Best Woodturning Tools and Recommended Best Tools For Turning Wood

Beginner WoodTurning Tools

So on our Woodturning Basics facebook group a new member had a question about what tools to buy. What should he get, he didn’t have a lot of money and wanted to be frugal.

So, I shared some of my experiences with him and gave him some ideas on what kind of woodturning tools to buy or consider buying.

Which Woodturning Tools Should I Get?

I don’t feel like working tonight so I think I will put a little thought into your question.

First I will assume you are either new to wood turning or you haven’t turned that much yet?

Let me tell you my story first.

My Start In Turning Wood

I don’t know why, but suddenly I had the urge to buy a lathe…maybe because I kept seeing it at Harbor Freight. So….I bought the 12×36 and the cheapest set of Chinese turning tools they had…..I think it was around $40 bucks.

Up until this point I hadn’t turned anything since high school, probably 45 years ago. I did not watch any YouTube videos, didn’t read anything online, didn’t attend a club and didn’t even read a book. This is not the approach I would recommend to anyone 🙂

I set up my lathe. Figured out there was a faceplate to use or to turn between centers.

My First Woodturning Project

I cut a piece of dead ash tree branch about 4″ wide and maybe 12″ long. Put that between centers and tried to figure out how to make it round by sticking each tool into the rotating piece. You can imagine some of the tools didn’t work so well. I did get it round, put a little design on it, coves and round overs. Then I sanded, finished and drilled a hole in the top for a candle. First project, gave it to my wife and she is so good…..encouraged me to do more ….the thing was pitiful 🙂

I share that story because I had to learn how to use traditional tools that were crap. They were unsharpened, I had no idea how to sharpen them when I started.

After a while I found YouTube and the wealth of info on all things related to woodturning.

Sharpening My First Woodturning Tools

oneway wolverine woodturing tool sharpening jig — Best way to sharpen your woodturning tools, gouges and chisels is the oneway wolverine sharpening jib

After watching enough videos I decided to try and sharpen my tools by hand. It wasn’t pretty but they were sharper than when I purchased them. It was amazing what a difference it made.

So….my first suggestion is to get a cheap set of tools and a wolverine sharpening jig along with an eight inch grinder with white oxide stone wheels. Mind you, I’m telling you the cheapest way to go, others will say get daves, thompsons and get cbn wheels before you know it you spend $1000 and all you’ll do is grind those expensive tools away to nothing. My theory is to learn with the cheap stuff unless you have deep pockets. Once you know how to sharpen your woodturning tools, go ahead and buy some good stuff.

#1 Get a Cheap Set of Turning Tools to Practice Sharpening On

-I found this set of woodturning tools for $20 and its probably the worse set you can buy, but you should buy it so you can learn sharpening https://amzn.to/2LFvuMh
-As you grow in your knowledge of woodturning tools you can reshape these tools into specialty tools if you so desire, making tools is fun!

#2 Next you need to get a Wolverine Sharpening System.

This is important because you will learn how to properly get consistent angles and sharpening on your cheap tools, once you get that figured out you will be able to sharpen you new good tools and not waste metal. The wolverine sharpening system is the first of its kind and the one everyone is copying. This is the exact one I purchased https://amzn.to/2YfAAR5

#3 You can use it with just about any grinder

But …..you will want to set up a dedicated grinder. I did a lot of looking and found one at Harbor Freight, 8″ grinder with a lamp. If you use their 20% or 25% coupon I think I got it for under $40, you can order one online if you don’t have a store near by https://www.harborfreight.com/8-in-bench-grinder-with-gooseneck-lamp-62501.html

#4 You should change out
the grinding wheels.

I got an 80 grit and 120 grit POWERTEC 15505 White Aluminum Oxide Grinding Wheel, 8-Inch by 1-Inch, 5/8-Inch Arbor, https://amzn.to/2LGaIfj Also look into a stone dresser, I went at least a year without properly dressing my grinding wheels, when I did, my sharpening was 100% or more better https://amzn.to/30TqnLN You can use the wheels that come with the harbor freight grinder…..they will be hard to keep true and will not do a very good job ….but better than nothing.

Now you have some new woodturning tools. Wolverine sharpening system and a grinder. You just need to practice. Watch some YouTube videos, the Wolverine system comes with a dvd that is pretty decent. It just takes time and it won’t matter if you grind those tools down the the wood….you will only have lost $20 🙂

#5 I pieced my tools together after I figured I needed some decent tools.

The first woodturning tool I got was a 1/2″ bowl gouge, then some scrapers, I made some tools [parting tool and carbide tool] check them out here:

The most expensive wood turning tools I have are Robert Sorby’s and the difference in the sharpening and the steel is nothing short of amazing. I have yet to have any Thompson, Carter or D-way tools, they say those are just dream tools…..maybe some day. Until then I just have to sharpen my tools more.

#6 What type of turning will you do?

Depending on what type of turning you will want to do will determine what type of tools to buy. Lets say you want to turn bowls. Then you’ll need some good bowl gouges and a couple nice scrapers.

#7 Consider Getting Some Hurricane Woodturning Tools.

If you are unsure of what to get then you won’t go wrong with getting a set of Hurricane Tools. I did not buy the set but one or two tools at a time. This Hurricane set has just about anything you would need to start out. The steel is good and I’ve found I can get them almost as sharp as the Sorby tools. Hurricane Woodturning 8 Piece Starter Set – Bowl Gouge, Scraper, Roughing Gouge, Lathe Chisel Set https://amzn.to/2YiAacO

In my opinion this PSI set PSI Woodworking LCHSS8 HSS Wood Lathe Chisel Set, 8-Piece is a step below the Hurricane but it is half the price….around $70 but still, a good set to practice with and many turners use these as their all around turning tools, you get a nice selection and can always add to it latter https://amzn.to/2SDe9nA

#8 I found as I started turning that I had 100 catches a minute.

I thought of changing my name to “Catch” although I still get catches I have learned how to use the tools properly. But there are times when I am turning an odd shaped piece or difficult piece and I just can’t get my bowl gouge in correctly …or I’m just ripping up the fibers of the piece or I’m just uncomfortable using a gouge.

I discovered Hurricane’s big scrapers. They are 1-1/2″ wide and almost 1/2″ thick so they can take some abuse and you can control it. A scraper takes a bit to learn also, it all depends on how you hold the tool. If its 90 degrees or more to the work you are guaranteed a catch. But if you go 90 degrees to your work and pick up on your handle slightly you will get good cuts and you can easily spill any catches that might come up. I would highly recommend this set of scrapers if you are doing bowls. https://amzn.to/2JNQ9f2 you get a right side, left side and round nose scraper. They are easy to sharpen and they are pretty easy to learn how to use. The robo hippy (Reed Gray) https://www.robohippy.net/ does almost all his turning with scrapers and you can learn how to do shear scrapes and other cutting scrapes that make mirror finishes. Make sure you check out his YouTube channel

I might add for you or anyone else if they wanted to get into the “best” quality of wood turning tools Robert Sorby Woodturning Tools has a great selection and you’ll find Carter and Son with some of the best turning tools there is also D-way Tools I heard the owner sold the business so I cannot confirm the quality and Thompson lathe tools these are high end tools and the only ones I have experience with are the Robert Sorby turning tools. You can learn a lot from the other 2 sites, they have a lot of sharpening videos and how to use their tools.

#9 I would be remiss if I did
not mention carbide cutters.

I didn’t buy a complete carbide woodturning tool but made a couple for myself. I had no knowledge of how to do that, just followed some directions …YouTube again. You can buy a bar of steel, tap it and screw on a carbide cutter and of course turn a handle for it. It will service you well and you just might want to make a few for yourself. I purchased the carbide cutters in packs of 10 https://amzn.to/2yb4coa these round carbide cutters (inserts) are my go to for hollowing. I also picked up a pack of 10 square cutters (inserts) https://amzn.to/2LImmpV

The nice part of carbide cutters (inserts) is they take abuse and last forever. Also you can sharpen them with a diamond hone and they will be just like new.

When I get a little scared working a piece of wood that is odd shaped, I will go to my carbide tools ….the round cutter. It takes a beating and I’m comfortable with it. It basically is a scraper so the finish isn’t going to be great until you learn how to shear cut with it.

Also, the carbide tool (round insert) is one of the best for tough hollowing situations. The smaller the size the less you bite off and the easier it is to hollow and not gouge out, catch out the interior of whatever it is that you are hollowing.

I tried to hollow a cup with those Chinese tools I told you about. That pretty much scared the crap out of me and I almost walked away from wood turning. I had a small round edge scraper extended 4″ or more off the tool rest, the thing was catching every 10 seconds. I tried other tools to no avail, I got it done but then I had to try to sand it …..it was scary. A carbide tool with the round insert would have saved the day and gave me some confidence. I recommend anyone who is starting to turn wood to have a round and square carbide. That doesn’t mean you should not learn tradition tools! But in some cases, carbide tools keep a new woodturner turning wood ….and there is nothing wrong with that 🙂

So, if you don’t want to make your own carbide tools, pick one up. It will last you forever. Don’t go cheap, that is, don’t get the smaller size. If you are doing bowls, cups, vases and other bigger items you will want the large size carbide tool, of course if you are doing pens and small stuff the small carbides work fine. They are categorized as full size, mid size and small of mini size. Here’s a list of tools I would chose from:

Wood Turning tool Finisher YUFUTOL Carbide Tipped Wood Lathe Full Size Bar and Handle set With 18mm Round Carbide Insert，Screw，Star Key Wrench,for wood hobbyist or DIY or carpenter,Type R-18 https://amzn.to/2Yh040t

Here is about the cheapest set of carbide turning tools:
Simple Woodturning Tools – Pack of 3 Full Size Carbide Tools (Rougher, Detailer, Finisher) with Interchangeable Foam Grip Lathe Tool Handle, USA Made, Stainless Steel https://amzn.to/2LCNuqF

Understanding a Starter
Set of Lathe Chisels

This is a basic video on how to use basic woodturning tools for spindle turning. That is, a piece of wood between centers of the headstock and tailstock.

Basic Woodturning Tools
Needed for Spindle Turning

This is undoubtedly one of the best:
Easy Wood Tools Full Size Easy Finisher Replaceable Carbide Insert Cutter Lathe Wood Turning Tool Gouge Scraper with Maple Hardwood Easy Grip Handle Model #4200 https://amzn.to/2Yjn8eU

Well, I hope I haven’t confused you but you find this info helpful. Just remember to have fun with it, be safe, ask questions. There are many guys/gals in this group that know much more than I do and I would hope they would be willing to help you along the way ….so, never be afraid to ask 🙂

Good luck, let us know how things progress and what tools you get. I always get excited when someone posts pics of their new tools and equipment …I truly am happy for them ….and a little jealous 🙂

Woodturning Supplies and Tools From Ron Brown’s Best

Ron Brown’s Best
Supplier For
Woodturning Supplies and Tools

There are a handful of good suppliers of woodturning supplies. I’ve tried some orders on a few different online woodturning supply businesses but since I am sick and limited in budget I have to spend my dollars wisely. So…I end up ordering a lot from Amazon.

In my opinion Amazon provides good products, great pricing and quick delivery. It has to be almost impossible for other woodturning supply companies to compete with Amazon. That makes me sad, so I try to order and buy from small mom and pop type businesses, whether they be local or online.

As a community of woodturners I think we should be aware of our options when it comes to buying our woodturning supplies and tools online. Take the effort and try to order from some of the small websites and if there is a local guy….give him a shot.

If money were not an option I would love to get a set of tools from Doug Thompson or Dave Dave Schweitzer from D-waytools.com but once again, my illness has left me broke so I either make my own tools or I have to buy cheap but effective woodturning tools.

Recently I discovered a supplier I did not know much about, Ron Brown’s Best…, I checked out his site and it seems like he has some really unique and affordable woodturning tools. Seems to me I heard of him a while back but I simply forgot to check out his site, a member of our facebook group http://facebook.com/group/woodturningbasics mentioned the site and a purchase he made. He was extremely happy with his order and service. As a community of woodturners I find it helful to acknowledge and pass on good sources of woodturning suppies, tools and equipment. So, as I don’t have first hand experience now….I wanted to let you guys know of a good woodturning supply source on a second hand basis….hopefully I can picke something up soon and let you know how it goes.

Anyway, the guy from our group spoke to Ron about which product to buy ..which one would fit his needs based on his experience and he couldn’t say enough good things about Ron ….so I recommend you check out https://www.ronbrownsbest.com for your woodturning needs!

Let me know if you order and what your experience was like!

Oak Burl Woodturning Project

Wood Bowl from Oak Burl
Woodturning Project

Another piece of oak saved from the firewood pile.

I thought I could get some nice slabs or even make a couple of book ends or something out of this but the woodturning part of me got the best of it.

Roughing Out the Bowl Blank

I drew a 12″ circle on the piece with the big hump in the middle. And then I roughed out the circle on the bandsaw….very rough!

I found what I thought was a center and ended up using my Nova Scroll chuck with the woodworm screw and the far side tailstock. It was rough going at first but it settled down after I started putting some shape to it. I was using my Sorby 1/2″ Bowl Gouge and it cut the oak like butter.

Cut A Tenon For Nova Scroll Chuck

I worked the far side and formed a tenon, I decided this would be the top of the bowl since the side that was mounted in the chuck needed a lot taken off the be shaped properly. Everything going good so far.

I haven’t used a woodworm screw method of attachment with the Nova 2 Scroll Chuck much, in fact I only tried it once before. I was surprised by the fact that it held tight and did not strip out. I tried it with the tailstock against the piece at first but then pulled it out to cut the tenon on the back of the oak burl blank.

After the tenon was shaped I flipped over to the back by the chuck and started shaping the bottom of the bowl. Everthing was going good, the bowl was taking shape ….it wasn’t going to be as big as I wanted but I still might get 10″ out of it on the outside top of the bowl.

Roughing Out the Bottom
Of The Oak Burl Bowl

I did some more roughing on the bottom and the shape was coming along well, I stopped to check it out because I noticed a grabbing feeling. I was using my DIY 5/8″ circle carbide cutter to rough now, it worked great ….in fact it works much better with the circular cutter than with the square cutter. I made the tool using 5/8 x 5/8 square bar and it allows me to extend it quite far beyond the tool rest, also absorbs a lot of shock. Carbide turning tools are more forgiving than traditional woodturning tools and when I’m a little unsure of sticking my nice Sorby bowl gouge into a oddly shaped rotating piece of oak….. I use my go to carbide woodturning tools. If you haven’t tried these types of tools and you are new to woodturning, they can really boost your confidence.

Oh, Oh! ….A Great
Big Hollow Knot

Anyway, I noticed a big ole knot, actually a hole that makes the whole piece look like it is hollow on the inside. Pretty much a piece of firewood now.

But then I came up with an idea, not sure if I will follow through or if its worth the effort.

The piece is hollow enough that I might be able to fill it with epoxy …something like alumilite. I heard of someone using alumilite with coffee grounds. Not sure if I want to invest the money or time ….will put it on hold for now.

Woodturning Tool Recommendations for the Beginner

Woodturning Tool Recommendations for
the Beginner

So you decided to get into woodturning.

You purchased a lathe, a good wood lathe like a Laguna Lathe ….you’re stoked and ready to turn.

Oh, Oh!

Need some woodturning tools!

Laguna Revo 13\36 wood lathe — This Laguna Revo Wood Lathe wreaks of quality, gonn be my next purchase!

I think that’s the scenario that many of us go through. Maybe we don’t buy the lathe yet but we do the research and figure out which one we are ready to get ….in other words, you are ready to pull the trigger on a woodlathe.

My friend, you’re just starting out and you are going to learn that there is a lot more to woodturning. There are a lot of wood turning tools and supplies you are going to need. And, you are going to have to learn how to use these new tools.

Each new wood turning project will require different techniques, differnt tools and different wood. It will require a different plan of attack. Even if you decide to turn a couple of wood bowls, chances are you will need some different tools and each one ….and maybe even a different finish on each one. It all depends on the type of wood and style of bowl.

I’m not going to talk about all the different accessories in this article, but I do want to talke about what is probably one of the most important considerations when entering into the world of wood turning. I want to talk about your woodturning tools.

First you are going to find out that the same type of tool from one vendor is 10 times the cost with another vender or manufacturer. In this case, you usually get what you pay for, but should you buy expensive turning tools to start off with?

Expensive WoodTurning Tools

If you have the cash, go for it!

If you are like most wood turners, that is, always frugal and a good steward of your money you are going to want to purchase tools with the best value to start with.

After fighting through pages and pages, videos and videos about wood turning tools I have come to understand one of the most important things is the type of steel. A wood turning bowl gouge made with less expensive steel will not perform as good as the same woodturning tool made with the best steel. Not only that, it will not hold an edge and you will always be sharpening it.

This could be a double edge sword. It’s important to learn how to sharpen your wood turning gouges, skews and the like because ….number one, it will cost a fortune to pay someone to sharpen your tools and with a cheap tool you might have to sharpen it 2 or 3 times during the project …so you will have to learn how to use something like the Wolverine Oneway Sharpening Jig …you’ll need this regardless of the type of tool you have along with a decent 8″ grinder. So the lesson is, with a cheap tool you will learn sharpening faster and that’s a good thing because when you buy a good expensive Sorby Bowl gouge you don’t want to grind it away honing your sharpening skills with the grinder and oneway sharpening jig!

Don’t Buy A Set of Woodturning Tools

The other mistake most newbie wood turners make is that they buy a set of woodturning tools. A set might have 5 to 10 wood turning tools in it. You might find you only really use 2 or 3 of those tools and you really don’t need the rest at this point.

It’s better to purchase 2 or 3 seperate wood turning tools of better quality and learn how to use those tools and how to maintain and/or sharpen them. And then as you do more research and your scope of woodturning expands you can grab another medium to high quality tool and learn how to use it.

If we consider the last paragraph, then the question would be….. what tool should I start with? A very good question. I would suggest a spindle gouge, a bowl gouge and a scraper. I don’t hear too many woodturners talk about scrapers, but a good scraper has saved my butt on many occaision and it’s a tool that can build your confidence. Spindle gouges and Bowl Gouges come in many shapes and sizes along with different grinds on each …..unless you are a natural they require some effort to learn but with these three wood turning tools you can do just about anything. The only other one I would suggest to begin with is a parting tool.

Here’s a good video that talks about what type of woodturing tools to begin with….good stuff, excellent photography since you can actually see how the tools cut. For instance a bowl gouge with a fingernail grind can make 3 or 4 different cuts and it could do your entire project if used correctly.

Check out Beginners Woodturning Tools

TEKNATOOL SUPERNOVA 2 (SUPERNOVA2) 23245 Chuck Kit with JSCOLE jaws, JS25N jaws, JS100N jaws, Woodworm Screw, PLUS JS50N 2' jaws, NCSC Chuck Spur, 4mm Bondhus Hex Key for fast jaw changes

Supernova 2 23245 Kit plus 2" Jaws, Chuck Spur, & Bondhus 4mm Hex Key for Fast Jaw Changes Includes SN2 chuck, JSCOLE jaws, JS25N Jaws, JS100N jaws, Woodworm screw, Fasteners, PLUS JS50N 2" jaws, NCSC Chuck spur, &Bonhus fast change hex key THIS IS AN ISERT TYPE CHUCK AND WILL REQUIRE THE CORRECT INSERT TO MATCH YOUR LATHE - PURCHASED SEPARATELY One Handed tightening with incredible gripping power Accepts full range of Nova jaws, adapter feature allows chuck to be fitted to most lathes.

Fixtures and Chucks for Woodturning: Everything You Need to Know to Secure Wood on Your Lathe (Fox Chapel Publishing) Advice, How-Tos, and Wood-Gripping Projects for Both Beginners & Advanced Turners

Get a grip on your woodturning! Inside, find information on: Drive Centers and Live Centers Faceplates and Screw Centers Scroll Chucks Handy Shop-Made Chucks Jam Chucks Collets and Mandrels Cole Jaws, Doughnut Chucks, Longworth Chucks Vacuums, Vacuum Systems, and Vacuum Chucks Steady Rests Turning Projects Assembled Pieces What's the key to successful and safe woodturning? Simple: Make sure the wood is properly secured to the lathe before you turn it on! This book will help you save money on woodturning, expand your abilities, and master new challenges, giving you more success and confidence at the lathe, so you can pursue any style of woodturning you can imagine. Fixtures and Chucks for Woodturning gathers all the essential information about woodturning chucks and fixtures in one place, making this critical step in woodturning more accessible and easier to understand. More than merely a reference for dedicated turners, this book is designed to help you improve your skills and broaden the range of projects you can tackle at the lathe—whether you're a beginner or an advanced turner—by presenting a carefully crafted combination of how-to advice and interesting, engaging projects. Packed with more than 28 projects and 500 photos, you will continue to sharpen your turning skills throughout each chapter. Fixtures and Chucks for Woodturning clearly explains how to get the most from commercial chucks, centers, and faceplates. But it also shows how you can make your own, allowing you to tailor your wood-holders precisely to the work you want to do!