Richard Raffan shows four tools turning a square spindle blank round.

[@jamescarter8813]

great explanation Richard, great way to show the use of those tools.

[@jackthompson5092]

Great lesson Richard.

[@eltay3]

Thanks for the refresher, Richard. I love these videos, as they are second-best to “being there.”

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

Many thanks for the encouragement.

[@chrisstewart8259]

All good stuff on a soft wood such as Oregon Pine. It doesn't work too well on the Australian Hardwoods that we use here. They catch like hell no matter what technique you use. Best I've found is to use a square, positive rake carbide tool and use the side of the bit to scrape from on end of the wood to the other - but not too deep.

[@joescarborough1]

I first tried to round a blank nearly sixty years ago and that was with a skew. In the forty years I have owned a lathe, I have never owned a spindle roughing gouge. My weapon of choice is a continental gouge - more versatile, too. Thoroughly enjoying your presentations. I like the low gloss style. Cheers, -- Joe

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I don't own a deep-fluted roughing gouge, but love the continental gouges for roughing down and long coves.

[@DiemenDesign]

Thanks as always Richard. I noticed the Skew was a bit faster. I'll have to go over your Skew video again. I'm planning on having a go at make Lace Bobbins and forcing myself to primarily use the Skew to get practise in.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

The Spillikin video might show you better. Anything under 50mm square I'll rough with a skew.

[@DiemenDesign]

@@RichardRaffanwoodturning Thank you, I didn't think you had that one uploaded yet, will have a look for it. I'd like to have a go at doing the Spillikins as well.

[@DiemenDesign]

@@RichardRaffanwoodturning aha found it, I'd already watched it, about to again, lol.

[@jamespeelecarey]

I remember seeing the diagram of this in one of your books. Yesterday I roughed out four legs for a staked chair using just this technique. ( with less aplomb , naturally)

[@peterkleiner9114]

One thing you didn't mention is why you might reach for one roughing gouge over the other two. Is there a particular characteristic of the timber which guides your choice, or is it simply a matter of which one doesn't need sharpening? Thanks as always, Richard.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I don't own a deep-fluted roughing gouge, but I do enjoy continental gouges for roughing down and long coves as they're more slicers than peelers. Anything under 50mm / 2-in I'll probably rough with a skew chisel.

[@Honeybees2805]

Doesn't value his fingers

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

I've had 54 years as a professional woodturner and I still have all my fingers.

[@chrisstewart8259]

I disagreed with Honeybees until the final few seconds where his fingers "crossed the line". I have a Golden Rule about never, ever let your fingers be used for anything on the "danger side" of the tool rest. Fingers should always be on "your" side. I saw a very experienced wood turner rip his little finger clean off by having his fingers just over the danger side. The piece caught, the chisel kicked and his hand was somehow dragged into the work area. But that's my Golden Rule.

[@RichardRaffanwoodturning]

@@chrisstewart8259 In this video my fingers are never beyond the rest. Over the top of the rest yes, but never near the wood. The camera angle is deceptive. However there are many times when a thin spindle is best and most easily supported by a hand and you'll see that in several other videos. I suspect that if your very experienced turner managed to lose a finger, he wasn't anything like as experienced as he or yourself imagined. Either that, or he was distracted, tired, or showing off, or a combinationof all three.