Favorite Tool?

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Imported poll question missed, please edit

  • Skew

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Bowl Gouge

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Scraper

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Other (please reply with type)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
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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
 
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.
 
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.
 
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 :)
 
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.
 
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)
 
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 [:D]
 
I use a very shallow 1/2in gouge - it does a great job from start to finish/
 
Tom, how is the Spindlemaster to sharpen? Do you do it freehand?
 
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
 
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!
 
Originally posted by sparks
<br />Tom, how is the Spindlemaster to sharpen? Do you do it freehand?
Click to expand...

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

http://www.robert-sorby.co.uk/spindlemaster_instructions.htm#Sharpening
 
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.
 
I like the Sorby Spindlemaster. For a newbie it is great. no jig needed to sharpen...
 
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.
 
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
 
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 .
 
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
 
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.
 
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
 
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