• A lathe turns wood above a set of chiselsWoodman at work image by CJD from Fotolia.com
  
  The smooth curves of a finely crafted spindle seem like the product of a machine's mold rather than a skilled woodworker's hand. Hand tools, power tools and machines aid both the professional and DIY woodworker in the creation of the spindle and its cousin on the staircase, the baluster. While you can't purchase the skill and experience of a professional, you can certainly use professional tools to consistently create professional-quality turned wood.
  
  

Lathe

• The lathe rotates wood against a fixed cutting edge to create rounded, symmetrical contours; a lathe literally turns wood while cutting. Material is mounted to a lathe at each end, the machine's motor is activated and a sharpened edge, or blade, presses against the wood to peel away layers of material. Advanced lathes, used mostly in machining and metalworking, employ computer input to control and guide the cutting edge. A bench top lathe for a home woodworking shop costs a few hundred dollars while professional grade machines frequently cost several thousand.
  
  

Router

• The router employs a rotating bit to shape and gouge wood. Routers appear both as handheld power tools and stationary, table-mounted tools. The operator of a handheld router draws the tool across the wood, while the operator of a table router runs the wood across the router. The sharpened bits, or cutting tips, of routers are rounded to create contoured cuts along a material's edge, such as those common on decorative molding and trim. Along with edge cuts, routers plunge into the center of material to create decorative flutes or channels for joinery. Innovative manufacturers offer router equipment, called jigs, that fix a router in place and turn material against its edge, effectively creating a lathe from a router. Plunge routers can cost $50 or more, as of 2010, and a table router often costs several hundred dollars.
  
  

Chisel and Gouge

• The chisel and the gouge are traditional wood carving tools, which feature straight metal blades attached to wooden or plastic handles. The chisel's tip is generally flat and sharpened at its end, while the gouge's tip is curved into a half-pipe shape capable of cutting a groove. Chisels and gouges shave away at wood to shape, smooth and contour its surface. The tools are pressed against the surface of the wood by hand or tapped at the butt of their handle with a hammer. Chisel and gouge blades of various shapes and sizes allow woodworkers to create a variety of decorative and practical cuts. Chisels and gouges range in price according to quality; general purpose styles cost as little as $10 and high-quality might cost several hundred dollars, as of 2010.