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We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products-learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.The Best Lathe Tools to Bring Your Designs to Life
Do you want to design a beaded chair leg or a beautiful wooden bowl with varied thicknesses from base to rim? Although a lathe is needed to work on wood logs and achieve the desired result, you cannot do everything with a stock lathe machine. You also need high-quality lathe tools to cut through wooden workpieces, drill at the center, and create detailed designs—several types of lathe tools are available on the market, each with a different purpose. For instance, a chisel set is needed to shape the workpiece, while a centerpiece compass allows you to mark the center and align it with the lathe cutter head. Choosing the right tools can be pretty difficult, so we have handpicked some premium lathe tools in 2023 available that can make your woodwork easier.
Show contentsHere Is the Top of the Line Lathe Tool of 2023- Jet Woodworking Lathe - Best Overall
- PSI Woodworking Chisel Lathe Tool - Ergonomic Design
- DDWT Finder Compass Lathe Tool - Great for Crockery
- Peachtree Woodworking Supply Lathe Tool - Best Sharpening System
- Vinwox Woodworking Lathe Tool - Worth Mentioning
Buyer’s Guide to Finding Lathe ToolsBuyer’s Guide to Finding Lathe Tools
Since there are various kinds of lathe tools, picking the right one is not easy. If you don’t have the correct tool, creating your desired designs can become difficult, if not impossible. To make things easier, we have created a complete buying guide to help you invest in the most suitable tools.
Types of Lathe Tools
Sharpening tools
When you use lathe tools for a long time, the edges and sides can become blunt and lose their sharpness due to constant grinding. When this happens, you won’t be able to get clean cuts and finishes on workpieces. If you are experiencing something like this, get a sharpening kit with which you can sharpen tools of different types hassle-free. Some major components of a sharpening kit are:
- Cam locking base for easy adjustments
- Multi-grind bar to ensure you can sharpen a wide range of tools
- Miter slot platform to sharpen skews, scrapers, and hand plane blades
- Multi-grind jig to hold all tools
- Glide blocks to help you move the tool from one wheel to the other
- Sharpening jigs with preset gauges that offer correct angle orientation, grind type, and tool type
Chisels
Chisels are used to cut wood at different angles and form various structures like sloping surfaces, bevels, and depressions. A chisel set comes with multiple units, including:
- Tool to create a thin slot and separate the workpiece from the entire wood log
- Spear scraper helps with detailing and planning a bowl’s exterior
- Skew chisels clean dovetail corners and give an excellent finish to the workpiece
- Round nose scrapers remove marked areas from the inside of wooden bowls
- Bowl gouges help create a bowl shape from a block of wood
- Spindle gouges are used to create symmetrical pieces through woodturning
- Roughing gouges transform a square wooden workpiece into a cylinder
Look for a set with high-speed steel blades as they are robust and last a long time. Their handles should have an ergonomic design, such as a concave body. These features will help you exercise maximum control over the chisels and get the work done with minimal fatigue and effort.
Carbide chisels
A carbide chisel is a special piece of equipment designed to transform a block of wood into symmetrical designs about the axis of rotation. While looking for a high-quality kit of carbide chisels, make sure they feature rotatable cutter heads so that you don’t have to sharpen them separately or deal with blunt tools. The tools should have a square steel shank so that you can get more leverage while working.
Lathe stand
A lathe stand is the main piece of equipment you need for woodworking. It is reinforced with two spindles, of which one is fixed and holds the workpiece while the other one can move forward or backward. The moving spindle comes with a sharp cutter head that can cut different shapes into the wooden workpiece based on the rotational speed and cutter head shape. Some of the key features you should look for in a lathe stand are:
- Ratchet system belt for optimal tension
- Smooth transitioning to help spindles move back and forth easily
- Lockable yellow button cover for more security
- Tool caddy to store essential equipment and add-ons within arm’s reach
- Easy-to-reach controls so you don’t have to take your hands off the workpiece
Compass
A compass or center finder is used to mark the center of an irregular wooden log. It usually has a central hole with incremental scale marking, and you need to mark the center to align the cutter head with the mark. With this tool, you can get maximum yield from the log piece.
Acrylic is the ideal material since it’s transparent and offers a clear view. Also, ensure that the compass has proper scale divisions, such as 5mm incremental markings.
General Tips for Using Lathe Tools
- Always fix the workpiece properly on the lathe spindle
- Cover the lathe power button to prevent accidental power on or off
- Choose a multi-grind sharpening system to sharpen different types of chisels
- Hold the chisel at a proper angle to achieve ideal results
Here Is the Top of the Line Lathe Tool of 2023
1Jet Woodworking Lathe
– Best OverallThis model is ideal for you if you want a compact lathe machine for woodworking. It features three-speed ranges, allowing you to easily set the desired speed and achieve the best woodworking results. The ratchet belt system offers optimal tension, ensuring the spindles can rotate easily.
This lathe comes equipped with a digital meter to show accurate readings at all times and a removable yellow-colored safety switch to ensure the machine doesn’t turn on or off accidentally. Thanks to its tool caddy on either side, you can easily access all the required equipment. The directional controls also make forward and reverse transitioning smoother than ever. Finally, this lathe machine can be carried around easily and comes with a 5-year warranty, cementing itself as the best overall lathe tool on our list.
Pros- Variable speed for precise woodworking
- Controls are easy to reach
- Integrated with 24 indexing positions
Cons- The machine is noisy when running
2PSI Woodworking Chisel Lathe Tool
– Ergonomic DesignWith a variety of tools, this kit is excellent for shaping items such as bowls, pepper mills, and turning pens, along with a large variety of other objects. Each unit has a 6.25-inch high-speed steel blade that lasts a long time and offers outstanding quality. The 10-inch handles for each tool are made of hardwood with a narrow constriction near the mid-portion. This unique design improves the overall grip and helps you work comfortably, making these the most ergonomic lathe tools on our list.
Pros- Comes with a wooden carry case
- Ideal for woodworkers and pen turners
- Sharp blades to cut through wood easily
Cons- Longer chisels might be difficult initially
3DDWT Finder Compass Lathe Tool
– Great for CrockeryFinding the workpiece’s center is crucial before aligning the lathe’s head with it, and this compass from DDWT helps you find the center of irregular shapes easier, allowing you to maximize the yield. Constructed from transparent acrylic material, it can be used with wooden logs with a diameter of less than 300mm. Scaling is marked along three perpendicular axes, with a 5 mm incremental value ranging between 0 and 130. Its circumference is also marked with a 360-degree scale for further accurate measurements, making this lathe tool great for crockeries such as bowls, plates, and trays.
Pros- Multipurpose center finder tool
- Precise scaling makes for accurate measurements
- The central hole makes marking easier
Cons- Limited to logs up to 300mm diameter
4Peachtree Woodworking Supply Lathe Tool
– Best Sharpening SystemSharpening scrapers, bowl gouges, skew chisels, parting tools, etc., is quite tricky due to the differences in their blade structures. This sharpening kit has multiple tools such as a multi-grind jig, glide blocks, multi-grind bar, cam locking base, and quad angle setting jig. Each piece has a dedicated function that facilitates sharpening without scraping too much material off your tools.
The sharpening jigs feature preset gauges that are set for the correct angle, grind style, and tool type. Thanks to the 27-inch multi-grind mounting bar, you can easily rest any tool and allow the wheels to sharpen the edges. If you want to sharpen tools like hand chisels, or scrapers, you can use the 3×5-inch platform as it comes with a miter slot. You can use both 6-inch and 8-inch grinding wheels, and it also allows you to easily slide the bar from one wheel to another without much effort. Due to the variety of tools you can sharpen, we think it is the best sharpening system for lathe tools available.
Pros- The rest bar keeps tools in place
- It doesn’t take off too much material
- Delivers outstanding performance
Cons- Might move from its spot when running
5Vinwox Woodworking Lathe Tool
– Worth MentioningWith this woodturning lathe tool set, you can create all kinds of designs as it rotates between lathe spindles. Since they have a rotatable cutting head, you won’t have to sharpen the carbide chisels separately. Each tool has a 10mm straight steel shank with a square shape, ensuring you can rest it against the lathe bar for more leverage. The set also comes with eight replaceable cartridge tips, making it great for woodturners of all levels. The ergonomic handle means these chisels offer maximum control, and the high-quality construction makes these lathe tools worth mentioning.
Pros- Come with additional cartridge tips
- Don’t need sharpening
- Steel shank provides durability
Cons- Won’t fit any random tip
People Also Asked
Q: Do I need to choose lathe tools with wooden handles?A: If the chosen lathe tool set has wooden handles, you can hold the tools firmly without losing control.
Q: Why do I need lathe tools?A: You need a set of lathe tools to create different detailed structures with symmetry about the rotation axis.
Q: How can I change the speed of a lathe?A: Changing the speed of a lathe is not rocket science. All you need to do is rotate the knob to increase or decrease the speed.
