Woodturning Tools - What to Look For

Woodturning Tools - What to Look For

One quick look at a woodworking or woodturning catalogue will expose a bewildering array of tools from which the woodturner can choose. If we consider such things as chucks, centers and other methods of holding or measuring wood and restrict ourselves to hand held tools that cut wood, there is still an overwhelming assortment. For the sake of simplicity, it is easier to divide the array into gouges, skews, scrapers, parting tools, hollowing tools and simply others. A look at the assortment of beginner's sets on the 

market gives evidence that the first four are the most used tools in the wood turner's kit.

Gouges are generally divided again into roughing gouges, spindle gouges and bowl gouges. The roughing gouge is usually the first one a wood turner reaches for to rough down a spindle on the lathe. It should have be a robust cross section of steel and be shaped to a half circle. It is sharpened straight across and all parts of the edge are used for cutting as the tool is rotated on the tool rest. One of the things to look for here is a long and strong handle for good leverage. Widths of 3/4" to 1 1/2" are readily available and a 1" tool is a good, general compromise.

Spindle gouges on the other hand, are generally used after the rough shape of the spindle is set and it is now time to smooth the work and cut beads and coves. Thus the steel may be lighter in cross section and the end is sharpened to what is often called a "lady's finger nail" shape with a long bevel. Most of the cutting is done just past the tip with the tool riding the long bevel for fine control. Widths range from very small to quite large but a 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" will suit most people very well with the 3/8" likely being the most used.



Bowl gouges are not usually included in a beginner's set but are necessary for anyone interested in bowls and most face plate work. Look for a strong steel shaft and a nice cross section profile. This may vary from a "V" with rounded bottom to a "U" but should be proportional in its use of sides and bottom. While styles of sharpening vary, straight across with a 45 degree bevel is a good start. Long and strong tools are the norm with 18" to 22" long tools being common. Widths vary but 3/8" is a good starting place.



The skew is the magic wand of woodturning. Under a practised hand beads and coves appear from a tool that is itself flat. In fact it excels as a spindle plane. Looking down on the tool one sees a skewed tip, ground back at an angle of about 70 degrees and beveled to about 30 degrees on either side. There are two cutting areas, each being the third from the long or short point. Cutting at the center of the tool is asking for a rather dramatic catch. Widths generally range from 1/4" to 1 /12" but larger and smaller are available. For most people a 3/4" and 1" will suffice.


Parting tools are primarily for parting the work from the lathe cut are also used to size work to dimension and for some other cuts. In other words, they tend to be used for a straight in cut with lots of torque involved. For this reason they are used on edge to give a small cut with a lot of support. The cutting edge is found most often in the center of the tool with a bevel of 45 to 30 degrees. Profiles will range from flat to diamond and a 3/4" to 1" tool should meet most needs.

This should give a kit for a great deal of enjoyment to the turner. With that said, all tools need practise in their use but the practise itself is fun at the lathe. Also individual tastes vary as do styles of turning. Eventually, many wood turners settle on favourite themes in turning and their range of tools decreases. For others, variety is the watchword both in the style of turning and the vast array of tools. The important thing to remember is to have fun and enjoy the tools you have while dreaming of new ones out there.