Turning wood on a lathe is one of the most useful carpentry skills. Using a wood lathe requires a lot of patience, precision and eventually practice. But with the right approach and understanding that you may encounter problems along the way, all you need is a good set of woodworking tools. However, with so many options to choose from and endless technical terms to learn, finding the best woodworking tools for your needs can seem more difficult than the project you want to complete.
Don't worry - the basic lathe research has already been done for you. Here you will find a selection of the best lathe tools for beginners. If you want to take your skills to the next level, check out our guide to the best online carpentry courses.
There are two types of wood: shaft and face. The lathe tools used to turn the shaft are very different from those used to turn the face plate. Pivoting refers to projects where the wood is placed between midpoints on both sides. Spindle turning projects include chair and table legs, wooden spoons and handles.
1. Roughing of the hole
A rough hole is a tool used to turn both the spindle and the face. A roughing gouge, as the name suggests, is the first tool a woodworker uses on any project. Scoremakers should be durable and easy to maintain because they come into contact with debris more often and can remove more wood than most beaches. Choosing quality drill bits, like this pair of Yellowhammer Rough Drill Bits, is key to keeping your workshop running smoothly and on budget (a major concern if you want to make money with your lathe).
Get the Yellowhammer Turning Roughing Gouge Tool Kit from Amazon for $89.99
2. Shaft drilling
Designed for complex and precise turning, the spindle housing is more complex than its faceplate counterpart: the cup housing. Spindle grooves like the ones on this lathe tool set are sharply angled, making them difficult to control, especially when the wood lathe is running at high speeds. This extra bend also makes the bit harder to sharpen, so be sure to pay attention to how you sharpen your wood chisel.
Get the Hurricane Rotary Tool Spindle Kit for $104.39 at Amazon
3. Bending the chisel
Command cutters are difficult to master, but they are essential pieces in any spindle winding tool kit. They are great for creating transitions between shapes in the same fabric, as well as creating stylish grooves to smooth wood surfaces and enhance the aesthetics of a project. If you want to sell your designs on marketplaces like Etsy, understanding the bent chisel can help your products stand out from the crowd.
The handles of these Narex chisels are made of hemlock, but if you are using a curved chisel for the first time, pine is usually the best choice. The needle is softer and more sympathetic, the ideal type for learning how to use this tool on a lathe.
Buy Narex Right and Left Hand Scissors at Amazon for $47.99
4. Separate tools
Parting tools create deep channels in the spindle print. Dividers are also often used to define transitions between shapes, making them ideal for chair legs, tables and beds that require fine detail.
Look for parting tools with diamond tips that reduce the risk of splashing and splashing at uneven angles. Parting tools are often used in conjunction with rotary gauges to measure the diameter of a manufactured part.
Get the Imotechom Diamond Separator for $29.99 at Amazon
5. A tool for cleaning or finishing
Sanding and finishing tools are important aspects of achieving a quality furniture finish. Their main task is to eliminate irregularities, bends and other defects until the end of the project. However, not all finishing tools are created equal. Some, like this Easy Wood Tools finishing tool, come with carbide tips and are more versatile than traditional scrapers. Regardless of which path you choose, scraping is a must for anyone looking to move beyond the beginning stages of entry.
Get the full size Easy Wood Tools Easy Paver at Amazon for $129.99
Unlike spindle turning, face turning involves attaching a blank piece of wood to one side (as opposed to both) of the lathe using a jig or similar device. Although there is some overlap between the spindle and faceplate of a wood lathe, the following plate lathe tools designed for this purpose should be part of any basic lathe tool kit.
1. Lathe drill head and cap
Fortunately, spindle and hat turning can be done on the same wood lathe. However, you will need to purchase an additional chuck or bracket that you will use to mount your project to the lathe itself. Rods are especially useful for turning pots, but they are used in all kinds of facade projects.
However, lathes like WEN's 3-inch version aren't universally compatible, so if you have to check the diameter and thread height for your particular model, it doesn't have a bar.
Get the WEN Self Centering Twist Chuck at Home Depot for $97.13
2. Cook to remove
The holes of the bowls are, as you can imagine, used to decorate both the inside and the outside of the bowls. Since making a bowl with a spindle on a lathe is unnecessarily complicated, bowls are still made by turning. Pits have a deep glottis and a V or U shape like Yellowhammer pot pits. U-shaped bucket holes are ideal for smooth deep cuts inside the bowl, while V-shaped bucket holes are more versatile and can be used for roughing, shaping, smoothing and finishing.
Get the Yellowhammer Turning Bowl Gouge Tool Set at Amazon for $99.99
3. Round nose scraper
Although the name sounds peculiar, round nose scrapers are quite versatile and can be used in both pin turning and pin turning projects. However, round nose scrapers are especially effective for smoothing and finishing the tight inside corners of bowls, vases, and other bowl-shaped projects.
Note that skimmers differ from backhoes in that larger skimmers are easier to operate than smaller skimmers, as consistent application to the surface reduces the risk of skidding.
Buy the Yellowhammer Lathe Tools Side Scraper at Amazon for $49.99
4. Water bottle
Reamers aren't usually included in woodturning tool kits, but they're great for opening boxes and also make great parting tools. The fact that the bottom bracket can be used as a large parting tool also makes it useful for spindle projects. The hull, like this Robert Sorby version, is trapezoidal, so the upper deck is already low. This unique shape creates a nice fit when cut straight.
Buy the Robert Sorby-inch Bedan at Amazon for $54.94
5. Hulu
Plywood is essential for a variety of boat-shaped projects on a facing lathe. They are used to make symmetrical or shaped holes in a project. Drilling tools like the Asieg come in all shapes and sizes, and there are more advanced options designed to vacuum larger spaces than an opening. Vases that stick in the middle and shrink sharply when opened are signs of a skilled manager.
Get the Digger Asieg Swan Neck from Amazon for $43.99
Prices shown here are accurate as of September 16, 2022.
