First Thompson Gouge

[Steve Mawson]

Handle for my new Thompson 3/8 bowl gouge. Left over walnut and maple about 17" long. Gouge epoxied into the end. Now I just need time to use it. Comments are welcome.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Nice work on the handle Steve! Good looking wood combination! Have fun using it!

[David Drickhamer]

Nice looking handle Steve. Your going to love Thompson gouges. I have two and they're my go to chisels.

[Doug Thompson]

Steve, you did a good job on the handle and it's the right length for the 3/8 bowl gouge. Longer handles give you more control.

[Jeff Nicol]

Steve, Very nice handle for a very highly touted piece of tooling! I have one on the list of things to buy but the slush fund is on vapors right now! The tourist season will be here soon and I hope to get the cash flowing again! Thanks for showing us your work and now show us the finished piece from the new gouge!

Jeff

[Tim Cleveland]

Very nice handle Steve.

Never even heard of Thompson gouges until I started frequenting this forum a few weeks ago, but alot of people on here seem to have them. So what's special about them, and where can I get them?

Tim

[phil harold]

Tim,
http://www.thompsonlathetools.com/

I just got my 5/8" V-shaped Bowl Gouge in the mail today
I need to make a handle soon...

[Jarrod McGehee]

Nice handle Steve and that puppy sure should come in handy soon.

[Allen Neighbors]

Nice handle. Won't roll? That's good.

Tim: Thompson Gouges are, in my opinion, the best gouges you can buy today for the money they cost. I don't know of any that are better, and there is a ton that cost more.
Cryogenically treated, the edge lasts much longer than any other gouge I have.

[Dean Thomas]

Allen's right on both counts. Handle & gouge.

Not only a cryo tool, but it's got 10% vanadium in it. That is what REALLY makes it a great deal. Cryo treatment on Vanadium tools makes for an edge that will last (depending on whose tests you read or believe) between six and thirty-six times longer than the edge on an M2 HSS gouge from quality houses like Sorby, Iles, Taylor, etc.

And because Doug is a Creeker and a turner and out to provide gouges to turners, not to gouge them, the tools are really, REALLY reasonable. You make the handle or buy one to fit from someone else. You can often buy two of Doug's unhandled gouges for only a little more than you can buy one handled gouge from the various dealers. Check him out. You'll not be sorry. And if you have a Creeker near you who owns one, I'd bet you a coffee that you could get a free test drive. :D

[Steve Mawson]

Very nice handle Steve.

Never even heard of Thompson gouges until I started frequenting this forum a few weeks ago, but alot of people on here seem to have them. So what's special about them, and where can I get them?

Tim
Tim,
It was because of this forum that I first looked at Thompson Tools. From what everyone said they were some of the best. Being the "thrifty" person that I am I started checking prices and found they are a great value. True no handle but that makes it a little more personal when you make your own handle. For the handle I already had the wood and all I had to buy was the brass fitting from one of the big box stores, about $2.50. In my book about $55.00 for a premium tool is a bargain. I will post more when I get to use the gouge. I am now working 140 miles from my shop which makes shop time very difficult. Hopefully by summer the shop will move to where I am working.

[Doug Thompson]

Tim, it's the best steel on the market and darn good heat treatment including cryogenics. You won't hear about these tools unless you see it on the internet or know a woodturner... I don't advertize. It's a one person company but that one person has a real job so time to work on this is limited.

[Gordon Seto]

Doug is a member of our Club. Our members were the stage 2 of guinea pigs for his gouges. He himself is a cowboy hat turner. He has done a lot of trial and error on the flute shape design. His V bowl gouges do NOT clog. And they also have more steel underneath the flute, therefore the gouge can be extended over the tool rest further without chattering. Don't let the superior steel over shadow the other nice features. These tools are made by woodturner for woodturners. Doug understands what woodturners want.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o83/gbseto/c1fa938b.jpg
The bottom tool was the Jerry Glaser bowl gouge (this was the original by Jerry Glaser, not to confuse with the current Glaser Tools). It was made from the same steel as Thompson. I paid well over $100 (closer to $150 IIRC) for it several years ago. You will notice the mass Thompson has in comparison. And by opening the flute slightly, it prevents clogging. Opening up the flute any further would affect the versatility of the gouge.

BTW, Doug doesn't have time to do much turning, other than doing a demo. If your Club wants a good demo, talk to him. He is not a professional demonstrator, but he gave one of the best demos our Clubs ever had. Watching a 55 pound of wood turning into a cowboy hat of less than half pound was amazing. We had the most members staying till the end to help cleaning up.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o83/gbseto/1bbb6d05.jpg