Our Top Picks

Written by Douglas Smith
One of the hardest things for a beginner who is just entering the woodturning field is to pick up the essential tools needed to get started. If you go and search on an online store for woodturning tools, you will get thousands of results offering different types of tools. So can you decide which ones are the best woodturning tools for beginners? You might not! That is why it is pretty essential to know beforehand what tools you should get as a beginner to understand how it is done.
Otherwise, you can get into some serious problems as you won’t handle more professional tools and how they are used in different aspects of woodturning. But to ease up the things for you, I have brought the most critical woodturning tools for beginners so that you can start without any hassles.
What to look for when buying woodturning tools?
You cannot just pick any tool you seem right and start using it. There are some critical and vital aspects that you should take care of while buying the best woodturning tools to begin your career. So let’s check what those things are!
Size: Size is a vital aspect as most of the tools come in different sizes. But it also depends on the preferences of the woodturner that how he wants to start. But it is still essential to check out for size before getting your hands on anything.
Quality: You would not want your tools to break after using them for a few days, right? That is where the quality of the tools comes in. You will have to go for the ones that are durable and sturdy and can offer you long-term feasibility.
Grips: If you want to work efficiently, your grip should be tightened up. But what if your woodturning tools are not comfortable? For that, you will have to for the ones with comfortable grips so that you can work without any distractions.
Sharpness: Most woodturning tools are used to give a shape to the wood; thus, they use sharpened ends. A woodturning tool won’t do any good if it is not properly sharpened. So check if your preferred woodturning tools are sharpened and can do the job or not!
Top 8 woodturning tools for beginners
Let’s get to the actual thing without any more talk and check out some of the best tools you would need for woodturning as a beginner. But do note that you might prefer some other tools other than those mentioned here, so it also depends on your preferences.
If you are also looking for some chisels to start woodturning then check out our best wood turning chisels for beginners article!
The Best Woodturning Tools For Beginners
1.Crown 231W Roughing Gouge
Roughing gouge is undoubtedly one of the main pillars of a woodturning career. Roughing gouge is used to round the wood perfectly without any errors. If you use any other type of tool to round the wood, the shape will not be the same. That is why you should only go for roughing gauge for rounding the wood. But the one we are talking about right now is the roughing gouge of well-known brand Crown that comes with some great features that can further enhance your skills.
This specific variant comes with a size of 1.25 inches, which is a pretty great start for beginners. You can start turning the wood right away with this if you want to give your wood a good round shape. Not only that, it is manufactured with the highest quality of steel so that it could offer sturdiness along with durability to the woodturners. The high-speed steel also ensures that the users can quickly round the wood in the fastest way possible. It is better to go with this roughing gouge than the ones that are made of carbon. The carbon gouges don’t usually last long and need to be replaced now and then.
The best thing is that this roughing gouge also has a beechwood handle with brass ferrule to get perfect comfort while using it.
Key Features
1.25"
Comfortable Handle
Steel
Sharp
2.Robert Sorby Fingernail Spindle Gouge
It is impossible to get wood with the perfect shape and get started with it without enhancing it a bit more. You usually have to carve the corners to make it useable without any problems. In that case, a spindle gouge makes your hassles easier and helps you carve the wood’s corners. Not only that, but a spindle gouge can also be used for the detailing of a product or add spindle turnings into anything if required. With this spindle gouge of Robert Sorby, you will surely be able to perform all of your tasks without any worries.
It comes with high-speed steel, also known as HSS, so that the woodturners can efficiently perform their tasks. The high quality of steel also lets the woodturners work in higher temperatures as this steel does not meltdown from excessive heat. The sharpened edges of this spindle gouge are also very flawless. You will certainly not have to get them sharpened after getting them as they come with perfectly sharpened edges. The best thing is, the sharpened steel edges last long more than six times than the standard carbon edges.
If we talk about the comfort, it comes with the ash handle, which can offer you a relaxing experience while you work. So you will not actually have to worry about hurting your hands while working.
Key Features
16 1/2 Overall Length
Sharpened Edge
Ash Handle
HSS Durable Steel
3.Crown Tools Square End Scraper 3/4 “
When you are finished with your woodturning work, you will have to use something to give it a completed look. End scrapers are usually used to smooth a base of the wood and remove the wood’s excessive chunks. It can be a bowl, plank, or anything else you might need to scrap with the end scraper. That is why the Crown Tools Square End Scraper can surely give your inventions a very new and refreshing look.
As the title suggests, it comes with the size of ¾, which is pretty great for all types of scraping until or unless it is very shallow. Other than that, it has the HSS blade integrated into it, which can be used to scrap the wood with ease. The brand has done a very fantastic job to make it durable as it is hardened to between 66 and 69 degrees Rockwell. This square end scraper also comes with a black ash handle, which also enhances the scraper’s looks and offers pretty great comfort to the users.
Key Features
3/4 Size
HSS Blade
Durable
Very Sharp
4.Easy Wood Tools mid Size Hollower Combo
As you might conclude by the name, hollowers are used to carve the perfect hollow and scrap out the hollows’ excessive wood. The hollows need to be perfect, and without any excessive woods, so you would not really want to miss out on this tool. The best thing is that the one we are discussing right now offers to combo the hollowers to use the one as per your preferences. It does not matter if you want to carve a shallow hollow or a big one; this combo can help you out in all situations.
All of the three hollowers come with perfect edges so that you can use them for hollowing without any problems. The company has also provided the hollowers with maple handles, which are pretty comfortable to work with. You will not have to stop every minute to rest your hands as these maple handles will handle all the pressure for you. The high-quality steel included in the combo also ensures that all hollowers last longer than the standard ones. Because of their sturdiness and durability, the handles will also not come off after some time, and you will always be able to use the hollowers without problems.
Key Features
Combo of 3
Maple Handles
14" Size
High Quality Steel
5.Easy wood tools full-size Detailer
To make your spindles and bowl moiré attractive, it is necessary to implement some detailing on it. Now it obviously is up to you to choose a specific design for it, and you can do it just as you want. For that reason, a detailer is used to carve something very cool for your final results. It can be beads or boxes for finalizing your bowl or spindle, but it is only up to you again. If we talk about the Easy Wood Tools Full-Size detailer, it comes with a splendid diamond shaped carbide cutter. This diamond shape cutter can easily carve the shapes just as you want without any problems.
The best thing that the brand has done here is that they have made the carbide replaceable. You can also get one with your preferences or replace the old one any time you want. The premium quality carbide used for the blades offers the best possible durability, sharpness, and sturdiness to the users. Not only that, but this full-sized Detailer also comes with an ergonomic hardwood maple handle so that you can have a proper grip while working on your fantastic art.
Key Features
Replaceable Carbide
Hardwood Handles
Durable & Sharp
Great Design
6.Robert Sorby Standard Parting Tool
As I stated earlier, you might not get the wood pieces in perfect condition, and you might have to cut the wood into several pieces to make it useable. A parting tool will help you in this regard and will let you cut the excessive or lousy wood from the right one. It can also be used to make the sizing cuts for the chucking methods and others. So initially, you will unquestionably need it when starting your woodturning adventure.
This Robert Sorby Standard Parting Tool comes with 1/8 inches, which is convenient to use for almost everyone. Its high quality and sharpened edges will also let you cut through the wood without applying much force. Not only that, for your comfort, there is also a round-shaped handle provided so that you can use the parting tool without having any pain. Just be sure to use it properly so that it can be used for longer-term. But because of its durability, you can expect it to offer you its services without any hassles.
Key Features
1/8 Standard Size
Sharp End
Brass & Metal
Durable
7.PSI Woodworking Carbide Chisel System
A chisel is not only used to carve wood, but it is also used to carve hard materials like metal or steel. But obviously, the one we are talking about right now is used to carve wood. You can find different types of chisels to carve or cut through the wood as per your preferences. That is why PSI has exterminated that problem by offering a whole system of Chisels to the users. You can integrate your desired shape chisel into the handle, and it will work like a charm.
All three cutting profiles can be used for carving, but surely, the results will be different. You will have to know which one is suitable for you and your project. The overall chisel length is about 16″ from which 11.5″ is of the handle, and the remaining goes to the blade. This chisel system also comes with a rubber grip and ergonomic design to offer the best experience. It is unquestionably and undoubtedly one of the most vital woodturning tools for beginners.
Key Features
16" Size
Interchangeable Carbides
Rubber Grips
Diamond Shape Cutter
Best Woodturning tools for Beginners Buyers Guide & FAQ’s
Will I need more tools other than the ones mentioned above as a beginner?
The woodturning tools for beginners mentioned above are certainly enough to start with. But it also relies on the project you are taking, and you might need some more depending on the scenario.
Is using wet wood suitable for beginners?
In some cases, like turning a bowl, yes, in some cases, absolutely not. Wet wood can also fire back despite its advantages, which is why you will have to be careful while opting for any of them.
Do I need exceptional guidance to use these tools?
It is always a good idea to seek consultancy from an experienced person. If no one is available around you, the internet is filled with guides and videos to help you out.
Conclusion
You can make your woodturning journey easy just with the right choice of tools. If you go for the tools that are not good for beginners, you might lose interest in woodturning, which is certainly not a good idea. That is why always go for the best woodturning tools for beginners, and you will see how addicting and awesome this field is!