The Tools for Woodturning

Woodturning is a woodworking technique that uses a wood lathe and a few handheld tools to cut a shape that is symmetrical around the rotational axis in a block of wood. A wood lathe is similar to a potter’s wheel, and its simple mechanism can create various forms. Some traditional items made on a lathe include knobs, tool handles, lamps, candlesticks, knitting needles, pens, baseball bats, bowls and chair sets, and hollow forms like wind musical instruments.

Although there are lathes for metalworking, glassworking, and patternmaking, the woodworking lathe is the oldest variety. The simple lathe features an adjustable horizontal metal rail and a tool rest, which helps with positioning handheld tools while shaping. After shaping, it is possible to remove the tool rest and press sandpaper against the spinning object. This additional step smooths the wood surface and details created with metal shaping tools.

Current woodturning typically uses a motor-driven lathe that spins the stock of wood at high speeds. A variable speed lathe can generally turn a piece of wood between 500 rotations per minute (RPM) and a maximum speed of 4,000 RPM. The rule of thumb is using low speeds for wide stocks and high speeds for thin stocks.

There are several handheld shaping tools, each with a specific purpose. The spindle roughing gouge is one of the biggest tools of the set. It is typically the preferred tool for creating a rough, round shape out of a wood block because of its wider body, which covers a large area. The roughing gouge is very versatile and helps create almost any basic shape, such a bowl, spindle, or bottle stopper.

Another tool commonly used in woodturning is the shallow fluted gouge, commonly known as the spindle gouge. It is similar to the roughing gouge in shape, but much smaller and allows for making details such as coves and beads.

The skew chisel is a flat, long chisel with a beveled edge and angled tip. It tends to be used as a tool for planing the wood, giving it a nice finish without the requirement of sanding. The skew chisel comes in a variety of sizes, allowing for the creation of very fine details. The shortest point of its cutting edge is the heel, while the longest point of its cutting edge is the toe.

Although woodturning is not dangerous if the proper protection equipment is used, skew chisels can be trouble if not used adequately. They tend to grab the wood while it turns, so they should always be sharpened and handled with care. One tip is to learn how to present the tool to the wood before turning. In particular, the toe should not contact the wood too aggressively. In most cases, the best choice is to position the skew chisel so that the toe is not touching the wood.

A woodturning tool typically used for shaping bowls is the bowl gouge. It is also known as a deep flute gouge and features a channel running down its length that is much deeper than the other gouges. The swept-back grind bowl gouge is another helpful tool for shaping bowls. It is similar to the bowl gouge, but features a shape that allows for a greater range of cuts.