The Ins and Outs of Using Woodturning Chisels

Can you shear bowl stock?
Although shearing is possible on bowl stock, it's important to always remember that the end grain on bowl turning stock is perpendicular (not parallel) to the rotational axis. Start by mounting your bowl stock to a properly sized Faceplate or a precision Lathe Chuck. Special bowl turning chisels help to make this job easier and your results more professional-looking. Remember that when shearing, it's important that the chisels' bevels rub against the timber as you cut

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The standard Shopsmith 1/2" Roundnose Chisel is being used with a scraping technique to turn bowl you see in this operational photo. Always shape your outside profiles first, then reposition your Tool Rest to hollow out the inside.

Tip: Always position your tool rest below the centerline of your stock when scraping. When roughing out with a Gouge or shearing the inside of a bowl, rotate your chisel 10 to 15- degrees from level.

Other specialized turning tools
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, there are literally hundreds of chisel types available for specialized jobs. In addition to Shopsmith's Basic 5-piece set , our 4-piece Bowl Turning set and our Wood-Turning Mini-sets mentioned earlier, we also offer an expanded 6-piece set that includes a 1" Oval Skew and a 3/8" Bedan...a 3-piece Miniature Hollow-Forming set and a small, 3-piece Pen-Turning set that includes a unique, 9-In-1 Chisel and a tiny 1/16" Parting Tool.

Special tool rests can also make a significant difference
Articulated Tool Rests such as Shopsmith's Universal Lathe Tool Rest can provide loads of additional control and versatility when turning bowls or spindles of all types. And, when armed with optional 4" Rests, S-Shaped Rests or 90-Degree Rests, this versatility and ease of use increases even further.

In closing
Remember, turning is a lot like horseback riding. To learn to ride properly, you first have to jump into the saddle. And like horseback riding, professional turning results can only be achieved through practice, practice and more practice.