Thompson gloat; blue pine branch collar

[Doug Herzberg]

My first (and only) Thompson gouge was a 58V. It has been my go to tool for everything from roughing to the final cut. I've wondered for a long time about the difference between this and the "U" shaped flute. Last month at our local turning club, one of the more talented members announced he had purchased a 58U and didn't like it. He was willing to sell it for $50, but I had no cash or checks. This month, I stopped at an ATM on the way to the meeting and was relieved to find he still had it. Thanks, Vinny. I turned a handle from an osage orange branch and here it is:
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Of course I had to try it out. I saved a branch collar off the beetle killed pine I cut up a month or two ago. Nothing special, as it turned out, but the new gouge was great. There's a little tear out, but I certainly can't blame the tool. Much smoother going around the inside curve than the V flute, but much harder to start a cut, especially from the outside in.
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I decided I should photograph this one right away and post it before it cracks. 6 x 2, Danish oil. Thanks for looking. C&C always welcome.

[Richard Jones]

I like the U better than the V.............. I guess I'll be selling my V. Too bad Vinny and I couldn't have just traded..............

[Doug Herzberg]

I like the U better than the V.............. I guess I'll be selling my V. Too bad Vinny and I couldn't have just traded..............

He would have traded, in a heartbeat. I like the V too, though, so I wouldn't trade.

[Doug Herzberg]

Don't know why these photos didn't show the first time.

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[Bernie Weishapl]

That is a great looking bowl and wood Doug. I like my V for hogging and use the U for finish. Wouldn't trade either.

[Jim Burr]

That's a heck of a bowl Doug, and I would beg to differ...it really looks special! Did I hear there may be a DT 58 out there?

[Steve Schlumpf]

Good looking bowl - can almost smell the pine from here! I have the DT 5/8"V and it has been my go-to bowl gouge since I picked it up many years ago. It is getting fairly short (lots of use!) and I recently picked up another brand of 5/8" gouge - more of a U flute to it and so far it has been amazing to use! Hope the U works out well for you!

[Eric Gourieux]

Great bowl. Love the wood and the translucence. Hope it doesn't split.

[Eric Holmquist]

I've never turned any pine other than playing with bits of 2x4. This looks so nice, I think I should give it a try. Does the sap / pitch make a tough mess to clean up?

[Doug Herzberg]

I've never turned any pine other than playing with bits of 2x4. This looks so nice, I think I should give it a try. Does the sap / pitch make a tough mess to clean up?

Until yesterday, I would have said no, but others have said so. The translucent part of the branch inclusion was full of pitch. It built up in the flute of the gouge, but not much else happened. I think it depends on the particular tree. All I've ever worked with is Ponderosa Pine.

[Reed Gray]

Well, I prefer the V for cuts with the flutes more up, and the U for cuts with the flutes more rolled on the side. I also have a U or two with the 'bottom feeder' type profile, almost no sweep (pretty square across the top, almost like a SRG). I am the odd one here and use scrapers for most of my roughing.

robo hippy

[Doug Herzberg]

Well, I prefer the V for cuts with the flutes more up, and the U for cuts with the flutes more rolled on the side. I also have a U or two with the 'bottom feeder' type profile, almost no sweep (pretty square across the top, almost like a SRG). I am the odd one here and use scrapers for most of my roughing.

robo hippy

Reed, one of the older guys at my club suggested the almost SRG shape. I don't know how Doug Thompson ground it originally, but it was like this when I got it. I just put a new edge on it. I think I'd be afraid of catches with the corners right up front, but I might give it a try if I ever get one that hasn't already been shaped.

I've seen your start to finish scraper video. Pretty impressive.

[Reed Gray]

Doug, here is another clip that explains the possibilities of the corners catching. Lots of people use this type of cut for bottoms of the bowls. Thing is: roll the gouge a bit on the side, or at least, cut just slightly off center, but not up on the wing. I always roll my gouges to prevent the catches, just old habit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwlAb2BWHw8

On my turning a bowl with gouges clip, I show the bottom feeder.

The U gouge comes with pretty much the same nose profile as the V gouge. I have tried the 40/40 grind on the U gouge that Stuart Batty prefers (40 degree bevel top and bottom, and 40 degree sweep/wing), and the U does not grind well that way, mostly because I have the idea fixed in my head that the nose should be more pointy rather than rounded. The U seems to grind more easily as a bottom of the bowl gouge, or slightly swept back. I do like the 40/40 on the V gouge, and almost never use a swept back grind any more. I do platform sharpen, and haven't used a gouge jig in years (I blame it all on Allen and Stuart Batty because I took a 3 day work shop with them, and they started me with the platform sharpening. Not really very difficult at all. Hope to have some clips of that up soon.

robo hippy