Non-Symmetrical Gouge Wings

[Preston Baxter]

I was recently given some old rusty turning gouges and just cleaned them up. What I noticed as odd was that a 1/4" gouge's "wings" were not symmetrical. One side is significantly higher than the other. At first I though it was a defect on the gouge but than I noticed a 1/2" gouge by the same maker "James Swan" had the same profile albeit a little less pronounced on the larger gouge but it was there and on the same side.

Next, I though it must just be a James Swan design, but then I noticed three 1/2" Greenlee brand gouges that all had the same feature. However, 3/4" wide gouges from both makers were perfectly symmetrical.

Why would the smaller (1/2" and less) have a higher wing on one side?

[Paul Atkins]

Since I am right handed and use the lathe from the same side usually, I have found that symmetrical 'wings' are not always necessary. It all depends on what you use it for.

[mike holden]

Preston,
Richard Raffan deliberately shapes his wings differently. One DVD that shows this clearly, and he explains why, is: "turning wood with richard raffan"

As re: your older tools - dont know if that would be the factory grind or not, but if the tools were used at all, then I dont think so.

Try checking with the old tool collectors, MWTCA, OWWM, etc.

Mike

[Preston Baxter]

It's not the grind at the tip, but the whole shoulder of the flute that is taller on one side. They came from the factory this way.
http://personal.bellsouth.net/p/s/psbax/ww/skews.jpg

[Dick Strauss]

Poor machining at the factory??????

[Gordon Seto]

Your first thought was right. Those are defects.
If the design was good and useful, there would be copy cats once the patent runs out. I have lost count the number of Fein Multimaster clones.

[Richard Madison]

One often makes different cuts with the left and right side of a gouge, and many (most) turners like a particular grind. Perhaps this was how the previous owner liked them ground.

[Preston Baxter]

Gordon and Dick are right! They are factory defects. It looks like there are a lot of factory defects in the bunch. Most are brand new but rusty. I went through the box and looked at some more, sure enough there are other defective chisels. A couple were patternmaker's gouges with badly forged sockets.

It looks like I've got hold of is a box of returns or rejects from a hardware store or a industrial plant. I'm just glad they were given to me and I don't have any money in them.

I tried to use the 1/4" gouge with the crooked flute and it was horrible. it would dig in on the other side while trying to turn a small cove.

I guess this proves that they didn't always "Make 'em like they used to."

[John Keeton]

One word - repurpose!! Regrind those suckers into something useful!

On the other hand, if they aren't HSS (and they probably aren't), then I don't know what you do with them.:confused:

[Dick Strauss]

Preston,
As long as you remember about the flute offset, the tools should be safe and useful without any more catches than a standard tool. As John wrote, you should take them and put all kinds of grinds on them (short/long front bevel, long/short wings, etc) to experiment. When you find the grinds most useful to your turning style, you can apply that grind to your "top shelf" tools.