Bowl gouge

[Mike Stephens]

First bowl gouge. What do you get If you can only afford 1? Standard grind or fingernail grind? What size?

I would love to try my hand at turning some bowls but with the cost of a chuck and gouges I'll have to buy 1 at a time.

Mike

[Bernie Weishapl]

The best gouge I have is the 3/8" and 1/2" V shape Thompson bowl gouge. They are reasonable in price and they last a 2 or 3 times longer than my HSS. I bought both for the price of one good higher priced HSS gouge. You can find them at thompsonlathetools.com.

[Richard Madison]

Get a 1/2" U flute Sorby or Thompson w/ straight conical grind. Predict most will say V flute w/ fingernail grind, but maybe not the best choice for your first gouge. I think the V fingernail will have a steeper learning curve. Just one person's opinion.

[Gordon Seto]

I would suggest a 1/2" V fingernail grind and "Turned Bowl Made Easy" to go with your first bowl gouge. Knowing how to present the edge to wood would shorten the learning curve. Bill Grumbine did a two day demo for our Club with only 1 5/8" Thompson V fingernail grind bowl gouge, a parting tool and one cut from a detail gouge. He didn't even bring his 80 grit gouge. He was demoing on several good size bowls on a PM 3520. If you are only to get one, a fingernail grind is more versatile than traditional grind; you can shear scrap with it.

[Mike Stephens]

I am definitely leaning towards the Thompson gouges. I know you can basically get 2 for the price of 1 but I've been dumping money into this lathe like there's no tomorrow.

Anybody use the P&N gouges? Also wondering if there is any other difference between a gouge ground with a u grind verse a v grind? I guess what I am asking is can you take a gouge with a u grind and put a fingernail grind on it or is there a difference with th flutes.

Mike

[Don Carter]

Mike:
I hear ya...it's called the vortex for more than one reason.;) You are getting good advice here. I ordered the Benjamin's Best bowl gouges to start. They are over at Penn State Industries. They are cheap but if you are learning to sharpen at the same time, they are good to learn. And they work pretty well.
As you get better, then buy the Thompson's one at a time.
All the best.

Don

[Rich Souchek]

Mike,
The P&N gouges used to be very good tools, maybe still are. I have 3 or so and like them.
But I was limited to just one gouge, the gouge would be a versitle one that would handle most things well,say a 1/2" size. If you can make a tool handle, then the Thompson gouge would be my preference. The only real problem for some of us is drill the hole straight into the blank and then spinning the blank on the hole axs.:o
V or U shaped grouve, would follow Thompsons advice and go V-shaped for first gouge. :cool:
What is expected to happen is you find the tool so good and uselfull, that it is only a matter of a few weeks before anothet slightly different tool is ordered.......:D :D

[robert hainstock]

My first gauge is a Thompson 1/2 in u. It came with a poretty shallow grind, and I increased it easily to a fingernail. You just have to roll the tool over further with the jig. The Grumbine video shows it plainly, and I'm sure there are others. The thing that the Grumbine video also shows is how to maximize all of that cutting edge that will be exposed. Good luck ! :)
Bob

[Steve Schlumpf]

Mike - gouges are a very personal thing - so you will get all sorts of good advice!

Have to agree with Don and suggest a PSI gouge for your first one. Good quality steel to use and learn to sharpen on and it won't break the bank! After you get into bowls for awhile you will pick up some additional gouges - but then you will have some experience under your belt and will be able to choose what gouge fits your style of turning.
http://www.pennstateind.com/store/LX220.html

[Richard Madison]

Mike,
The "U" or "V" is the shape of the gouge flutes, not the way it is ground. Either shape may be ground in any fashion, from a straight conical grind to any degree of swept back, or "fingernail" grind. For a straight conical grind, the end of the handle is placed against a fixed stop and the gouge is simply rotated about its axis while in light contact with the grinding wheel. Several jigs are available which can be used to achieve any degree of "fingernail" grind.

Edit: Don and Steve make a good point about starting with a less expensive tool until you learn to sharpen.

[Jim Becker]

Mike - gouges are a very personal thing - so you will get all sorts of good advice!

Yup. Very true.

Personally, I have three Ellsworth gouges and do 90% of my turning with them. These are a side grind type bowl gouge which makes working deep and into the bottom of a bowl a one-tool affair. I almost never use a scraper... ;)

[Scott Conners]

My first bowl gouge was a Henry Taylor Diamic 3/8", and I really can't decide whether I like my Thompson V or this better. I think I prefer the "superflute" flute of the HT gouge, the V seems less sharply pointed at the bottom, which gives a larger radius nose. I got mine of Amazon for only $45, but it's currently not in stock, it was sold by "The Cutting Edge" on Amazon. I also really like the handle on the Henry Taylor tools, it's a great shape.