Have you attended a woodturning demo where the demonstrator holds up a bowl gouge, points to the bevel, and explains how you should “ride the bevel” when turning? Or how about how to hold a parting tool against a tenon so you can perfectly shape that tenon to be gripped by a dovetail 4-jaw chuck? Sometimes it is a little hard to see what he is doing even if there is a cameraman and a TV screen. I would offer a solution.

Tom’s Tools are tailor-made for just such a purpose. Anyone who teaches or demonstrates the craft knows that it can be difficult to explain a concept by holding up an actual woodturning tool in front of an audience of 50, or even a class of six.

Tom’s Tools are the answer. These are wood woodturning tools which are much larger than the actual size tools we all use and are excellent for holding up in front of an audience to explain their use. The bowl gouge and spindle gouge are about 2″ in diameter and about 13″ long. The skew, parting tool, round-nose scraper, and spindle roughing gouge are about two and a quarter inches wide and shaped accordingly.

Since the tools are all made of “high speed maple,” it would be easy for you to modify “the factory grind” which I put on them, just like we do with our high speed steel tools. The standard handles are poplar but oak, cherry, and some other woods are also available at slightly higher cost.

These Teaching Tools may be ordered as a set or individually. Handles are also available. Making the bowl gouge, spindle gouge, and spindle roughing gouge is a bit tricky because of the flute but the others are easy to make if you want to make your own.

All tools have a two-inch long one-inch diameter tenon made to fit into a one-inch hole in the end of the tool handle so a demonstrator may start out with the tool in the handle. In actual use, they are much easier to use if the tool is removed from the handle but starting the class with the tool in the handle is pretty impressive. A full set of tools, bowl and spindle gouges, spindle roughing gouge, skew, two round-nose scrapers, and parting tool come with a handle and display rack. Why two round-nose scrapers? One is shaped like they come from the factory and the other is shaped as if it has been in use for some time, grinding the bevel clear around to the side of the tool, eventually grinding away those two corners and making the tool more useful and allowing you to show the difference between the “new” shape and how it looks over time after quite a few sharpening sessions.  Since these are wood, if you prefer a different shape, you will be able to easily resand the ends to the shape you prefer.

These large teaching tools, made by me, Tom Boley, hence the name Tom’s Tools, are available directly from me by phone or e-mail. Please e-mail me at redoakhollow@gmail.com or call 785-456-7890.   I did sell these by the each but due to the complexities of having to rebuild sets if I sold individual tools, I now only sell full sets.  The original tools, sold by the each, were $335 but now, buying a full set will also get a handle and a stand for $295.  Here is what the full set includes:

• Bowl gouge
• Spindle gouge
• Spindle roughing gouge
• Parting tool
• Set of two round-nose scrapers
• Skew
• Handle
• Stand Included with full set

You would only need one handle to use with from one to all seven tools.

Please order from Red Oak Hollow Lathe Works  by e-mail (redoakhollow.com) or phone (785-456-7890). Those of you who have been teaching without these large teaching tools will wonder how you ever got along without them!  Thanks.