Best of the best?

[John Sincerbeaux]

Just for fun. If money were no object.....

Best turning tools/gouges? Sorby? Crown? Thompson? Easy?

Best three-day turning school/instructor?

Thanks

[Michael Gibson]

When it comes to tools l think Thompson wins.

There are so many good instructors, it comes down to what direction you're turning is going. I haven't been to all the schools but l was very impressed with Arrowmont and the Appalachian Center for Craft.

[Peter Lamb]

What Mike said

[Bernie Weishapl]

Thompson and D-Way tools.

[John M. Smith]

I think Best tool is going to depend a lot on the turners. I know people who swear Thompsons are best. And people who swear Glaser are best. And so on and so on. I use a sorby gouge a lot, but I have Thompsons and like them also. Hard for me to pick a best. Not all are sharpened the same so it kind of depends on what I am trying to turn at the time. I will however be picking up some Thompson tools at the OVWG symposium in October.

As far as instructors go, It kind of depends on what direction you want to go. I am totally peeked about going to Marc Adams in September for a 2 day class with Malcom Tibbets on ribbon turning. Now anyone not interested in segmented or ribbon turning would not think of this as best. However I am interested in both so at this time I think it to be best.

I have seen Lyle Jamieson demo several times and think he would also be a great instructor.

[John Keeton]

Most turners have settled in to what they find suits their needs. Tool choice involves a lot - flute design, level of polish/finish (which can affect edge quality), type of metal, relationship with the manufacturer, etc. The type of turning you do and the woods you use also affect choice of tool. Toughness (impact toughness) and wear resistance are two different qualities, and the type of wood used and your technique may make one or the other more important to you in tool selection.

Like most, I started out cheap, then went with Thompson V10 tools. Doug's 3/8" V gouge, and the detail spindle gouges seem to work really well for me. I also have a couple D-Way bowl gouges. I like the flute design, and the polish. Dave gets a very high hardness heat treat on his tools, and with the M42 Cobalt steel I have found them to hold an edge better than my other tools. The alloy additives can make a huge difference in the characteristics of the steel. V15 is one of the newer metals, but personally, there is a trade off with the V15 steel I am not willing to make.


I have not tried the Glaser, but some folks love them.

[Prashun Patel]

Gouges are like cordless drills or routers; there are several well-regarded brands, and people tend to love the ones they own. The d-ways and thompsons get all positive reviews here on SMC.

If money is truly no object, the thing to invest in is a decent slow speed grinder and a couple CBN wheels. They will take your turning to higher levels faster than the 'best' gouge will.

[wes murphy]

If your a beginner, Craft Supply has very good three and five day classes. I use a lot of sorby tools and like them.

[Blair Swing]

I may take a lot of grief for this, but for a beginning turner you can't beat the Easywood tools, with replaceable carbide cutting heads. When I started turning 40 years ago, the carbide tip option didn't exist. When I started up again about 7 years ago I bought a Sorby gouge, then the Easywood. Sorby us rarely used now. Just as technology changes, so does tool technology. Try one and I bet you don't go back!

[John Beaver]

I think the teacher is more important then the school, but if you ever get a chance to take a class at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport Maine I highly recommend it. The facilities are top notch, the turning building has 11 Oneway lathes, and the atmosphere and location are fantastic.

As far as tools go, I have own, Glaser, Thompson, D-Way, Sorby, Easy Wood Toos, Hunter Tools, and others. For basic bowl gouges, my favorite is D-Way. I like the combination of flute shape and steel the best. Thompson has some nice specialty gouges, and their new Jimmy Clews series looks nice to me too.

Sorry Blair Swing, but I won a set of Easy Wood Tools, have tried them a few times and just don't like them. To me, nothing beats a good gouge.

[Blair Swing]

I second the teacher aspect although I am mostly self taught my mentor in Lincoln Ne was a former Tuskegee airman by the name of Col. Adams. As I look back he was one of the major reasons I joined ROTC in college. So try to find someone that has some different tools and try them first and find out what feels most comfortable to you. Just as some people are Chevy and some Ford you need to find what works for you. The only thing we can all agree on here is that a sharp tool is critical the rest is by feel and listening to what the wood is revealing to you.

good luck and happy shavings!

[Jon Lanier]

Tools... subjective to each. I would say whatever one finds that works best for them.

Teachers/Schools... again subjective. But with this I would say how a person learns, their personality verses the teacher/school. Find what works and stick with it/them.

[Jim Burr]

Someone will read this thread and say "Why didn't they pick mine" What feels good and works good is what is best for you. Why bother with the unnecessary?

[robert baccus]

My first gouge was an old Glaser (10%V) and bought several others before he went out of business for years. I still use them--mostly 10% and one 5% and have yet to like any steels better. Thompson's seem to be as good but I have not tried the others yet. The new glasers have a detachable handle or I would try them. I am old fashoned and still prefer a good heavy tropical wood handle to metal/plastic. The old Glaser line offered a 20% van. gouge but I missed trying it. The older I get and lazier the more I appreciate the high van. steels--they stay sharp.

[Jon Lanier]

Jim, Very good thought.

[Reed Gray]

As far as steel quality, the V10 is probably the best all round bet. This is the Doug Thompson tools. There are other steels that seem to cut just as well, and hold their edges just as well. This includes the D Way tools. There are others that are in the same quality league. Other than that, it is the flute shape for gouges. I have a Glaser V gouge and don't like it, the V is just too steep. If you drop the handle and cut with the wing, then they work fine. I hold the tools more level, so I want a more open design. Here the Thompson V and U gouges are ideal for me.

I love scrapers, but just can't justify buying a tool with a cutter that is designed to be used, and then thrown away.

robo hippy

[John Sincerbeaux]

Thanks everyone for the great comments. I am learning a ton from you all. I am definitely a "research" nut. When I buy tools, I like to at least know what is regarded as the best and go from there. I also realize that "the best" is very subjective and sometimes conditional. For me at least half the joy of working with wood is working with really great tools and machines that work the wood. Turning is really the last frontier in my woodworking life. Right now the Robust AB is my first choice of lathes.

Seems that Glaser Hitec gouges are the most expensive, if that is a measure of their performance?

Another question... Seems all the high-end gouges are to be used with metal handles?

[John Keeton]

Seems that Glaser Hitec gouges are the most expensive, if that is a measure of their performance?

Another question... Seems all the high-end gouges are to be used with metal handles?I do not own any Glaser, nor have I used them. From what I understand, they are one of the most expensive tools out there - not sure if they are the MOST expensive, but certainly in the running. Those that have them probably feel they are worth the cost. That topic has been the subject of a few threads that generated a tool war, and resulted in a situation we would rather not have repeated. Suffice it to say, turners get excited and defensive when discussing their tools.

Having previously been involved in owning a hunting store that specialized in high end archery equipment, I recall very well all the folks that bought our high end equipment - and did very well with it. I also recall vividly the good ol' boys that came to our range with 10 year old bows and put some of those competition archers to shame. I truly think they could have shot X's all day with a tobacco stick and baling twine for string!

It really is the turner, and not the tools!

As to handles, that is also a much debated topic. A recent thread can be found here - http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?205723-Handles-cushion-grip-or-Shot-filled A search will reveal many threads on the topic of the best handles. It probably isn't a corollary that "high-end gouges are to be used with metal handles," but more which handle the turner prefers for feel, balance and comfort.

[Jeremy Hamaker]

John, it seems to me that when it comes to the tools/gouges that part of what makes it the 'best' is the price to performance ratio.... Most of the common brands you see mentioned are 'worthy' tools and amongst them any would be really really good. So as per previous advice, try some out that others already have. Flute shape, metal thickness, and the profile sharpened into it are some things you'll come to feel more personally about.
Now when it comes to the lathe, the discussion might be a bit different. Broadly, more money will start to get you a 'better' lathe.
As a very proud owner of a Powermatic 3520B, I can say that had money been no object, the AB 25 would have been my huckleberry. But now that I have the 3520B, I don't yearn for an AB 25 at all. I would only consider one if my PM went kaput, AND I ended up with a fat chunk of money to use. If I had to go 'down' the cost scale to some other (really GREAT) lathes, I would still feel that my PM was 'better'...

[Reed Gray]

The Glaser tools are the same steel (V 10) as the Thompson tools. Difference is the fancy extruded aluminum shot filled handles. Never liked that handle, just too much weight to pack around for a full day's turning. There are plenty of after market handles. I prefer plain straight wood handles, They just feel better to me. M2 high speed steel is great. The fancy steels do hold a working edge better, which means you can hog out more wood with one before it is way too dull. No matter which gouge I am using for the finish cut, I want a freshly sharpened one for the final pass.

robo hippy

robo hippy

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

John,
Finding out which gouges work best for you is part of the fun of learning to turn. Just so you don't get too side tracked during this part of the quest, remember how you grind your tools and how you present them to the wood has more to do with successful turning than the tool itself. I own Glaser, One Way Mastercut, Thompson, D-Way and Sorby. I like them all for different reasons. I can tell you not one of them holds an edge so well compared to any other that I would buy any brand for its edge holding ability. Anyone who tells you they turn a bowl start to finish with one sharpening is either turning really small bowls or using a tool that should have had its edge refreshed. I don't have a favorite shape for all cuts. I suppose if I could only choose one it would be a parabolic profile but the great news is...I can have all the shapes and use the one I like best for the particular cut at hand.
As JK told you, this discussion can be quite provocative. I never understood what causes people's blood to boil when asked about a tool they had no part in designing nor manufacturing. Yet they would almost come to blows to defend their purchase. It's not as if they were talking about something really important, like what's better, bourbon or scotch:)
faust
faust

[Ray Bell]

Not to start another "what's better war", but BOURBON:)