Need roughing gouge recommendation

[Bob Noles]

I just up sized from the mini to the Jet 1220 VS and was looking thru my tools and realized I did not have a roughing gouge and haven't needed one until now.

Which size and brand do y'all use for good results? I am thinking a 1 1/4", but just not sure so I am asking for opinions.

TIA

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Bob,

I use a Robert Sorby 3/4".

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Try search for "easy rougher". There is a good thread on it. Someone here mentioned how to build your own. I'm in the process right now. Sorry to whomever actually though of this, but buy a Byrd Helix cutter replacement, and mount it on a 1/2" square steel stock and you'll have a reasonable copy for less than 10 bucks. I'm using a maple handle, 1/2" bolt 7" long. The reason for the bolt vs square stock, can't buy 7" of square stock, 3 feet is much more than a buck and change. I'm grinding the head of the bolt to match the Byrd cutter. Looks like it fits pretty good. Plus, easier to mount a round shank than a square one. I tried searching for a single cutter replacement, but only found a set from Griz for 30 bucks. Lifetime supply.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Bob I use a 3/4" Pinnacle for 90% of my roughing. I just bought a 1" P & N. Don't think I need any bigger than that.

[Rich Souchek]

My P&E (or is that an 'N") roughing gouge is my least used tool...take that back, second least used tool that I own. A 1/8" detail gouge is the least used.
A good 5/8" bowl gouge works better than a roughing gouge for me and has other uses.
Rich S.

[Burt Alcantara]

I use my 5/8 bowl gouge with a sorta-Ellsworth grind for roughing, and everything else. Haven't touched the rougher in so long that I don't know where it is.

Burt

[Dean Thomas]

Bernie seems to have had good luck with his Pinnacle. I also have the Pinnacle, but if I had it to do again now, I would NOT buy the Pinnacle. I would buy Doug Thompson's gouge and make my own handle. My Pinnacle is not round on the bottom! Defective!! Makes sharpening a hassle. I checked a couple of others since the WC guy offered to replace it, but mine was the best of the lot. That may have changed or I may have gotten part of a lousy batch.

I hate to sound like such a broken record on Doug's tools, but hey, quality steel, hand made and personally sharpened by a fellow turner means a lot to this turner. For any standard issue tool, Doug will get my vote and my money. If he branches out into some of the less standard issue stuff, he'll get my vote there, too, just because of reputation!

CAVEAT: Again, something you'll read and hear over and over, these are SPINDLE roughing gouges, not BOWL roughing gouges. DO NOT USE A SPINDLE ROUGHING GOUGE ON A BOWL. And in the words of the Mythbusters, "EVER!" In the words of the late Steve Irwin the Crocodile Hunter, "Danger! Danger! Danger!" If you've been around here for a month or so, you've probably read some of the horror stories of dramatic catches and launched objects. It's real and it's scary to read, but painful to be the target. And if you "only" bend the gouge into a 90º angle because of a severe catch, you run the risk of weakening or destroying an expensive tool. Not wisdom. :)

I've used 3 different sized roughing gouges on three different sized lathes. I've listened to a lot of guys who know a heck of a lot more than I do about this stuff. One of the wisest of the lots offered that we ought to buy tools appropriate to the size lathe we own, not to buy bigger for that maybe-day we upscale. He thought that a 3/4" roughing gouge was plenty for up to a 14" lathe, and would certainly work on a 16" project as well. Part of his point was that with that gouge, we'd be less likely to try and hog cut the wood. It's sufficient, but maybe a touch slower, but smaller cuts on that sized lathe would probably be safer.

Opinions expressed by one man, but originally offered by several different turners. ;)

[Bob Noles]

Thanks guys.... sounds like a 3/4-1 inch "spindle roughing gouge" is what I need to be looking at then with emphasis on the 3/4 inch.

Oh and not to worry.... I do know the difference between a roughing and a bowl gouge :eek::eek::eek:

Thanks for taking a moment to set me on track :)