scott Trumbo has been to our club on several occasions and demo'ed twice.......several of our turners use his tools and seem to like them just fine.

 

[Mark Hepburn]

Wow Roger. I just went and looked at their tools for the first time in +1 year. Pretty nice stuff. The cam lock handle looks like it might work like the Colt Maxi-Cut Forstner bits. Just a twist and they're locked in, is that right?

 

[Roger Chandler]

Mark, they have two size collets that fit into the cam-lock handle. A 1/2" collet that fits their 1/2" gouge as well as Thompson gouges [I use both brands in my handles] and a 5/8" collet for the larger gouges as well. There may be other makes that will fit, but not the European as they measure the flute size, and not the overall diameter of the tool steel.

The cam-lock handles do provide for warmth for the hands in a cold shop, and that neoprene covering helps eliminate vibration to the hands which is always helpful as well. As to whether or not the Colt Maxi-Cut drill bits will fit.........probably not, as the shanks would probably be too small for the collets from Serious, but if you have a 1/2" shank on some, then maybe?

 

[Mark Hepburn]

Roger, thanks. I wasn't suggesting that the Colt bits would fit; just that they seemed to work on the same principle.

That large Serious bowl gouge is a "serious" piece of steel.