Go to tools?

Ryan Mooney

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What are your go to turning tools?

For bowl work I do probably 90+% with the 5/8" gouge and a 1" round nose scraper. The exception being some detail work where I can't fit those in (small beads, or really small vessels) where I use a couple of smaller gouges.

For spindles I'm 90+% using a 3/4" roughing gouge and a 1.25" skew for 90+% of spindle work. Exceptions are I was using a smaller skew to undercut rings but them made myself a couple of ring tools out of some allen wrenches (and haven't used the small skew since) and coves which I still use the spindle gouge for (and I recently tried cutting some beads with the spindle gouge but didn't find it a whole lot easier than the skew since I'd forced myself to learn the skew first). I've also used the bowl gouge for some spindle work, it makes a passable spindle gouge and allows a higher angle of attack if you need it sometimes.

I've been thinking some sort of hollowing rig would be useful but haven't been able to bring myself to spring for one yet.

In general I've been finding that I mostly like to use the largest tool that can "fit". Its more stable, you have more edge to cut with which allows changing your presentation more easily, and are easier to get the angle correct anyway as you have more tool to "read" off of.

This of course means I have a small collection of other tools that don't see daylight very often :rolleyes: They all seemed useful when I got them somehow.. but it seems that the more I turn the less I use. Eventually I expect to be turning bowls with the skew somehow... :eek:
 
Although I like my carbide, it's not the end all be all that a lot of turners, especially pen turners, think they are...I like a well rounded tool box. My go-to is 1/2" Thompson U gouge with a Monster handle. When I start turning again...I'm sure the 5/8" will find it way to my home!! The 1/2" Taylor skew is one of my favorites as are the D-way beaders.
 
+1 on the "largest tool that will fit" concept. Silly as it sounds, I like using a 3/4" bowl gouge to turn pens and bottle stoppers because it offers more cutting edge to use before I need to go sharpen. (If I was better with a skew, I'd probably favor that due to the extra cutting surface.) If I had to choose a single bowl gouge, though, it'd probably be a 5/8" 'V' shape Thompson.

I also use my 1 1/2" heavy bowl scraper a lot. I really like it for refining inside curves. (And my heavy 1" square scraper for refining outside curves, too.) It took me a long time to learn that heavy scrapers are much easier (for me) to control and to take super light finishing cuts.

Another go-to tool on nearly every project is my 3/8" shallow detail gouge. It's great for details (big surprise, lol) but I use it most often for the final light cuts as I finish and part off the bottom of a bowl or hollow form.

Lastly is an old Harbor Freight skew that I re-ground into a special scraper shape for cutting the tenon dovetail for my chucks. Looks sort of like this:

Dovetail Tenon Scraper 600.jpg

Unlike most "dovetail tenon" scrapers, this shape lets me come in from the side of the piece instead of from the end. :thumb:

And another +1 for hollowing rigs, especially the laser-guided ones. I don't think I'd even try a hollow form without one. I'm partial to the Monster systems (I'm biased, since owners Todd and Michelle are friends of mine and I do work for them), but there are others out there, too.
 
My go to tool for most of my turnings seems to be my 5/8" bowl gouge... I have two different sized roughing gouges that were a gift and while they work well to spindle work, I usually grab the bowl gouge even for roughing.

For pen turning I'll start the blank round with the bowl gouge, but mostly will switch to a 1" flat skew.... don't do many pens anymore and if she gets back on her feet and can stand for a length of time, going to teach Dianne how to turn pens...
 
I usually grab the bowl gouge even for roughing.

For pen turning I'll start the blank round with the bowl gouge, but mostly will switch to a 1" flat skew....

Interesting. I use the bowl gouge for some spindle work, especially for turning spoons it works well for getting in and around the bowl area because that's basically a bowl cut (lots of end grain) and lots of turned air. I have a very slight preference for the "roughing" gouge for most flat spindle work though because I found its easier to ride the bevel on so its less likely to bounce on long/thin things (the skew even more so) and if I do a planing cut with it I can get an almost skew like quality to the cut.

don't do many pens anymore and if she gets back on her feet and can stand for a length of time, going to teach Dianne how to turn pens...

Love the engineering: http://www.thewoodturningstore.com/...Woodturning-Lathe-for-Seated-Turners-437.html
It would however take a whole lot of pens to pay that one back :eek:

Do give our best to Dianne!
 
I'm going to add a good broom and a scoop shovel to this list!

Sheesh, the lower flower beds are all mulched the upper flower beds are all mulched the flower beds that didn't need mulch are mulched the neighbors have been threatened with wheelbarrow loads of mulch.
 
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