Turning is its own specialty, and turners have developed a wide variety of cutting tools, some of them highly customized, that can be roughly divided into four basic groups: gouges, scrapers, chisels and parting tools. Like carving tools, they come in a wide range of sizes, and they can be custom-ground to suit individual preferences.

What Counts:
• Tool shape
• Type of steel
• Tool ergonomics

Gouges
Gouges have a variety of uses, from bringing square spindle stock down to rough size to making bowls. The curved cutting edge is ground to a bevel on the outside of the tool. Bowl gouges have a deep flute, while those used for spindle work are lighter with shallower flutes. These tools can be ground in a number of ways for different types of work.

Scrapers
Scrapers are flat cutting tools used with the bevel facing down. They are often used for light, finishing cuts rather than heavy roughing work. The end of the tool can be shaped any way the turner likes, even ground to match the shape of a specific molding.

Chisels
Chisels also are flat tools, but they are ground with a bevel on both sides. They’re generally used for spindle work rather than face work, and their shearing cut can leave an extremely smooth finish. They’re also good for making beads and curves.

Parting tools
Parting tools are narrow tools with two bevels that come to a point. They get their name from one of their principal uses, which is to cut (or part) turned pieces from the lathe while the machine is running. They’re also good for marking diameters on spindle work, and they can form beads like a skew chisel.

Types of steel
The type of steel used to make cutting tools is a key consideration. Turning generates a lot of heat, so tools made from high-speed steel will keep an edge longer than one made from plain carbon steel. They’re more expensive, but turners generally consider them a good investment.

Lathe accessories
Turners use a variety of devices to hold the work securely, including different types of faceplates, three-jawed chucks for irregularly shaped objects and chucks that contain a split collet that tightens around the base of a workpiece. There is also some specialization in tools used for sharpening turning tools. These allow turners to manipulate cutting tools against a grinding wheel precisely and are useful for making complicated shapes accurately and predictably.

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