Favorite Tool?

[kennosborne]

What is your favorite tool to use to turn pens?

 

[kennosborne]

Here is my main tool:
http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/kennosborne/album?.dir=/Turning+Tool

 

[Daniel]

1/2 inch spindel Gouge. I have had several people recommend the Bowl Gouge though.

 

[PensofColor]

It might sound crazy, but my favorite is a 1-1/4" roughing gouge. For me, it turns cleaner than spindle gouges, and it's not as risky as a skew. My business partner, however, just loves the skew. Go figure!

Sheila

 

[Scott]

I mostly use a 1/2" spindle gouge, but generally finish off with a skew.

Scott.

 

[NCTurner]

I'm surprised to see the bowl gouge as the tool of choice, at least of those listed here. Even though the skew is my favorite, I agree with Sheila that the roughing gouge can be a useful tool as well, and I use it probably second most.

 

[Daniel]

I've had several people recomend the Bowl gouge. I just don't own one. and since I get by with the Spindle gouge I never seem to get the Bowl gouge to the top of my list of new toys. I'm sure If I knew what I was missing this woudl change. I don't have other turners to work with so I don't have the advantage of trying things out much. it's an all or nothing thing. so I'm usually a little slow to actually buy something in case it doesn't work for me.

 

[jdbailey]

1/2 roughing/spindle gouge...I've tried a skew and really like the results...but I have the tendency to screw things up with it

 

[knifecut]

I use a 3/4" roughout gouge to take the wood down to near the bushings, then sand. Will also use this gouge to put a small cancavity near the tip for the thumb and fingers.

 

[qquake]

I primarily use 3/4" and 1/2" spindle gouges, and a diamond parting tool. Sometimes I will use a skew, but not very often.

 

[melchioe]

I'm with Sheila - I use a 1.25" roughing gouge for the initial rough shape. I also use a 1/4" bowl gouge for some of the profile shaping when I need small profiles with agressive stock removal(and the rest of the chisels for their various purposes). But by far the most material removal is done with the roughing gouge, and I can get surpisingly close to final form using all parts of it (the edges can get nice details on all but the most delicate and deep profiles)

 

[Daniel]

and a diamond parting tool. Sometimes I will use a skew, but not very often.

What size Parting tool. My diamond tip parting toll has a 3/16 wide tip on it. I tried ll sorts of thing for cutting the narrow tenons for center bands until I finally bought a narrow parting tool from CSUSA. the best money I spent on tolls so far. I got it without a handle and turned one out of Olive that I had laying around. I still need to do some work onit to get the toll into the handle right. but what a gourgeous tool it is. I'm thinking about making handles for all my tools and put bands on them for a sort of code. like one band is the spindle 1/2 inch spindle gouge. two bands the 3/4 etc. so that I can identify them by their handles. not to mention show off some of my work at teh same time. besides I have a bunch of russian olive taking up room in my shop []

 

[Rudy Vey]

1/2 inch spindle gouge and finishing with 3/4 inch skew so that I start sanding with 400 paper

Rudy

 

[Robert]

I use a very shallow 1/2in gouge - it does a great job from start to finish/

 

[Old Griz]

Sorby Spindlemaster... works great and not as hard to master as a skew..

 

[Gawker]

I use a roughing gouge myself. I think it is a 1"
I just don't remember right now.

 

[sparks]

Tom, how is the Spindlemaster to sharpen? Do you do it freehand?

 

[txbob]

90% of my turning is done with a 1" roughing gouge, 9% with a 1" skew, and the rest is mostly a parting tool.

I think a common mistake made by beginners is using smaller tools, when the larger tools give better control and reduced chance of a catch.

txbob

 

[surg87]

I start with a 3/4" roundnose/bullnose gouge to get it roughed out and near final form (learned that from Ed Davidson), then go to a 1/2" gouge for the 4 ends and finish with an oval skew lightly.

Works for me!

 

[Mudder]

Originally posted by sparks
<br />Tom, how is the Spindlemaster to sharpen? Do you do it freehand?

My instructions say to use a diamond file across the top.

http://www.robert-sorby.co.uk/spindlemaster_instructions.htm#Sharpening

 

[bigdove]

I use mostly a gouge because I am still learning how to use the skew. I have made a mess of a few blanks but I am not giving up

 

[C_Ludwigsen]

I do at least 90% of my turning on each pen with the 1-1/4" Roughing gouge. Love that tool. However, I don't do sculpted pens yet, so that may change as I start adding to what I try.

 

[jwoodwright]

One inch "scary sharp" gouge. Next is a one inch "scary sharp" skew. I have many tools and even made some for specific tasks.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Whatever works. Some woods want a big gouge, others do beautifully with a large skew while still others demand a smaller gouge.

 

[BogBean]

I like the Sorby Spindlemaster. For a newbie it is great. no jig needed to sharpen...

 

[woodscavenger]

Sorby fingernail bowl gouge and a radius sharpened skew. those two tools are used 98% of the time on my pens.

 

[Tom McMillan]

Hey Kenn---Great to have you back posting!!!! Hope you're computer's working well!! Actually, I would classify my #1 turning tool as my Wood Lathe!! Then, I would say my second favorite tool would be the bastard file I use to rasp my grooves in my spirals---even though the lathe's not turning except by hand. Then I really use a variety of tools---whatever works best to get the job done. I do use a spindlemaster part of the time and it is very easy to sharpen---I just use a diamond file and run it across the top.

 

[Tom McMillan]

Wow, Kenn---Didn't see you posted this over a year ago----Hoping all's well with your computer!!

 

[Tom Stephens]

I use a HENRY TAYLOR 9/16 INCH M2 GOUGE
for almost everything.
Tom
Branchport, NY

 

[Gregory Huey]

I use various spindle gouges to rough in and then go to a 3/4" oval skew.

 

[Gary]

Sorby Spindlemaster for me.

 

[RockyHa]

I use a 3/8"s spincle gouge to make the blank round and then finish it with a 1/2" skew. But I'm a newbe and don't know any better.
Rocky

 

[Deere41h]

Turn it round with a 3/4" roughing gouge and finish with a 1" Skew. Skew gives me the best finish.

 

[Darley]

I use 3/4" and 1" skew as well as 3/4" roughing gouge depending the hardeness of the wood, I like the small detail spindle gauge I just got from Ryan ( full set of 5 tools ).

Serge

 

[dougle40]

That's a tough one to answer . I use a 1" gouge to rough turn round , then a 1" , 1/2" and 1/4" skew to finish and a set of mini tools for any fancy turnings and recesses .

 

[ctEaglesc]

Don't really know the names of the chisels, I just use what works,
I have a couple for different areas of turning.
The one I reach for the most is a "flat rounded end Skew"
After roughing I use it for more final shaping.
If I want to make long evenly shaped cylinders,I have a chisel in the HF set that looks like a parting tool but the cutting edges are beveled.I can use it similar to a skew but it cuts deeper and I just guide it along the tool rest right to left or left to right.
Newest favorite tool is a short handled 1&1/2" Fuller flat wood working chisel like you would use to make mortises for door locks.
Hone it up and it "straightens out the bumps" left by gouges

 

[JimGo]

I use a 1" skew for roughing and turning. Haven't gotten as sophisticated as Doug, but will probably switch to other tools when I do.

 

[Fred in NC]

1" fingernail gouge. Great for roughing out, and I can shape a pen with it if I want.

 

[wayneis]

A few months ago I gave myself a treat, I bought a new Crown Pro PM 1/2" spindle gouge. What a treat, I havn't used any other gouge sense. It gets and holds a better edge than what I could ever get with the ole HF tools, and at DW's suggestion I bought that cardboard honing wheel and havn't only used the wolverine about twice sense. Just a quick touch up on the honing wheel and off I go.

Wayne

 

[mik]

Made my own - from a heafty old square section metal file - square cut to a rake of 70 degrees, with a slight chammfer on each leading eadge - cuts like butter and will do as one tool to sanding!