THE YOUNG SCIENTIST. 
31 
t- [Specially written for the Young Scientist.] 
Wood Turning Tools. 
By Joshua Rose, M. E. 
THE beginner usually finds a great deal 
of difficulty in the use of hand tools 
for turning wood, the reason being that 
if the tool is held in a wrong position with 
relation to the work, it is apt to run into 
the material, and is sometimes even forced 
from the hand of the operator. If the 
principles governing the use of such tools 
be once properly understood, the merest 
tyro may handle them with confidence, and 
wood turning becomes an instructive and 
pleasant amusement. 
Fig. 1. 
The'principal tool is the gouge, shown in 
Fig. 1. It is usei mainly to rough the 
work down to the shape, and nearly to the 
size that^is wanted, leaving a little for other 
tools to finish, but in the hands of real ex- 
perts, work may be finished very well with 
the gouge, rounding over corners or curves, 
and hollowing out sweeps with a clean and 
smooth finish. 
The proper way to hold a gouge is shown 
in Fig. 2, in which the cut taken by the 
tool is being carried from right to left, the 
Fig. 2. 
face plate of the lathe being on the left 
side so that by holding it in the manner 
shown the body and arms are as much as 
possible out of the way of the face plate, 
which is a great consideration in short 
work. But if the cut is to be carried from 
left to right, the relative position of the 
hands may be changed. 
When the work runs very much out of 
true, or has corners upon it, as in the case 
of square wood, the fore finger may be 
placed under the hand-rest, and the thumb 
laid in the trough of the gouge, pressing 
the latter firmly against the lathe rest, in 
order to steady it. This is necessary to 
