Wood Turning Tools
Lately I have found myself looking at the wood turning tools in some of the catalogs that we likely all get. The range of tools is a bit overwhelming for me and it must be a shock and a half for new wood turners. Still, with the exception of a few of the specialty tools, they all fit a couple of categories: roughing gouges, parting tools, spindle gouges, skew chisels, hook or ring tools, bowl gouges and scrapers. The rest seem to be choices of sizes and steels. There are a few variations in the shape or depth of gouge flute, and the argument over flat or oval skews seems to be in fine form, but really there does not seem to be a whole lot new. Over on the rec there has been a discussion over how many tools a turner uses and for most of us, once you get away from the size issue, we have a couple for bowls,a couple for spindles, and a couple for hollowing. The more I look at them, the more I think that when my roughing gouge, which is the commercial tool I use the most, finally gets sharpened to useless, I will buy another beginner's set of tools. For the price of a rouging gouge I can get a decent beginner's set with roughing gouge and others that, If I have no use for them myself, can be used by students or given away.
2 comments:
People like Ray Key use the bowl gouge for almost anything, also as a roughing gouge, scraper or skew chisel...
Personnaly I bought a roughing gouge, spinle gouge, bowl gouge, "swan neck" hollowing tools, two scrappers, one parting tool, one skew chisel, one french "bedane", ...
But I must say I often use the bowl gouge for roughing or as spindle gouge, and don't used the skew chisel much. Instead I prefer the bedane (quite popular among french turners) as it's a very versatile tool. You can use it also as a skew chisel, and the sides behind the bevel can be used for scraping. So as the tools will need replacement I'll most probably also reduce their number.
Francois
http://boisetcopeaux.blogspot.com
Francois,
I like the thought of the bedane and will have to try one. I looked at them and they seem easy to make so I am sure one is in my future. It will have to be good to make me give up my skews though. Merci.
Post a Comment