Go to tools?

[Gary Conklin]

Having seen most of your works and having a good appreciation of styles and turnings, I am curious: What are your personal go to tools and why?

[Dennis Ford]

I am glad you said tools and not tool. I have a pretty good assortment but these four get used a lot.
* 1/2" D way bowl gouge
* 8 mm P&N detail gouge
* 1/2" Craftsman skew (very old)
* Pinnacle diamond style parting tool

[Jamie Donaldson]

I have been accused of using a 5/8" bowl gouge for about 90% of my work, but of course I was unaware that I was using it that much! So I keep those other 50 tools just in case I need them some day for some special purpose!

[Bill Bolen]

1/2" Thompson V bowl gouge. I also do a lot of HF's and have found I have a much easier time with the form I'm after using the bowl gouge rather than a spindle type gouge.

[Roger Chandler]

5/8" Pinnacle Kryo bowl gouge - V flute
3/8" sorby bowl gouge -v flute
3/8" Thompson detail gouge
1/4 " Thompson detail gouge
Sorby thin parting tool 1/16"
1.25" roughing gouge

[Nate Davey]

5/8th Thompson U Shaped bowl gouge for most everything, the skew is starting to replace it in some areas.

[Eric Holmquist]

1/2" Thompson Bowl Gouge - Use for all bowls and similar turnings
Homemade Pyramid Tool - Use for tenons and facing
3/8" Sorby Spindle Gouge - Use for non-pen spindle work
1" Thompson Skew - use for pens and long tapers

[David E Keller]

3/8 Thompson detail and 3/8 Thompson Clewes signature gouge.

[Scott Hackler]

I use my 3/8" Sorby (same as 1/2" in USA tools) more than anything. I want to start using my 1/2" Thompson more often but I am having a time getting the grind exactly were I want it. I think its because of the V shape. The Thompson definitely stays sharper, longer, so I am wanting to figure it out.

I use probably 10 of my other tools pretty faithfully, as well.

[Jeff Nicol]

I guess it would be the one that is in my hand at any given time while turning! I love them all and they all play a part in some way in many different turnings. For roughing I like my 5/8 Thompson "U" gouge, for shear scraping and internal bowl work I like my Ellsworth gouge, for deeper bowls or vases I like the 3/8 standard grind gouge from Packard or my 1/2 Thompson "V" gouge. If I am taking a very fine cut on soft or punky wood on the outside I will use a 1/4" standard bowl gouge from Crown tools. This could go on for ever with me so I will just say I like them all!

Jeff......I am a toolaholic and I have not been clean for 7 years!

[Reed Gray]

For bowls, I rough with an 1 1/4 by 3/8 inch scraper, and do finish cuts with a 5/8 Thompson U gouge. On the inside, I do use Doug's fluteless gouge more and more for going through the transition and bottom. I do use it on the outside as well, still in experimental stages. Scrapers at a shear angle for touch up, and a dove tailed scraper for the recess. I never seem to be able to settle on any one tool for the jobs. Some days some seem to work better than others. Just because I guess.

robo hippy

[curtis rosche]

1/2 inch thompson bowl gouge
homemade cobalt rouching tool

[Harry Robinette]

Mostly my Thompsons ,but depends on the piece205194

[Jack Mincey]

Elsworth bowl gouge for when I need a bowl gouge, but I also use a 9/16" Rex and Kip shallow forged spindle gouge for the outside of end grain vases and
such. It is also my go to tool for shaping and roughing out spindle work. I use a John Jordan 3/4" #1 hook hollowing tool for most of my HF's. While I use these three tools for most of my turning I wouldn't want to be without many of my other tools over the long haul.
Jack

[Tim Thiebaut]

For me it would be my "3/8 Sorby bowl gouge, PSI "1/4 detail gouge, Sorby "1/16 thin cut parting tool, and my PSI "1 1/4 skew that I reground to a Alan Lacer Style skew, for hand hollowing it is my EWT Ci3-h5 carbide hollower.

[Steve Kubien]

1/2" and 5/8" V Thompson bowl gouges and getting more into my 3/8" Thompson detail gouge, especially for cleaning up the foot of a bowl.

[Tim Rinehart]

Like Jeff...I have alot that get used for various tasks, but if I had to go somewhere (like a deserted Hawaiian island with nothing but Koa and Norfolk Island Pine) and take just the minimal tools I consider my 'go tos',
Typically see use in this order...
18" Efco 152 chainsaw
5/8" Thompson Bowl Gouge for roughing
1/2" D-Way Bowl Gouge for refining/shaping
3/8" D-Way spindle Gouge for detailing

[Curt Fuller]

I have two gouges that I use 90% of the time, a Thompson 3/8" spindle gouge and the first tool I ever bought, a Sorby 1/2" bowl gouge that is ground down to about the last inch of flute (I'm gonna miss her).

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

Tough one. I rough everything round with a Henry Taylor 1 1/2" roughing gouge. Then shape almost every thing with a Henry Taylor 5/8" super flute bowl gouge with a long swept back wings. Then I usually open up the center of my vessels to about 1 1/2" deep with a Thompson 1/2" V bowl gouge. Then I will hollow almost everything with a Rolly Munro #2. I also use a Hamlet 1" wide X 3/8" thick curved scraper frequently. The other 20 or so tools are used on a as needed basis.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I'm very fond of my double ended Oneway Mastercut 1/2". I also reach for the 5/8 and 1/2 Thompsons, since they wear well. Finishing duties are done by my 3/8 Sorbys. (first real tool I bought) For some reason they seem to take a way better edge than any of the others. They dull quicker though. I hate stopping to sharpen. I sharpen all 6 gouges and turn.
I think I have some skews rattling around in the bottom of my tool box.

[Mike Cruz]

WAS my 1/2" Benjamin's Best (PSI) bowl gouge. Now that I have a handle for my Thompson's 5/8" bowl gouge, I have a feeling it will be that.

[Kathy Marshall]

3/8" & 1/2" Thompson U bowl gouges
1/2" Sorby bowl gouge
1/4" and 3/8" Thompson detail gouges for spindle work
Easy Finisher for cleaning up that pesky tearout in spots that I can't shear scrape.

[Dale Bright]

3/8 and 1/2 Sorby Bowl Gouges in Stuart Batty grind
5/8V Doug Thompson Bowl Gouge for heavy roughing
John Jordan Shear Scraper

Dale