Gouges for beginners?

[Frederick Skelly]

Guys,
1) What would I use gouges for, other than learning to carve beautiful designs (which I dont want to do at this stage). Are they really good all around tools to have for shaping wood, kinda like good rasps and chisels? Or are they something that only artists, advanced guys and turners use?

2) If I wanted to buy just a few - say at LV's upcoming sale :) - which shapes/sizes tend to be most useful for general work?

3) Any mid-price brands you can suggest, maybe a gouge equivalent of NAREX for example?

Thank you!
Fred

[Brian Holcombe]

I have some Ouchi's on the way....the backs are flat rather than curved.

I do not carve anything, I plan to use these to help make roughing curves a bit easier.

[Jim Koepke]

Mine get used for molding work. Often the handles on shop made tools, templates and such fingertip rests will be carved out with gouges.

They also come in handy for making spoons.

Only one of my gouges was bought new. All the rest were either found in antique shops, yard sales and online auctions.

jtk

[Hilton Ralphs]

2) If I wanted to buy just a few - say at LV's upcoming sale :)

Remember the sale is only for Veritas products, not everything that Lee Valley sells. As far as I know, Veritas do not make gouges (carving or otherwise).

[Chuck Hart]

Fred Narex makes gouges

[Frederick Skelly]

Thanks guys! Sounds like I'll add a couple to my wish list. Hilton, you're right! I missed that important little bit. Bummer. :(

Fred

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Think of them as the chisel version of a scrub plane.

[Daniel Rode]

I don't have any gouges yet but I keep finding places where they would come in hands. First, incannel gouges would be really useful for shaping concave curves. incannel means the bevel in on the inside of the curve giving the chisel a flat (up and down) back.

The other place I could use gouges is for things like scallops, finger pulls, elongated recesses for screw heads. I don't need to make indents real often, but when I do, it's tough without gouges.

I may buy a cheap Chinese set if I can't find vintage.

[Brian Thornock]

I use them for roughing out the transition areas on guitar necks all the time. A great way to waste away wood in a curved region.

[Hilton Ralphs]

Are we talking about carving gouges here?

[Chuck Nickerson]

I may buy a cheap Chinese set if I can't find vintage.

Wood Carvers Supply has handled Chinese gouges relatively cheap. If you're willing to make your own handles, the same (?) gouges unhandled are available through ebay - 62 for about $180 (including shipping).

Note that I'm guessing it's the same supplier. They look right and WCS tool roll holds 31 chisels, so 2 rolls holds the 62 chisels. Odd coincidence that.

[Daniel Rode]

I don't need 62 gouges :eek:

I was thinking more like 4.

[Steve Voigt]

Ebay has plenty of good gauges at reasonable prices, probably because the online hand-tool gurus don't push gauges the way they do chisels and planes. It's hard to find the really nice, delicate carving gauges, but there are plenty of servicable patternmaker's gauges and the like. Mostly outcannel; incannel is harder to find new or used.

Fred (OP), you mentioned wanting to make a rabbet plane in another thread…if you make a traditional one, you'll want a gauge for carving the conical escapement and finishing off the stopped chamfers.

[lowell holmes]

I am a great fan of Lee Valley, so I hesitate to post this. I know you will not go wrong with anything they sell.

But, if you are going to select gouges, I would go to where I can pick them up and examine them. There are many different gouges to select from and they might not be what you visualize.

I just went through that with a parting tool. I thought it would be called a vee gouge. Also, the one I ended up buying was much finer than what I had in mind but when I was able to pick them up and examine them, I bought one I am happy with. I have two or three gouges I never use because I didn't know what I was buying.

[Mike Henderson]

I've never found a use for gouges in standard woodworking. I have a lot of gouges but I use them for carving. Every now and then, I'll need to cut an accurate curve and I might use one of my carving gouges for that. But to match any curve, you have to have a LOT of gouges. I agree with Lowell (above) that you should buy gouges when you need them, and where you can touch them.

Most of my gouges are Pfeil but many companies make good carving tools.

Mike

[Frederick Skelly]

Thanks for the additional thoughts guys. I think I could use them for carving escapements, as Steve mentioned. (In fact, I got the idea from your blog Steve.) I'd also like to be able to cut "finger grooves" in things as Jim suggests, without my electric router.

Lowell, Mike - I'm very glad you pointed out that I need to actually handle them. That will keep me from having excess tools. Mike, I also found some carving tutorials on your blog/website I plan to look at.

I've got to find someone local that sells them and I'll take your advice and limit what I buy. I'm thinking maybe a 3/4" with a deep sweep for finger grooves, maybe a 1/2" that's more shallow and I might try a small V-shaped one.

Have a good weekend!
Fred

[James Owen]

If you are looking for a set of general purpose bench gouges, take a look at the Henry Taylor gouges; they come in both in- and out-cannel versions, and will take care of almost any curved, fluting, texturing, and quick-removal work you need to do.

[Mike Holbrook]

Country Workshops has a great selection of heavy duty and carving gouges made by Hans Karlsson in Sweden. They can be used to make parts of Windsor chair seats, trim the excess off tapered mortised chair legs....