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The spindle roughing gouge, like the bowl gouge, has a round metal shaft. However, the flute of the spindle gouge is a wide-open, shallow U-shape which divides the metal shaft in half. Because less material surrounds the tip of the spindle gouge, this tool is less fortified at the tip compared to the bowl gouge. Relatively flat, the tip of the spindle gouge can be sharpened to a fine, thin tip and is ideal for making precise detail cuts on spindle and bowl exteriors. Unlike the bowl gouge, the spindle does not have side wings that can cut. The sides of the spindle gouge can be turned to a 90° angle to scrape, but this is not a true cutting technique. The spindle gouge can be sharpened to a variety of different bevel angles. The angle of the spindle gouge dictates how much control and detail can be created with the spindle cutting tip. The detail spindle gouge allows access to tight spaces, like the inside angle of a properly created bowl tenon.
Bowl gouge basics are the foundation of wood bowl turning. The bowl gouge is probably the number one most recognized wood turning tool and for a good reason. What is a bowl gouge? A bowl gouge is a hand tool used to cut and shape wood bowls on a lathe. The bowl gouge consists of a handle connected to a sturdy metal shaft. The metal shaft has a center groove along the top portion known as a flute. The leading edge, or tip, of the bowl gouge is ground with an angled bevel which makes a sharp cutting edge that cuts wood as it rotates on a lathe. A bowl gouge can be used to make an entire bowl without the aid of any other turning tool if needed. It is better to have multiple bowl gouges of different sizes and different grinds to make wood bowl turning as efficient as possible.
Scrapers are chiefly used in woodturning to create a final smooth finish to a bowl, cup or otherwise hollow form. The square nose scraper is frequently used to smooth the outside of a workpiece and is positioned with its wide flat edge on the tool rest. The square nose scraper's blade has a cutting edge which is square to its edges, and a single bevel, typically at 60-65 degrees. Its blade has a thick, heavy cross-section. Only the very tip of a scraper is used as it is for scraping away small amounts of wood rather than cutting channels or grooves. Round nose scrapers are used to shear and smooth the surface of a workpiece. They are frequently used in faceplate turning to smooth the inside surfaces of bowls and cups. They may also be used in spindle turning for smoothing coves. A top quality round nose scraper has a thick blade with a heavy rectangular cross-section. Its rounded cutting edge typically has a single bevel of between 60 and 65 degrees.
Skew Chisel Of the various types of woodturning tools, the skew chisel is probably considered the most dangerous, and for most beginning woodturners, the most intimidating. Even the slightest misstep with a skew chisel can cause a dig-in, gouging the wood, and likely, the woodturner's nerves at the same time. A skew chisel is a long, flat, bevel-edged chisel with an angled tip. The long point of the chisel's cutting edge is called the toe, whereas the shortest point of the cutting edge is called the heel. In most cases, it's the toe of the skew chisel that gets the novice woodturner into trouble with the skew chisel. If presented improperly, the toe can easily dig-in to the turning in a most unnerving fashion. Before beginning to work with a skew chisel, spend a little time learning about how to present the tool to the wood safely. Since most dig-ins occur when the toe contacts the wood too aggressively, in most cases, you'll want to position the skew chisel so that the toe is not in contact with the wood.