suggestions for metal for tool shaft

Chrome-vanadium alloys are indeed very tough and strong, but they're more than you need for wood turning tools. If I were making them, I'd use common oil-hardening (O-1) steel. It's easy to work, it's easy to harden, and it takes a very good edge. Its strength and toughness far exceed anything you'll need unless you really abuse them, in which case the grade of steel you use won't help.

My newest wood turning tools are just under 100 years old. They're made of plain carbon steel, and they have a lot of life left in them. Oil-hardening is better.

Ed Huntress

I've made some wood turning tools out of shock absorber shafts - that works nicely. beware of high performance steels that are brittle - there is a much greater overhang therefore much greater bending load than on an equivalent sized metal turning tool. You may consider hanging out at rec.crafts.woodturning for a while, there are some folks that make their own tools on that list - and you may want to at least peruse Jerry Glaser's notes on sharpening in the tips section of

Since you talk just about the shaft, and no mention of edge-holding abilities, I presume you are mounting a cutting edge of some other material.

Use whatever you want for the shank. I don't think you'll find much difference in vibration-limiting qualities. Make it heavy.

The harder shanks will of course hold up better against the tool rests. I'd rather file the rest than the tool. But you won't need them too hard to be harder than most rests.

John Martin

its to be a shaft with a hole in the end to hold square hss bits, roundthewoods.com has a picture, its called an oland tool, I was hoping to find something I could make a thinner shaft with that would still stand up.

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