What's your tool of choice?

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Rogersab1223

Rogersab1223

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Joined
Jun 22, 2011
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Location
Alexandria, VA
Hey everyone -

I'm sure we've all narrowed our turning tools down to one or two "go-to's" that we do most of our turning with. What are yours?

Believe it or not, I do about 90% of my work with a 3/4" spindle gouge. The guy at my local woodcraft recommended it and, after my initial thoughts that it was overkill, I gave it a try. The size and weight really help to reduce vibration and I can manage the tool really well. I do just about everything but beading and coving with this. The other 10% is my 1/2" roughing gouge which I use to round square blanks and a parting tool I use for grooves. I can't remember the last time I pulled the skew out for pens anymore.

What's your tool routine?

Andy
 
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I use a skew for most of my turning, I have 6 of them, some ground for waht I want to do with specific designs. I also use carbide tools on man made materials that are really hard, my go to carbide is the Rotundo.
 
Jim in Oakville said:
I use a skew for most of my turning, I have 6 of them, some ground for waht I want to do with specific designs. I also use carbide tools on man made materials that are really hard, my go to carbide is the Rotundo.
Click to expand...


+1 on the ROTONDO carbide tool, but then again you can say that I am a bit biased.:wink:
 
Skews for me almost exclusively. But, sometines the wood will decide on the tool.I agree that larger tools do help dampen vibration and may hold onto the wood better. My carbide tools, when needed, are the Easy Wood Tools.
Do a good turn daily!
Don .
 
I start with a 3/4 gouge then I use my New Edge Carbides 3/8 and then finish with a finely honed skew. It cuts down on tool marks and saves a lot of sanding time.
 
3/4" roughing gouge from my HF set does 90% of pen turning. Most but not all get a final pass or two with the skew from the same HF set.

For bottle stoppers it's mostly the same tools and others from the HF set.

For bowls I have a 1/2" fingernail bowl gouge from Woodcraft and a 3/8" Sorby Bowl gouge. I also have a Sorby muli purpose hollowing tool for shapes the bowl gouges can't do.

When I need a scraper I have a flat nose scraper (Craftsman!) that I bought from someone. I paid $5 for it, I don't even know what kind of steel it is and it looks like it must be 20 years old and well used but it is one of my favorite tools.
 
1" roughing gouge, pen pro, skewchigouge. (I don't think I have used my spindle gouge since I got the skewchigouge). Parting tool for inlays. I'm beginning to use the skew more and more, but I'm still leery of it :biggrin:.
 
1" roughing gouge for rounding the blanks (and sometimes finish cuts).
But mostly a 1 1/4 in. Sorby skew that's been working real well for me after getting used to it.
 
Skew for pen and spindles for me. I use my bowl gouge when I am doing bowls. mmmmmm wonder if thats why they call it a bowl gouge.??Lol

Lin.
 
1" roughing gouge sharpened with my own preferred profile.
(so it probably isn't anything like a roughing gouge anymore)
I use the wings like a skew, but it is more stable for me.
For fast hogging I use a Rotondo.
For harder materials I use an old diamond point scraper with a
sharp angle, come in from the sides with the point turned at
a 45° angle, riding the side bevel.
 
wood-of-1kind said:
Jim in Oakville said:
I use a skew for most of my turning, I have 6 of them, some ground for waht I want to do with specific designs. I also use carbide tools on man made materials that are really hard, my go to carbide is the Rotundo.
Click to expand...


+1 on the ROTONDO carbide tool, but then again you can say that I am a bit biased.:wink:
Click to expand...
+2 on the ROTONDO, and we spelled it right also. LOL.
 
As a newbie, I've mostly used the roughing gouge for pens, start to finish. I felt I needed to branch out and have been finishing up with the skew, esp with acrylics. I've been thinking about pulling the trigger on a Woodchuck Pen Pro.

For the few pendants I've done, I've had luck with scraper and skew.
 
@1 tol for everything except hammer work is the WoodChuck. Good clean cuts ready for 600 paper and finish. Can't be beat.
Charles
 
I use a Sorby 3/4 gouge also.I have tried and tried,but I just can't master the skew.I can do it all day long going right-to-left,but flip it and go left-to-right.Sorta like if I try to sign my name with my left hand,I guess.

So I end up using my skew like a scraper for truing things up,works good for me.

I can go both directions with a gouge,though....weird.
So I got a Spindlemaster,and that works pretty good.

Steve
 
got my Woodchuck UniTool in the mail today as a gift from my family for fathers/birthday. Handle glued in before I left for work. I will not get to use it before friday.

Phil
 
I usually use about four or five tools - either a gouge (1/2 inch I think), a small fingernail ground gouge, skew, round scraper or my homemade carbide insert tool...
I will say that I use my skew alot more since I've actually learned how to use it.
 
sbwertz said:
1" roughing gouge, pen pro, skewchigouge. (I don't think I have used my spindle gouge since I got the skewchigouge). Parting tool for inlays. I'm beginning to use the skew more and more, but I'm still leery of it :biggrin:.
Click to expand...

Hi Sharon

I have read all comments and you have used both the pen pro and the skewchigouge. I have researched both and like both but have only read and seen it on paper. Obviously getting both would be the answer but I would not servive if I get two more tools. My wife WILL kill me. I am leaning towards the skewchigouge as I have the sorby multi tool already but still need heaps of prsctice with it. I bought the large one instead of the mini one. I mostly do pens, bottle stoppers and small bowls etc. Love doing the smaller stuff as I only have the Vicmark 150 lathe. In your honest opinion which tool to you like best and why and could you do with out one and which one?:confused: To get them both I would have to sell heaps of pens first.:frown: I love using my skew but wish for something new, exiting and easy for a change. Thanks, Roger
 
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