… do you lean towards the more minimalist side keeping the ones you like/use and culling those you don’t or are you more of a collector and there is always room for one more?
Just turning tools that make shavings? Also tools related to woodturning?
As with many things in woodturning (and most other hobbies), much may depend on what you do and the way you do it, your experience, and your curiosity, creativity, and budget. And of course, yout shop size and how much tool storage space you have.
For example, when kayaking I kept multiple boats for different reasons, different types of rapids/water.
If we consider other types of tools besides turning tools held in the hands: some may work fine with one lathe, some may make good use of three. How many bandsaws are "needed". How many drill presses? (one of mine never touches metal, the other is only for metals that need oily lubricants.) How many thickness calipers, dividers, measuring tools. Does one's spectrum of projects require things like a table saw, jointer, drum sander, belt/disk sander? Segmenting aids?
Some random thoughts:
- Those who mostly turn one thing, for example, bowls from green wood, may be quite productive with a very few familiar tools.
- Those who like to turn a large variety things may need more and different tools since it's difficult to turn a miniature goblet with a large bowl gouge. I use different tools for a finial than for a 20" platter, for hollowing an ornament vs an burial urn.
- Some rely on a steady rest; others don't use them for similar work.
- Those who embellish and texture may benefit from a whole set of tools another turner may never have a use for. The same is true for carving and chip carving, air brushing, wood burning, CNC/laser engraving.
- Those who love to experiment may acquire a lot of tools, some just to evaluate, learn about, and pass on the knowledge. I can't remember how many tools I acquired to test, found I didn't like them, and gave them away.
- Some turners "have to have" coring tools; others would never use them. I gave mine away.
- Multiple tools of the same kind are fun for experimenting with different grinds.
- Those who like to invent new tool designs benefit from having extra tools just to grind into new shapes to try. Tool making can benefit from welding/cutting/heating tools, a plasma cutter, a hydraulic press, milling machine, etc.
- Those who teach a lot may keep certain tools mostly for students, then others for them to grow into
- Those who teach more than one student at a the same time on multiple lathes in the shop benefit from duplicates of identical tools.
- Extra "old" tools are great to have on hand when teaching sharpening. Mistakes will be made but they don't matter so much.
- Those who love to work with new turners, some on low budgets, might keep extra tools to loan and give away. I guess that could be called culling.
- Does the same "how many" apply to chucks? There are good reasons to have immediate access to multiple chucks.
I personally keep a lot of tools. I sometimes then have the exact tools, or some very close to the same tools a student has at home. It's helpful to them at first if we use tools they are familiar with, and later, let them experiment with tools they've never seen.
When turning a specific piece, I often experiment with different tools and grinds to see what works best and gives a better surface for THAT form and THAT wood. I have almost no tools that rarely or never get used. (A couple of huge conventional scrapers and some "giant" bowl gouges. I should give them away.)
I keep a number of skews for different reasons. Some have different included angles, better for certain things. Some are different sizes, from 1/4" up to quite wide. I usually rough and round spindle blanks with a skew and a larger diameter blank very much benefits from a wider skew. Some tasks, like pealing cuts, are better with a skew with a rounded edge profile while I like straight edges for most planing and certainly for facing and deep v-grooves.
The same with negative rake scrapers - I keep a variety - some straight on the ends, some wide, some narrow, some rounded at different radii. I have doubles of my favorite NRS for bowls and platters - the only difference is which side has the burnished burr - that way I can immediately pick up a left hand or a right hand scraper.
And there is at least one reason to keep multiples of the same tool. I keep six Thompson 3/8" spindle gouges all sharpened the same. When one gets dull I take it out of the handle and grab another, and keep on working. When all are dull I take them to the Tormek, set the gouge jig once, and sharpen the lot very quickly. Since setting up the jig properly is half the effort, this method saves time. And doesn't interrupt my turning if I'm on a roll.
The biggest thing for me, I guess, is this is a hobby, not a business. I turn for fun and to give things away. And I have fun playing with tools.
JKJ
