I know that when you pay for your own, all tools are rather special!  I go along with that one too.  However, this page is dedicated to those tools whose function is hard to define in the traditional categories of tools but which nonetheless form an important part of the modern turner's armoury.

If you are thinking of end-grain hollowing, then the ring tools on this page could be the answer to your needs. Perhaps you would like to try applying chattertool decoration to those end-grain projects?  It was hard to decide where to place shear scrapers in our pages, but we finally decided that they are so different from traditional scrapers that we should separate them out as the specialist tools they really are.  Some of these shear scraper tools also have hollowing tips so they are included here too.  Finally but very significantly, we are including here the texturing tool and spiralling tool introduced recently by Robert Sorby.

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Ring Tools: The modern turner's derivative of the traditional hook tools which were much used in green turning on the pole lathe and which still find wide favour today among Scandinavian turners.  These modern closed ring tools are strictly for use in end grain hollowing and can grab heavily if used on cross-grain, as in faceplate turning.  They work well in wet wood and can give a very good finish on dry hardwoods.   They excel when turning the softer timbers such as Birch and the softwood species - hence their popularity in Scandinavia.

A small conical aluminium oxide stone should be used to sharpen these tools on the inside only.  Do not attempt to grind the outside diameter.  A suitable stone (a "grinding point") is listed below: these may also be bought packaged with the ring tool with a moderate saving in total cost - an encouragement to use the correct tool.

Coving Tool: This apparently simple tool makes the forming of coves a much simpler task than many have found it to be hitherto.  Speed and consistency are the benefits claimed for this novel approach to one of the spindle turner's standard tasks.  The shearing cut produces a smooth surface and the flat bevel is child's play to sharpen.  Whilst basically a 3/8" tool, it can be used to form coves of a wide range of sizes.

Chattertool: The Sorby chattertool (RS215KT) is a complete kit containing the handle, two double-ended chatter cutters (one convex/concave; one straight/pointed), a small HSS shear scraper blade with one straight and one French curve edge and an Allen hex. key for locking the interchangeable blades in place.  This tool is used primarily for patterning end grain items such as box tops.  The patterns produced can be infinitely varied by using the different cutters, altering the length of the tip projecting out of the handle and changing the lathe speed.

Shear Scrapers:  The Ray Key HS111 shear scraper has already been mentioned on the scrapers page and is designed with an obtuse diamond point allowing scraping of platters and other flat work in both directions.  Sorby provide two scrapers with square shanks and small interchangeable HSS cutters: these are easier to use than many shear scrapers since the square shank of the tool is set to ensure that the tip is presented at a 45 degree cutting angle. 

The 826 cutter is designed for hollowing work whilst the 827 is designed for external curves.  The RS200KT, RS2007KT and RS2008KT share a range of tips designed for hollowing and shear scraping.  The shear scraping tip is an HSS tip with one straight and one French curve cutting edge.  For hollowing a small 'pick' type tip is fitted.  Full instructions are provided.  The 200KT is a standard length tool whilst the 2007 and 2008 are both from the Texan range, differing only in that the 2007 has an ash handle and the 2008 has a rubber handgrip.  Finally, the miniaturists are catered for by the 868H which features a smaller version of the straight/French curve scraper tip.

Taylor provide us with four shear scrapers  featuring smoothly radiused edges so that they s-l-i-d-e easily along the toolrest whilst tipped up at a 30 - 45 degree shear angle.  Types HS145 & 146 have a long curved edge similar to diagram D on the scrapers page, whilst HS 150 & 151 have a skewed round nose akin to an offset version of diagram B of the scrapers page.

Helical Tool by Stuart Mortimer:  Stuart has become famous for his spiral turning and his demonstrations are always avidly attended by enthusiasts for this delicate and skillfully-produced work.  To make the removal of the timber from the spiral flutes easier, Henry Taylor have produced this special gouge in conjunction with Stuart.  The fingernail-sharpened blade is approximately four inches long and a short handle is fitted to make the tool easy to use single-handed: the other hand is used to rotate the workpiece into the tool.  See also the Stuart Mortimer hollowing tools from Hamlet.

Texturing System and Spiralling System:  Two unique innovations from Robert Sorby round out this section on specialist tools.

The Texturing Tool features a rotating cutter which is held against the rotating work and cuts a spiral pattern n the surface of the workpiece.  By altering the angle of presentation, lathe speed and rate of movement the texture applied can be infinitely varied.  A breakthrough in surface decoration from Sorby.

The Spiralling Tool is a more sophisticated version of the texturing tool with additional cutters of different pitches and a special tool rest which can be adjusted on the shank of the tool to allow the tool to be presented repeatably at any chosen angle.  The standard kit includes the texturing cutter and spiral cutters of 2mm, 4mm and 6mm pitch.  5mm pitch and 11mm pitch spiral cutters are available as options.