Best chisels

[AA calls]

What is the best brand of chisels for turning acrylic calls?
Thanks in advance

[Aaron at Wingerts Woodworks]

Thompson, Sorby, and Crown are among the best.  That being said, there's no need to spend $50-$120 on one turning tool unless the money is just burning a hole in your pocket.  If you're just starting out you're better off spending that money on a very good sharpening setup and decent tools.  If you can't sharpen them on day one, you'll quickly become frustrated.  In the decent category I'd go with PSI's Benjamin's Best line ($20'ish per tool), or maybe spend a bit more on some of the less expensive offerings Craft Supplies USA. 

Just about all turning tools are high speed steel.  Granted, English steel will probably be better than Chinese steel.  But frankly most of us aren't going to notice that much of a difference.  When you get into high end tools the better steel may hold an edge a bit longer, but it is hard to justify the price difference a lot of the time.  My herd of turning tools is populated with Crown Pro PM, Sorby, Benjamin's Best and a few oddballs......From really expensive to really cheap, and I use them all. 

Don't buy a set.  Determine which tools you need and buy those.  Most sets will include a tool or two you'll get little or no use out of.

[VECtor Calls]

I like Henry Taylor too.

Vince

[Joe Short]

I bought the midrange set from HF @ roughly $35 (HSS) and they've worked great for me. I am scary good at free hand sharpening on a belt sander though. My most used tool is the fingernail scraper, I turn my calls with that, a skew, and a 1/4" chainsaw file almost exclusively. I have a homemade carbide tool that I use for my bands, had never considered using it for wood or acrylic until the TaT... Now it sees intermittent use, though I still prefer the "feel" of HSS.

[dogcatcher]

It is not the brand that you want to know, it is the type of chisel or gouge that works best.  That is best determined by each individual.  Some use the roughing gouge to round the blank and the skew for the final shape.  Others use the round nose scraper and then the skew.  Your own personal experience will lead you to what works best for you.

I use an extreme rake cut on a round nose scraper, one of my own design that I stumbled on, then finish up with the skew.  My son uses a gouge and then the skew, if I use his method I screw up more than I finish, and vice versa.

Marvin 

[Aaron at Wingerts Woodworks]

Skew is a four letter word to me!    I own two but just have never quite got the hang of them, even after good instruction.  Too touchy for my liking.  But they undoubtedly leave the cleanest finish off the tool in the right hands.  I'd venture a guess that the majority of folks on here don't use them much, which is a shame. 

[VECtor Calls]

Spindle gouge with a round nose scraper backing it up for me.  That is using HSS though.  I prefer a large list of differently sized shapes and sizes of carbides now. 

Vince

[bojiducker]

Roughing gouge - Round Nose Scraper - Flat Scraper -  1/16" parting tool - 1/8" parting tool,  from craftsman to Ben's Best.
Few others mixed in, but not used much.  Figure out what tools you get the most out of and go with them.