Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Six tools will cover something like ninety-five per cent of the turning you will ever do: a spindle roughing gouge, a bowl gouge, a spindle gouge, a round nose scraper, a parting tool and a skew chisel.
This film goes through each one, what it looks like, what it is for, and which of them to leave in the rack until you are ready.
There is also a walk through the anatomy of a gouge, because knowing where the bevel and the heel sit explains most catches before they happen.
What are the six essential tools every woodturner needs to get started?
If you're standing in front of a tool rack wondering what to actually buy, you need six tools to cover almost everything you'll ever turn: a spindle roughing gouge, a bowl gouge, a spindle gouge, a round nose scraper, a parting tool, and a skew chisel. Between them, these will handle 95 to 98% of the woodturning you'll ever do. In this film I go through each one, what it looks like, and what it's actually for.
What's the difference between a bowl gouge and a spindle gouge?
A bowl gouge has a round bar and a deep flute, cut below the centre point of the bar, which makes it the most versatile tool in the kit. You'll use it on bowls of every size and depth, and on larger spindle work too. A spindle gouge has a narrower bar and a shallower flute, less than half the diameter of the bar, and it's built specifically for spindle work rather than bowls.
Can I use a spindle roughing gouge for turning a bowl?
No, and this one catches a lot of beginners out. A spindle roughing gouge is built purely for turning spindles round between centres. Its flat bar rolled into a U shape and small tang mean it isn't designed to take the load of bowl turning, so keep it for spindle work only.
What is the round nose scraper actually good for?
It earns its place cleaning the bottom of shallow bowls and removing tool marks that other gouges leave behind. It's also handy on spindles and boxes. The one thing to watch is the small tang, so treat it with a bit more care than your gouges.
Should I learn the skew chisel first?
I'd hold off. It's a brilliant tool once you understand it, but it's temperamental until you've got your angles and tool presentation sorted on the other five first. Master those, then come back to the skew.
What do the flute, bevel, and heel of a gouge actually do?
The flute is the milled channel, U shaped, parabola, or V shaped, that ejects your shavings as you cut. The cutting edge is the sharp business end, and the shoulders, where that edge meets the top of the flute, are a prime spot for a catch if you're not paying attention. The bevel is what lets you take a clean cut and dictates the direction of it, and the heel is where the bevel meets the shank underneath. Some turners soften that angle on a grinder, especially for working inside a bowl.
Is it worth spending more on a recognised tool brand?
Yes. You'll get better steel, better support, and better advice when something goes wrong, and that's worth more than the money saved on a generic set when you're starting out.
0:00 What tools do you actually need to start turning?
0:32 The full six-tool set
1:02 Spindle roughing gouge
1:39 Bowl gouge
2:16 Spindle gouge
2:41 Round nose scraper
3:23 Parting tool
3:48 Skew chisel
4:15 Anatomy of a gouge: shaft, flute, cutting edge, bevel, heel
6:53 Buying advice and recap
7:49 Thanks for watching
🎓 Want to learn in person? I run woodturning courses at my school in Hampshire for all levels — from complete beginners through to more advanced techniques. Details at www.thewoodturning.school
🛢️ My Finishes: yandles.co.uk/shop/?manufacturer=martin-saban-smith-woodturning
📘 Design and proportion in woodturning — I wrote the book: msabansmith.com/shop
📍 Based at Garthowen Garden Centre, Four Marks, Hampshire — next to the South Downs National Park.
🌐 msabansmith.com
Facebook — Me: facebook.com/msabansmith
Facebook — Woodturning School: facebook.com/thewoodturningschool
Instagram — Me: instagram.com/msabansmith
Instagram — School: instagram.com/thewoodturningschool
The visual video content (including my voice), any text and any graphics in the video are Copyright © Woodturning Online Ltd 2015–2026. All rights reserved.
Six tools will cover something like ninety-five per cent of the turning you will ever do: a spindle roughing gouge, a bowl gouge, a spindle gouge, a round nose scraper, a parting tool and a skew chisel.
This film goes through each one, what it looks like, what it is for, and which of them to leave in the rack until you are ready.
There is also a walk through the anatomy of a gouge, because knowing where the bevel and the heel sit explains most catches before they happen.
What are the six essential tools every woodturner needs to get started?
If you're standing in front of a tool rack wondering what to actually buy, you need six tools to cover almost everything you'll ever turn: a spindle roughing gouge, a bowl gouge, a spindle gouge, a round nose scraper, a parting tool, and a skew chisel. Between them, these will handle 95 to 98% of the woodturning you'll ever do. In this film I go through each one, what it looks like, and what it's actually for.
What's the difference between a bowl gouge and a spindle gouge?
A bowl gouge has a round bar and a deep flute, cut below the centre point of the bar, which makes it the most versatile tool in the kit. You'll use it on bowls of every size and depth, and on larger spindle work too. A spindle gouge has a narrower bar and a shallower flute, less than half the diameter of the bar, and it's built specifically for spindle work rather than bowls.
Can I use a spindle roughing gouge for turning a bowl?
No, and this one catches a lot of beginners out. A spindle roughing gouge is built purely for turning spindles round between centres. Its flat bar rolled into a U shape and small tang mean it isn't designed to take the load of bowl turning, so keep it for spindle work only.
What is the round nose scraper actually good for?
It earns its place cleaning the bottom of shallow bowls and removing tool marks that other gouges leave behind. It's also handy on spindles and boxes. The one thing to watch is the small tang, so treat it with a bit more care than your gouges.
Should I learn the skew chisel first?
I'd hold off. It's a brilliant tool once you understand it, but it's temperamental until you've got your angles and tool presentation sorted on the other five first. Master those, then come back to the skew.
What do the flute, bevel, and heel of a gouge actually do?
The flute is the milled channel, U shaped, parabola, or V shaped, that ejects your shavings as you cut. The cutting edge is the sharp business end, and the shoulders, where that edge meets the top of the flute, are a prime spot for a catch if you're not paying attention. The bevel is what lets you take a clean cut and dictates the direction of it, and the heel is where the bevel meets the shank underneath. Some turners soften that angle on a grinder, especially for working inside a bowl.
Is it worth spending more on a recognised tool brand?
Yes. You'll get better steel, better support, and better advice when something goes wrong, and that's worth more than the money saved on a generic set when you're starting out.
0:00 What tools do you actually need to start turning?
0:32 The full six-tool set
1:02 Spindle roughing gouge
1:39 Bowl gouge
2:16 Spindle gouge
2:41 Round nose scraper
3:23 Parting tool
3:48 Skew chisel
4:15 Anatomy of a gouge: shaft, flute, cutting edge, bevel, heel
6:53 Buying advice and recap
7:49 Thanks for watching
🎓 Want to learn in person? I run woodturning courses at my school in Hampshire for all levels — from complete beginners through to more advanced techniques. Details at www.thewoodturning.school
🛢️ My Finishes: yandles.co.uk/shop/?manufacturer=martin-saban-smith-woodturning
📘 Design and proportion in woodturning — I wrote the book: msabansmith.com/shop
📍 Based at Garthowen Garden Centre, Four Marks, Hampshire — next to the South Downs National Park.
🌐 msabansmith.com
Facebook — Me: facebook.com/msabansmith
Facebook — Woodturning School: facebook.com/thewoodturningschool
Instagram — Me: instagram.com/msabansmith
Instagram — School: instagram.com/thewoodturningschool
The visual video content (including my voice), any text and any graphics in the video are Copyright © Woodturning Online Ltd 2015–2026. All rights reserved.
