Is the scraper a "cop out" tool?

[Luke Pighetti]

I've been trying to learn how to use a detail gouge for a while to do a tapered face on some parts... works pretty well but I get the occasional catch which ruins the part.

I switched to a sharp (honed) HSS round nose scraper and now I have no issues with catching and the speed at which it cuts is pretty decent.

I thought that a slicing cut would ALWAYS be better than a scraping cut... so should I spend the time to learn how to do this job with the spindle gouge or is the scraper just the correct tool for this job?

[Dusty Fuller]

Hey, use what works!

[Harvey M. Taylor]

Ditto to Dusty!!!!

[Rick Markham]

Luke, the "right tool" is different for everyone. Scrapers are great, but sometimes they don't fit where you need them too. It depends on the part, the situation, the wood, and your preferences/ past experience. Don't give up on the gouge, it will come in handy in places the scraper won't work, and the scraper will work in situations where the detail gouge isn't the best tool. I wouldn't call the scraper a "cop out" (some might) a scraper can do some impressive things in the hands of someone who has taken the time to learn it. Reed gray on here is an excellent example of this, Reed can turn an entire bowl with one, before I could even get the outside shaped with a gouge! (he probably would have substantially less sanding to do than I would too! :D) It really comes down to who is holding the tool and how much experience/time they have put in with it.

[Mel Fulks]

An excellent local turner here uses the skew less than most turners ,as he can do great work with the gouge He's not worried about it.Ive seen some good work done by some turners in mahogany,etc.that impressed me.Then you see something they turned from old heart pine ,and realize they are not turners ,but SCRAPERS. Where the scraper does a good job I would not hesitate to use it. Especially when you guys are often working with some unusual burl or other hard to get stuff.

[Marc Himes]

Ditto all the above. I use scrapers on the inside of bowls primarily but sometimes a skew can shape the outside very well on some final cuts. I like what works and there is a great crossover between what scrapers and gouges and do on spindles and bowls. Keep on learning to use both.

[Richard Jones]

To answer the question, No, it's not a cop-out tool. Use whatever works for you. Who can tell what anyone did after the fact? BTW, I never start sanding with anything coarser than 400 grit paper........:D

Ditto verbatim to what Mr. Himes says above. Good post. The more you learn the more you have at your disposal. Not sure why the scraper gets such a bum rap from some, silly..........

[Bob Bergstrom]

I know some pretty good turners that use Easy Tools. Use whatever gets the job done. I've used a cabinet scraper for some stubborn woods and when I was done, I told people I had to use it, and it works so well you may want to put it into your arsenal of tools.

[Josh Bowman]

That how Richard Raffen does it! Look forward to seeing your work.

[Reed Gray]

I have watched a master turner use the 'Big Ugly' tool (think Easy Tool on steroids, but tantung tip, not carbide). He would turn long (6 inch or so) light house finials with the tool. Excellent finish. More than anything, it is all in how you present the tool to the wood. Sounds like maybe you are doing spindle/end grain work? If so, then scrapers can go great peeling cuts, and rolled onto the edge for a shear cut, fine finish cuts.

To see me using scrapers, go to You Tube and type in robo hippy.

robo hippy

[Fred Perreault]

I would use whatever tool or procedure that gives you confidence. Then take and work with another tool, using the new-found confidence to advance your technique. Catches....? Ask Robo Hippy how many catches he had this week. I suspect few of us have catch-free weeks. Variation within the wood, the moisture content, tool presentation, sharpness, the type of day you had.... I guess it all adds up. I used to be scared of the skew, but during the last year or so I have been doing easy stuff with it, and slowly gaining confidence. They are tools, and we should use them any way we can.

[John Beaver]

Hey Luke,
I think using the scraper is fine if it gets the job done, however I would recommend spending some time practicing with your detail gouge. In the long run it will give you better cuts and it's a way more versatile tool that will do things the scraper can't. Get some scrap wood and just keep practicing. Once you "get" it you will be happy you spent the time.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I used to use a scraper for most cleanups on bowls inside and out. I practiced with my bowl gouge till I could get a better surface than with a scraper. I would use whatever tool works but like John said all tools take practice to master. The first tool I mastered was a skew. I used it till I thought I would scream but I can now use the tool without any reservations. I don't think any turning tool is a cop out tool.

[Thomas Canfield]

I think that you should use what works, but also expand your knowledge by practice with the other tools. I took a class there the instructor (Alan Leland) wanted us to turn a bead using a Bedan tool. I could do the right side, but not the left. I can cut a bead using both a skew and a detail gouge after some practice. Try some practice wood made from ripped 2x4's or 2x2's to do your spindle practice. The wood is usually free scrap or cheap, soft, and grain will tell you how you are doing. I know that using a spindle gouge really helps me remove the tenon on bottom of bowls and hollow forms.

[Reed Gray]

When turning bowls, I have almost no catches. I learned what caused them, and how to keep that from happening. Not so true with spindle work. I can do okay with a skew, but turning details is another matter for me, and I do have some point issues. You can do bevel rubbing cuts with both gouges and scrapers. Learning how to present the cutting edge to the wood is the most important thing. Well, maybe learning not to bite off bigger chunks of wood than you can chew is another.

robo hippy

[BILL DONAHUE]

Is a "slider" a cop out pitch in baseball? Fact is you use what best gets the job done for you at the time. The only people I've noticed using the "cop out" or "cheating" terms in woodturning are the old geasers who started turning long before many of today's tools were made. Sounds a little like the politics of envy, doesn't it?

[John Coloccia]

Towards the end when I stopped turning, I was using a lot of the Easy tools. I had, and could use, all of the other tools....and heaven knows I had a lot of them. Shoot, I could even use the skew without much trouble. The Easy tools were just so EASY and fast, I found little point to dealing with anything else, sharpening, etc. I did still use a bowl gouge and skew for hogging off material and quickly roughing out a shape, but I never felt like I was "cheating".

That's one thing I learned from instrument making. To make a guitar, you really do need to somehow master several different disciplines that have nothing to do with each other. Artistic design, structural design, ergonomics, basic wood working, carving, finishing, setup work, repair work, buffing, inlay, electronics, etc. The way large factories are setup, you have a guy that does nothing but final sanding, for example. They master it and they do it day in and day out. You have someone that sits there and does nothing but make pigtails for the electronics. You have the guys at the end that do nothing but final inspection, put it in the case with the paperwork, and close the lid. You have the buffing guy. You have the inlay guy, assuming it's not all computer cut. You can spend years just learning how to do passable inlay work. When you're a one man operation, you have to do it all and master it all.

Someone like George Wilson, who is actually an alien from a different universe but does a good human impersonation, can actually master all of those different things doing it the proper way. Someone like me learns very quickly that if I want to get anywhere, I need to use every trick and shortcut to lie, cheat and steal my way to a finished product. I felt bad about it for about 5 minutes, but now I use whatever tools and techniques gets be the best finished product in the least amount of time. Sometimes, I even use the orbital sander as a carving tool to clean up area that "aren't going well". LOL. I'm probably the only luthier that will ever admit to that one :)

If I could chuck up a guitar and scrape it into final shape, believe me I'd do it with no hesitation! :D

[Rick Markham]

John, George Wilson isn't an alien... he's a true Renaissance man who is using a Leonardo da Vinci time machine! ;) Thank goodness he stopped here :D

[Jeremy Leasure]

In the sense that there's always a cop out to investigate all the cursing and screaming when I try to use one...Yes.

[Michelle Rich]

life is short: use what works. I have hollowed a bowl with a skew..I've used an angle grinder to shape a vase..tools are to be used for whatever job they can do.forget about what others do and learn what you can do. More practice will help too. That gouge will become easier over time