What do you use?

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Partyof5

Partyof5

Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2011
Messages
30
Location
Litchfield Park, AZ
I am curious about what your choice of tools is when it comes to turning pens? Also other types of woodturning? Do you use
A) Traditional HSS or equivalent?
B) Carbide tip tools like those available commercially through Craft Supplies / PSI / Woodcraft?
C) Carbide tip tools like those made by fellow turners on this site like Woodchuck / Wood 1 of a kind?
D) Your own home made setup?
Thanks,
Jay
 
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Hi Jay,

I don't have any carbide tools,but hope to get a Woodchuck someday.for now,I use a nice full-sized Sorby roughing gouge,then sometimes a Sorby Spindlemaster,but most times I final cut with a small pen-sized skew using it like a scraper.

I know it's not designed to be used like that,but I have my Wolverine jig/grinder setup at the end of my lathe,so the skew gets touched up on the left setup,and the gouge on the left,and as long as they are always touched-up scary sharp,it works nice.

They are HSS.Also I just bought a nice,really deep bodied,yet only 1/16'' wide Sorby parting tool and tried it out tonight,super nice for making tenons.

I hope to keep adding to the tools as I try new things.

Steve
 
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My go to tool is the Woodchuck from Ken. For detail work I fall back on a 1" skew or a small bowl gouge where the WoodChuck will not fit, but my Chuck is my favorite.
Charles
 
All of the above, depending on the situation. I usually finish up with a skew. I like a round carbide tool for quickly taking down acrylic blanks, not so much with PR, as it is more likely to cause pitting than a radiused square carbide cutter. I have a Woodchuck PenPro on the way.

Dan
 
I'm probably not your average turner.. I tend to use whatever tool I pick
up first and stay with it. I'm not good with a skew, so I only use that when
I don't care about the blank.
Mostly I tend to use a roughing gouge, HSS and turn down to final dimensions.
I sharpen it on a belt sander beside the lathe and I use the wings on the
gouge like other people use a skew. I can get a pretty good finish right off
the tool using it like that.
Sometimes I use a Rotondo. Sometimes I use a bedan. Sometimes I use a
spindle gouge. And I usually sand when I'm done.. all of those tools will make
the blank round. I've even finished with a steel cabinet scraper with a nice
burr on it.
 
Whatever

I'm using sometimes a Rotundo - sometimes a carbide tipped gouge, sometimes a skew, sometimes an HSS spindle gouge....and sometimes a rounded versa-chisel....I'm not real good with any of them so it doesn't seem to matter much what I use. I'm still looking for a favorite.
 
My usual weapon of choice is a 3/4" roughing gouge and then to a 1/2" skew in scraper mode to touch up. On acrylics I then go straight to a Micromesh pad series used wet.
 
Until the first of this year a set of circa 1960's PowrKraft carbon steel gouges, skews and parting tool.

In January, I purchased a used Sorbey HSS set of skews (1 1/4" and 3/4" I think) and they do most my pen turning work now.

For bowl turning, I've got a mix of bowl & fingernail gouges and scrapers of different brands, all HSS however.
 
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Drop nose scraper (home-made) or spindle roughing gouge followed by a skew for pens. A variety of other turning tools depending on what I'm turning if not a pen. Whatever fits the task at hand.
 
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