Which turning chisels are your favorite?

[wyone]

Still learning to use different tools and also how to sharpen the HSS ones, but curious what are the favorite tools of everyone?

I use a 12 mm round carbide a LOT and a 3/4 gouge and I have been trying to learn how to use a skew, but my skew is not the best.

I actually have several sets of tools, ranging from Buck Brothers to old shopsmith and old Sorby. Learning to sharpen and then use is my goal for the year.

But I am curious, if you had only say, three tools what would they be?

 

[wwneko]

My three are detail gouge and bowl gouge for sure. Then I'm stuck deciding a skew or roughing gouge, obviously they don't do the same work. If I had to live without, I'd go without the roughing gouge I guess, for sure if I were only turning pens.

 

[Dan Masshardt]

3 tools for all types of turning? That's really tough since I turn bowls too

Okay, here they are - skew, 1/2" bowl gouge, narrow parting tool. I think I could accomplish everything with these three

 

[BayouPenturner]

I use some carbide cutter tools, and my skew fir pens, I use my 1/2" bowl gouge for bowls.

 

[Cmiles1985]

I just bought a Hurricane Tools oval skew, and I'm loving it. It and a large skew were relatively inexpensive on Amazon with good reviews. Top three would probably be my oval skew, my 13mm Sorby Soindlemaster and a thin parting tool.

 

[TimS124]

1/2" spindle gouge is my go-to tool these days for pen turning...I use it for roughing in, final details, and everything in between.

Oval skew would be my next favorite since I can rough in, make beads, paring cuts, marking out, etc etc. I've used it for entire pens and styluses as well just to prove to myself that I could (and to force myself to get more experience with that tool).

Bowl gouge would be third on my list if I was limited to just three. Otherwise, I'd toss in a good roughing gouge and a nice parting tool...

 

[kingkeyman]

Oval skew, parting tool, gouge.

 

[kovalcik]

Three won't really work. It depends on what I am turning.

For pens: 3/4" Roughing gouge and 1/2" or 1" Skew.

Bowls: 1/2" Bowl gouge and a rounded nose scraper and a side scraper.

Boxes: Homemade R2 carbide for the hollowing, bowl gouge for the outside.

Also have a regular 1/4" diamond parting tool and a homemade thin parting tool that I use a lot for everything.

If I had to just choose three, 1" Skew, 1/2" bowl gouge, and my thin parting tool.

 

[Chasper]

I only every use three type of tools.
1. 1/2 inch scraper, I have 7 of them that I alternate through
2. Skews, 5 of them.
3. Carbide cutter holder, only one of those.

I use scraper then skew on 95% of the pens I make, carbide on the rest.
I haven't use a gouge in years.

 

[Dan Masshardt]

I only every use three type of tools. 1. 1/2 inch scraper, I have 7 of them that I alternate through 2. Skews, 5 of them. 3. Carbide cutter holder, only one of those. I use scraper then skew on 95% of the pens I make, carbide on the rest. I haven't use a gouge in years.

Interesting.

You rough square blanks to round with a scraper? Round nose, square nose?

 

[Chasper]

I only every use three type of tools. 1. 1/2 inch scraper, I have 7 of them that I alternate through 2. Skews, 5 of them. 3. Carbide cutter holder, only one of those. I use scraper then skew on 95% of the pens I make, carbide on the rest. I haven't use a gouge in years.

Interesting.

You rough square blanks to round with a scraper? Round nose, square nose?

Round nose scraper. I turn acrylic, rarely wood. It takes 15-20 seconds to turn to round, another 45-60 seconds to get down to final touch up. One to 2 minutes total turning time for most blanks. I was slower for the first 10,000 blanks I turned, I got faster over the second 10,000 blanks.

 

[wyone]

ya. 20,000... I would think you would have learned some tricks..

 

[Lenny]

Woodchuck pen pro
1 " Skew
Homemade parting tool
Seldom use anything else for pens.

 

[plano_harry]

I only turn pens, so a square carbide (use as a skew or scraper) and a parting tool are all I need, so I will give the third too to Dan and he can have four. :tongue:

 

[Crashmph]

For pens... I pretty much only use my EWT Full-Size Easy Rougher square with an R2 cutter.
Full-Size Easy Rougher
Full-Size Easy Rougher
Full-Size Easy RougherR2 cutter in there.

For kitless pens through, I'll add in my EWT Mini Easy Finisher round and my Sorby 1/8" parting tool.
Mini Easy Finisher
Mini Easy Finisherwith a Ci3m cutter.

 

[TellicoTurning]

I don't turn pens much anymore, mostly bowls, pepper mills and wine glass stems... the
first tool I reach for is my 5/8" bowl gouge.
for the other two, probably would be my 1" skew (although I have a 1/2" skew that I use almost as much) and my 3/4" side scraper for cleaning up the inside of bowls.

For pens, probably would use the bowl gouge as a roughing gouge, the skew for smoothing the blank and maybe my 1/4" spindle gouge for turning antler.

 

[Wood Butcher]

The 3/4" roughing gouge, you saying there are other tools?
WB

 

[Dan Masshardt]

The 3/4" roughing gouge, you saying there are other tools? WB

Hence the name wood butcher. Lol

 

[nava1uni]

A bowl gouge, a 3/8" spindle gouge, a skew and a parting tool.

 

[jsolie]

For pen turning it's 95% a 3/4" oval skew, occasionally a carbide tool if the material warrants it.

For bowl turning, heh... I don't even remember the diameter for the gouges I use. I think there's a 5/8 and a 3/8, I just use whatever one's needed for the cut I'm making. There's also a round carbide cutter that I'll use sometimes as well.