Sharpening short bowl gouges

[Clay Fails]

I use the Oneway Vari Grind setup to sharpen my bowl gouges. Most of my gouges are ground to either an Ellsworth swept back profile using the Ellsworth jig, or a 40/40 profile using Ron Browns jig. My question is what to do when the gouge gets too short to work in the jigs? (when you start to run out of flute). Do most of you discard the gouge at that point, or continue using it but sharpen freehand on a platform? I'm trying to get a little more mileage out of my gouges before having to buy new ones.

Thanks for any thoughts the group has.

[Cliff Hill]

Clay go to your grinder and grind a flat on the tool shank just behind the flutes. This will provide a place for the jig to register so you can continue useing it.

[Dave Fritz]

One of the benefits of Robust's tools. The have a flat all the way down on the top. I've done what Cliff suggested.

[Russell Nugent]

Agree with the others, grind a flat and that will extend the life.

[Richard Coers]

I consider a bowl gouge that won't fit in the holder to be worn out. But then again I turn on the larger side for bowls. On a spindle gouge I ground a flat on the bar to get a little long life out of it.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

I used to have a small wedge that helped hold the short ones in the varigrind, but after buying some of the Robust Tools gouges with the flat ground on the shank, it made sense to grind a flat on all my gouges. No longer a ‘too short’ gouge. Still have a few to add the flat to, but then they’re not short enough to be a problem yet.
As an aside, since changing over to CBN wheels nearly ten years ago, my tools seem to last significantly longer - I’ve now got more gouges than I can shake a stick at. It’s nice to have a full range of sizes available in three different grinds to work with. Can’t remember the last time I actually retired one…

[Clay Fails]

Thanks for the great suggestions! I like the idea of grinding a flat below the flute, and will be trying that soon. Sounds like a good solution,

[Neil Strong]

As an aside, since changing over to CBN wheels nearly ten years ago, my tools seem to last significantly longer - I’ve now got more gouges than I can shake a stick at.

Likewise, my pre-CBN and diamond grinding wheel gouges are all considerably shorter than those that have only ever been sharpened on the newer wheels. I'm never going to grind any of mine away now in my remaining woodturning lifetime. The grandchildren are going to do well out of that.

I also grind flats on the shaft of some of the gouges that I make and also on my Woodcut bowl gouge with the replaceable tips that come new at about the same length as some turners are retiring their gouges...


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If you are grinding with a CBN wheel these M2 bowl gouge tips, that have a beautiful parabolic flute profile, are going to last a long time and are also great value...

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