How deep can I go with a gouge?

[Dan Case LR]

I'm looking at a segmented design that will be about 1 1/2" diameter at the bottom and flare out to about 6" inside, total depth around 6" or so. I'm wondering if I can turn the inside of something that deep and narrow with a bowl gouge or if I need to look at something else. Practically speaking, where do I need to switch from a gouge to some other hollowing tool?

Thanks!

D.

[Brian Kent]

The dimensions you give are easy to do with a gouge. Just repositioning the tool rest will let you stay close.

[Reed Gray]

Reaching 6 inches off the tool rest with most gouges would be difficult. If you can get your tool rest down inside a bit, that makes it easier. Some will actually turn the inside in stages as they glue it up. This might be the easiest way to do it making it easier to get inside, probably for sanding as well. Of course, getting some more new toys will work as well.

robo hippy

[Michael Mills]

This video by Stuart Batty may give you some good guidelines.

http://vimeo.com/68652450

[Robert McGowen]

To answer your question, your gouge should be able to hollow a segmented vase as deep as can fit on your lathe. I have made numerous segmented vases and I guess my question would be why aren't you turning the inside as you go? Glue a ring, turn the inside, glue one or two rings, turn the inside, glue a ring, turn the inside, etc. Turning the inside as you go will help keep your rings centered, eliminate any error you might have made gluing on the previous ring, and generally makes things way easier. The last vase I made was 21" tall and was fairly easy to do this way. I turned almost the entire vase with a 1" round nose scraper about 6" long. I would also knock off the corners on the outside as you build. This will ensure that the new ring is centered for you to glue another ring to. You will find that once you start making larger items, the accumulation of errors will add up, so that if you tried to glue up the entire vase at once, you might find that by the time you get to the top rings of segments, they might have been turned completely off. YMMV

[Dan Case LR]

I can see your point on turning as you go. This will only be my second segmented project, so I have a lot to learn but it seems like glue-up drying time would make turning-as-you-go an awfully slow process. My first segmented bowl wasn't particularly huge (5 rings, 6" diameter, about 3" tall), so it may be a different story on larger pieces. I cut and glued the whole thing on Saturday, turned and started finishing on Sunday afternoon, completed Monday night. You can see the result here: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?206608-First-Segmented-Bowl

D.

[Brian Kent]

I re-read your original post. Is the 6" flare at the top of the bowl, as in a 6" opening? If so, no problem adjusting the tool rest and never going more than an inch beyond it with the gouge. On the other hand, if it flares to 6" in the middle, and then comes back to a small opening, the reach to the bottom is farther.

[robert baccus]

For a regular gouge 6" is probably too much. For 20 years I have used a promaster by Woodcut cutting bit(sold with a long shaft but I use a controlled rig) which is the only deep cutting gouge type cutter that I know of. I can hardly imagine all you guys using scrapers in deep boring. Let's see--they catch, they only scrape, they cut very slowly and leave a rough surface. The mastercut takes only curls out and has a brass limiter which totally eliminates catches. It can be set on softer woods to self feed --you gotta hold it back or readjust. Try that on a scraper bit. 22" is the longest my control rig allows and that is enough for now. Good luck.