Turning Chisels

[Lynn Blevens]

Hello Folks,New to the forum.I'm picking up a Jet mini next week and need to get chisels.I'm going to make Duck calls Bird houses ornament and wind instrument.These will all be small items.I know I need a parting tool,gouge and what other chisels should I pick up ?Thanks for your help and time.Lynn

[Dean Thomas]

Hey Lynn,

Welcome to the Creek. The water's nice all year round!

If you're going to do bird house ornaments, you're going to have to make some decisions. If you don't have a particular method or design in mind, you should, IMO. It will affect your decisions all around. If you use the Dick Sing method (a good method, I believe), you might want to consider a couple of things.

1/4" square round-nosed scraper, to help relieve extra wood from inside the ornament. The 1/4" thickness keeps it from chattering up the inside.
Sing's favorite tool in the world is a 3/8" spindle gouge with its wings swept back. I think I remember him saying that he goes through a couple of them a year.
Your parting tool for these ornaments should be around 1/16" thick and not very wide. Mine came with a Sorby miniature kit, but there are others around. There is a Rex & Kip 3/32" tool (http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/store/Turning_Tools___Small_Scale_Tools___Rex___Kip_Part ing_Tool___rex_parting?Args=) that looks like the one that Sing uses for about $30. Woodcraft used to sell a micro kit that didn't cost much more than that and for the occasional turner, it'd be plenty, IMHO.
Rex & Kip provide a 3-piece tool set that's really good quality and nicely sized for small projects like pens, bird-house ornaments and the like. Parting tool mentioned above, 1/2" rolled edge skew, and 3/8" gouge. All you'd need for Sing-influenced ornaments would be the scraper.
A small skew is a handy tool to have around for lots of tight quarters tasks.
small set of Forstner bits to achieve correctly sized innards so that you can make one set of mandrels that will last you a while.
a drill chuck for the Forstners that'll fit your tail stockSo, four lathe tools will get you lots done on smaller scale projects. It really ain't the tools that get you in this vortex. It's all the OTHER stuff that you need to make the tools WORK well! :eek: We did a quick inventory on a setup for sharpening and it made the hair on the back of your neck raise up! This ain't a cheap hobby, but it's sure a lot of fun! Great gifts, and some earning potential if you're so inclined.

[Dean Thomas]

And what sort of wind instruments are you talking about?? Chanters? Small recorders? Pan pipes? Wind chimes???

Just curious. Ever curious.

[Lynn Blevens]

Thanks Dean for the info.I would like to make a few Pibgorn its a reed horn from South Wales.The Pibgorn is the reason for getting a lathe.Your list is going to help.Thanks again for the list and your time,Lynn

[Bernie Weishapl]

Welcome Lynn to SMC. Lots of good people and lots of knowledge. You got some good advice above. The only thing I would add is maybe a woodcraft slow speed grinder and the wolverine jig for sharpening your tools. The jig makes it pretty easy to sharpen your tools.

[Marvin Hasenak]

For game calls all you need is a gouge, 1/2" round nose scraper, 1/2" skew and a parting chisel. I turn about 10 to 15 calls a week. For that I use the cheap but good set from Harbor Freight for about $40. You get 8 tools, I use the extras and take my grinder and make specialty chisels. I use metal mandrels, and use the HF tools because the mandrels can eat up a good chisel, when you hit it at 2800 RPM. They are also good for learning how to sharpen your chisels.


When you get into making the calls check out the Custom Calls Online forum, there is a lot of helpful information and people that are will to share info on callmaking. Most are duck and turkey callmakers, with a few us varmint callmakers thrown it to keep them honest.

[Lynn Blevens]

Thanks folks for your help,have made my list