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Thanks, Mark for the link, which was interesting but does not really address the issue of whether it is better to use a carbide cutting tool from the front of the lathe or from the rear mounted upside down.

I am sorry, Peter, that you didn't get on with your Sherline lathe. I have had mine for a 11 years and I love it. I bought it to turn brass, nickel silver and steel in connection with a finescale model railway I am constructing, but I have also gained great pleasure in recent months from using it to turn pens. Your suggestion about using a conventional steel bit in a tool post to make the initial cuts was the method I used for the first twenty or so pens I turned, but then I bought a Sherline tool rest and found that using that with a hand-held gouge was much quicker. I only use the tool post and carbide cutter for the final cuts because it makes them smoother and more consistent.

I will take a couple of pictures of my lathe set-up this afternoon and post them here.

Bob

<blockquote data-quote="Bob Ellis" data-source="post: 131651" data-attributes="member: 782">Thanks, Mark for the link, which was interesting but does not really address the issue of whether it is better to use a carbide cutting tool from the front of the lathe or from the rear mounted upside down.I am sorry, Peter, that you didn&#039;t get on with your Sherline lathe. I have had mine for a 11 years and I love it. I bought it to turn brass, nickel silver and steel in connection with a finescale model railway I am constructing, but I have also gained great pleasure in recent months from using it to turn pens. Your suggestion about using a conventional steel bit in a tool post to make the initial cuts was the method I used for the first twenty or so pens I turned, but then I bought a Sherline tool rest and found that using that with a hand-held gouge was much quicker. I only use the tool post and carbide cutter for the final cuts because it makes them smoother and more consistent.I will take a couple of pictures of my lathe set-up this afternoon and post them here.Bob</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Bob Ellis, post: 131651, member: 782"] Thanks, Mark for the link, which was interesting but does not really address the issue of whether it is better to use a carbide cutting tool from the front of the lathe or from the rear mounted upside down. I am sorry, Peter, that you didn't get on with your Sherline lathe. I have had mine for a 11 years and I love it. I bought it to turn brass, nickel silver and steel in connection with a finescale model railway I am constructing, but I have also gained great pleasure in recent months from using it to turn pens. Your suggestion about using a conventional steel bit in a tool post to make the initial cuts was the method I used for the first twenty or so pens I turned, but then I bought a Sherline tool rest and found that using that with a hand-held gouge was much quicker. I only use the tool post and carbide cutter for the final cuts because it makes them smoother and more consistent. I will take a couple of pictures of my lathe set-up this afternoon and post them here. Bob [/QUOTE]

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