Good Afternoon Ernie Conover!

I have been woodworking for about 25 years off and on and would like to try turning again – last done in a shop class in high school about 25 years ago.  I can imagine spindels for shaker chairs and bowls/vases as potential projects in the first few years.  The lathe I eventually buy will be a middle of the road type, not professional but not a mini either. 

Any suggestions on a turning set of tools?  Do I need the “Basic 5” often shown in the turning starter kits or would I be better off beginning with 3 or 2 or 4 and buying the additional tools as I need?  I notice the Sets are often much cheaper than the individual tools – are these basic 5 all useful? (3/4″ roughing gouge, 1/2″ round nose scraper, 1/8″ parting tool, 3/8″ spindle gouge, 1/2″ skew chisel)  I notice that SORBY has 4 different “Sets” with diamond parting tools, Square scrapers and bowl gouges – are they necessary or just nice to have?  Unfortunately, there is nowhere here where they teach this outside of the schools to learn the trade.   Any advice on how best to learn – DVDs? Books?

Thanks for your advice and suggestions!  I imagine it is a bit like carving and sculpting, you just don’t know it until you know it, then I always wonder what the confusion was about.

Cheers

Jim Farley

Marostica, Italy