Picking Out The Best Turning Tools

[John Novak]

Being ready to start turning, I need help in picking out the best brand of turning tools.

[Steve Mawson]

Can't go wrong with Thompson. If you keep them sharp most brands will work. I am still using a few carbon steel Craftsman that I got when I was around 12 years old. That was a l o n g time ago. Time does fly by.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

John,

I don't know that there is a "best brand" per se.

There are a lot of good brands and each brand has it's own advantages. Tastes differ among turners.

Like most things in life, it's a matter of personal taste and budget.

[Al Wasser]

This could turn into a real debate. In my view "Best" is the tool that does what you want it to do. Keep price in mind. Just because some tool is cheaper does not make it bad. I have several different brands and they all work.

[Don Orr]

Thompson tools are easily some of the best turning tools available today. Very reasonably priced for what you get but remember they come unhandled. There are many excellent manufacturers out there. Just look at any woodturning catalog. In fact, you can learn a lot about tools just by reading the catalogs. I have a range from cheap Harbor Freight on up to Thompson. When sharp, they all cut wood. How sharp you can get them and how long that edge holds up varies a lot.

As a beginner, I would advise getting some basic tools and learning how to sharpen well before diving in to the more expensive tools. Avoid buying a "set" of tools if possible-there will probably be tools in there you may never use. Benjamin's Best tools are well regarded and inexpensive, and they have "sets" of tools that actually make sense. Also look at the Woodturner's Catalog for their "Artisan" line by Henry Taylor. Packard also has a house brand that are very good. Some of my personal preferences are Hamlet and Crown tools, especially the Crown Pro PM line. I am personally not a huge fan of Sorby-I think they are overpriced and nothing special.

For spindle-oriented turning you need 4 tools-a spindle roughing gouge, a skew, a spindle gouge and a parting tool. For faceplate/bowl turning all you need to add is a bowl gouge (or 2 or 3:D).

Good luck and have fun and be safe. Get some lessons, join a club, read some books, watch some videos and PRACTICE.


These are strictly my own opinions and worth every cent you paid for them ;)

[Dan Forman]

The biggest differences in tools is the type and quality of steel they are made of. This in turn affects the keeness of edge that is possible, as long as how long they will go between sharpenings.

Most modern tools start are made of either high speed steel or some type of powdered metal. HSS will take a keener edge, but it will not stay sharp as long as the powdered metals. Either HSS or powdered metal can be heat cryogenically treated, which is is supposed to make the edge last even longer.

Neither HSS or powdered metal will lose temper when burned during grinding, which is a big advantage over carbon steel, however neither will take as keen an edge as carbon steel.

The other major consideration is the size, shape, and quality of the handles. In the case of Thompson and P+N tools, as well as a few others, you can buy the tool unhandled, and save some money as well as having exactly the style of handle you want. This places Thompson tools (powdered metal) either at or below the price of most HSS handled tools, which is quite a good deal.

I have a bunch of Thompson's, (most of my go to tools) but also a fair assortment of Sorby's, mostly due to the fact that Sorby's are available locally, so no wait for delivery or having to make a handle before they can be used. I also have a Hamlet Alan Lacer skew, a few Taylor's, and the very economical Harbor Freight starter set that allowed me to make the handles for the Thompson's.

Dan

[Steve Schlumpf]

John - there are a lot of good tools out there and what is best for you really depends on what it is you want to turn.

Like Don, I also have a collection of tools from Harbor Freight to Thompson and have to agree with his opinion of Sorby. Nothing wrong with the tools - I've just found other brands that I prefer.

Getting with a local club BEFORE you buy tools would be a good move as you could try out some of the different brands and see which work best for you.

[Bernie Weishapl]

+1 for Thompson tools. Can't go wrong.

[cliff smith]

recently bought a couple of thompsons, cant belive the difference and i havew tried harbor freight to sorby. and sorby is good too.

[Kenneth Whiting]

I recently started turning with a set of tools from HF. I haven't been disappointed with them yet. I bought a bowl gouge from Thompson (which arrived monday and looks great) that I have not had time to put a handle on and try out yet. I'm certain I will not be dissappointed.

[Mike Minto]

i don't know that there is a 'best', as has been said above. not all companies make all types of tools, and some tools just feel 'right', based on lots of variables like material, tempering, as those parameters effect size and shape of tool. you'll probably have to try a few and discover what works best for you, the individual turner. not all high-speed steels are created equally, as i've liked and disliked different tools from the same company. mostly i have sorby's, but my collection of thompsons is growing.

[Mike Spanbauer]

If you don't have a good sharpening setup, I would go w/ some budget tools at first and spend more on the jig / grinder.

Thompson, Hamlet, P&N, Sorby, and MANY others make great tools and then there is a whole slew of good enough tools. However, you really need to pick a sharpening system that will work well for you first as even the very best steel will dull eventually and a poor sharpening system will never get it sharp again repeatably.

mike

[David E Keller]

I would advise you to buy the best quality tools that you can afford. I've got several cheap tools that I ordered from eBay, and I've not been at all impressed. I especially notice the difference in quality with gouges. I use scrapers from time to time and I've not noticed as much difference there between cheap tools and higher priced tools.

If you're handy, you can make some of your own. Bottom line, nobody has ever regretted buying quality.

[Doug Thompson]

Find a club then pick out a couple and learn how to use them... stick with it then one day everything will fall into place.

[Barry Elder]

Listen to Doug, 'cause he makes some of the best tools on the market. There really is no "best" tool because it depends on your skill levels. Join a club, get a mentor, enjoy life!

[John King]

John - Title was just to get your attention. Don't buy any tools until you have had a chance to try out a few. Here's one approach that worked for me as I began woodturning.

Find a local woodturning club and join. Go to the meetings. Most clubs have identified mentors and/or members who give turning lessons for a fee. Find someone in the club that will come to your house with their tools and give you a basic lesson in spindle turning (or bowl turning if that is your primary interest) on your lathe. Nothing beats practice on your lathe under the watchful eye of an experienced turner.

Most mentors and turners that give lessons have a large portfolio of tools in a variety of sizes made by a variety of manufactures. Try them all. Talk with the instructor about what you like and don't like about his tools. Talk with him about what he likes and doesn't like about his tools. Find out why he bought them. Does the same purchasing logic apply to you? Check out the handle shapes and lengths. What feels good? What does not feel so good? All of this is done in your shop on your lathe.

After working with the instructor, I believe you will be better prepared to make tool purchasing decisions. - John

[Matt Ranum]

Picking the "best"? If a person bought "Benjamin's Best" brand, wouldn't that count?:p:D

Seriously though, I think as long as you pick up a recognized name, its most likely a quality tool. The key is properly sharpening techniques, which I myself am still working on.:rolleyes:

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Be careful when you say "best". You can get a 300 buck bowl gouge that I think is the "best". I certainly would not buy it, since I can't justify the cost. But if you turn bowls for a living, it would certainly be worth the investment.

I'd also echo that you need a sharpening jig of some sort more than the best tools. A dull 300 buck gouge will suck as bad as a dull 8 buck H.F. gouge.

[Bill Blasic]

Is there a best? It is a no brainer for me, one Thompson tool was all it took for me to realize that they are the best bang for the buck out there. I have purchased over 20 of Doug's tools. My Crowns and Sorbys have gone to new members of my club to get them started. They may be good tools but not as good as the Thompsons. One other thing - They are made in North America by one American!

[Thom Sturgill]

While I agree that my Thompsons hold an edge better (making it more practical to hone which extends the time between grindings). While many say pick one and stick with it and find that they can limit themselves to a small number of tools, I am an advocate of having the right tool for the job. Therefore I have a large, and still growing, selection of tools - some from most manufacturers.

For gouges (either bowl or spindle) the grind is probably more important than the steel, for this reason I have both a range of sizes and different grinds within a given size. For scapers the thickness is important to control chatter. There are a number of skew profiles, but since I don't use the skew as much as some, I only have a few, all flat with at least slightly rounded edges to the shank. So when you find a club and/or mentor - be sure to pay attention to the grind on the gouges and ask questions about how different grinds affect their use.

[Joe Adams]

I have a selection of the Henry Taylor Kryo tools and really like them. They extend the time between sharpenings quite a bit.

[Pete Paris]

What I have found out is that there is two things I think about when turning. HSS steel is HSS steel, 64-68 hardness or what ever, but I hold a tool for long periods at times and comfort is what matters if all the cuttung steel is the same. Some people get cheaper tools in the beginning and others get what they will probably use the rest of their days. I use that same tools that my mentor uses, because they are comfortable and good toold, I have a Sorby paring tool, henry taylor 1.5 gouge and the rect are Packard, Packards skews have a round edge that does grear on the rest. I did a lot of reading and went to a couple turners meetings, which is a different game that chair spindles and legs like I do.

[Bill Bulloch]

I started turning about a year ago. I bought myself a good set of tools, only to find out that you wear them out when you are learning to shaperning them, especially the gouges. So, I would suggest that you look on ebay and find yourself some cheap tools to practice with. Once you get sharpening down, then get yourself some of those Thompsons. I got P&N tools and, like Thompsons, they hold up well.