To turn a straight cylinder on the lathe, which tools are used?

• A. Roughing gouge and a skew chisel
• B. Parting tool and calipers
• C. Spindle gouge and chisel
• D. Coping saw and rasp

Answer: (A)

To shape a straight cylinder on the lathe, you start by removing material quickly to form a true round shape, then refine and smooth the surface. The roughing gouge is the best tool for that initial step because its curved edge removes material rapidly and creates the cylindrical form from a square blank. Once you have a true cylinder, the skew chisel is ideal for cleaning up and trueing the surface with light, planing cuts that leave a smooth, even diameter along the length.

Tool choices like a parting tool and calipers are used for tasks such as cutting grooves or measuring diameter, not for turning the main surface. A spindle gouge is more oriented toward creating coves and beads on spindle turning and isn’t the standard pairing for straight cylinder turning. A coping saw and rasp are hand tools used off the lathe or for rough shaping, not for producing a true cylindrical turning on the lathe itself.