When You Are Wrong – Man Up And Apologize

The Argument For Carbide–Tipped Tools

I met Craig Jackson around 2008 in Gainesville Georgia at a turning symposium. He was in the very early stages of introducing Easy Wood Tools with their carbide–tipped cutters. Craig is the founder and original owner, he is the “Father” of this category of turning tools. Others made similar tools but they never really caught on. Craig was finally able to make carbide–tipped tools a mainstream product.

I got to know Craig over those 4 days and I let him know in no uncertain terms that I thought he was ruining woodturning by promoting scraping tools over traditional high–speed–steel tools that cut wood fibers rather than tear them savagely. We agreed to disagree.

Over the next few years, I made a discovery and went from a strong detractor to a strong supporter of carbide–tipped turning tools. There is a fundamental truth that applies to everything in life.

If something seems easy people will try it. If it looks difficult, they are less likely to begin at all.

Using carbide–tipped scraping tools is easy. Just grab one and go. You don’t have to own a low–speed grinder and an expensive sharpening jig, or take the time to learn how to use it all. You don’t have to know different grinds or the difference between a bowl gouge and a spindle gouge. You don’t have to know about sharpening at all.

Craig’s success ultimately led to many more folks being willing to get started in wood–turning because it was so easy. What if it took longer and didn’t give as good a surface finish? They could still turn beautiful pens, pepper mills, bottle stoppers, turned–lidded boxes, bowls, and anything else one can make on a lathe. They were tuners just like everyone else.

Many of the folks who started with carbide–tipped tools later went on to acquire High–Speed–Steel tools and the associated sharpening station after all. But if they had not first begun the easy way with carbide–tipped tools and got hooked on turning, they would never have made it to this level.

Rather than ruin a whole generation of woodturners, Craig Jackson’s Easy Wood Tools actually increased the number of turners adopting woodturning as a hobby. I saw Craig a few years after our first meeting and apologized for my lack of vision. I thanked him for expanding our membership in the woodturning fraternity. Craig eventually sold Easy Wood Tools and went back to being an expert machinist. Thanks, Craig!

My advice is don’t hesitate to start someone out with an inexpensive set of carbide–tipped turning tools. HSS tools can come later. Make it as easy and affordable as possible for them to get started in turning wood. It may well lead to a lifetime of joy in the workshop. I see turning clubs offer free pen turning at public events and they almost universally offer a radiused square carbide–tipped tool to each total novice. And they get excellent results indeed!

When you are wrong – Man Up, admit it, apologize, and move on. Remember that wherever you go, there you are.

Here is my inspiration for this message.

(Lev 5:5 [MSG]) "When you are guilty, immediately confess the sin that you've committed

(Prov 16:18 [NIV2]) Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

(Col 3:13 [MSG]) Be even–tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you.

(Jas 4:17 [MSG]) In fact, if you know the right thing to do and don't do it, that, for you, is evil.