Best bowl gouges other tools to buy

[Dave Bonde]

Hello, I am looking to buy a couple individual gouges or other tools. I have a gift certifcate and the place I am looking sells Sorby and Crown. Are there favorites among the group both in size and brand. Most of my work looks just like Travis Stinson's:D :D . But seriously I am planning on turning a variety of sizes - both hollow forms and bowls. Thanks Dave

[Gordon Seto]

Dave,

Its not the arrow, its the Indian.

Both are good choices.

It depends on what you like to turn. If you turn mostly green wood, look for gouges with a more open "U" flute. They are less likely to clog. If you turn mostly kiln dry wood, then you may want to look for "V" shape flute with tight radius. The smaller contact point allows the gouge to glide through harder wood easier with push cut.
The grind and the way you use your bowl gouges have more influence than the gouge itself.

I seldom turn green wood, I like the Crown Pro PM. It is supposed to last longer than M2 steel. But I don't have a similiar shape gouge of different steel to compare to; I don't know whether the claim is true.

Find a local club and meet some local turners if possible. You may be able to try on some before you decide what is best for you.

Gordon

[Dario Octaviano]

The grind and the way you use your bowl gouges have more influence than the gouge itself.


I agree.

I also use Crown ProPM and very happy with it. Like Gordon, I can't do any comparison with other gouges since I don't own any of them. Compared to the HF set, the edge does stay a lot longer.

At one time (as an experiment) I used one bowl gouge to turn 6 bowls and didn't need to sharpen. The bowls are made of 3 mesquite, 2 ash,and a maple. The mesquite were wet but all the rest are dry. Sizes were 6" - 10" dia x 2.5" to 4" deep.

BTW, best place to buy them that I know is here http://www.woodchipshome.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=WC&Category_Code=BG

[Ed Scolforo]

I agree.

I also use Crown ProPM and very happy with it. Like Gordon, I can't do any comparison with other gouges since I don't own any of them. Compared to the HF set, the edge does stay a lot longer.

At one time (as an experiment) I used one bowl gouge to turn 6 bowls and didn't need to sharpen. The bowls are made of 3 mesquite, 2 ash,and a maple. The mesquite were wet but all the rest are dry. Sizes were 6" - 10" dia x 2.5" to 4" deep.

BTW, best place to buy them that I know is here http://www.woodchipshome.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=WC&Category_Code=BG
The trouble with this place is that they don't have anything in stock. I ordered an Ellsworth PM gouge that was listed as available and then was told it was not. They then offered a different Crown that was listed as not in stock. I was about to order that one and then was told it, too, was not available. So I cancelled my order and bought the Ellsworth from Crafts Supplies with a 15% discount. My experience at Woodchips may be unusual, but it seems that no one is minding the store.

[Mark Pruitt]

Dave, here (http://www.thebestthings.com/newtools/chisels.htm) is a source for good prices on turning tools.

[Mike Jory]

Dave;
Glad you asked. I'd like to see more people chime in. Just yesterday, after spending some time with a more experienced turner in my Club, who is "turning":p into a mentor, I orderd a Ellsworth gouge.
I have a standard blunt ended bowl gouge, and another less expensive, deep V fluted gouge that I ground the ears back. This one is giving me fits. With the OneWay cd as a tutor, I shaped a fingernail profile, but it's very pointed and I'm having trouble getting a smooth top edge all around. Could be the wheel. I'm still not happy with it, but it works when being very careful. I keep trying. I now have a small protractor to compare bevel angels. This will at least give me a choice for each project,

To maintain the Ellsworth edge I orderd a tool sample from the same vendor. This is a small piece of steel in the same shape as the gouge used to set up the jig and grinder. It's not touched to the wheel in motion.
I haven't heard the deep V vs. round is dry vs. wet. Maybe there's something to that.
To further complicate matters, I watched a Bonnie Klien tape where she used only 2 shallow fluted spindle gouges to turn bowls! In fact, shallow gouges for bowls, goblets and thimbles. Where the grain orentation is opposite. One had a long fingernail profile and one short, like a standard bowl gouge. Bonnie stresses bevel contact and edge angle when approaching the cut. Very confusing at first, but educational. I expected to see small deeper fluted bowl gouges for bowl turning.

I'll be watching to see what others have to say. I searched this forum for gouge comments. This is a bit like your favorite ice cream.
Regards, Mike

[Gordon Seto]

I have more bowl gouges than I like to admit. There is no magic about them. It all has compromises - gain some, lose some. I have wasted some good steel in this journey. On most HSS gouges, the front angle of 40º is the steepest angle and have reasonable service life. The steeper the angle (the sharper the gouge), the less effort it needs to slice through wood, the gouge is also more aggressive. The down side is you will lose bevel on the inside of deep bowl. With 60 or 65º nose angle, you can reach into deeper bowl without lossing bevel support. Sharp edge, good technique are the deciding factor also. I will bet David Ellsworth would make a better bowl with Harbor Freight tools than I can with the most expensive Glaser.
When I first started (not very long time ago), I tried to follow every famous demonstrator's grind. I found a lot of them modified their grind to suit the shapes of their signgature pieces.

Gordon

[Frank Kobilsek]

Sorbey are cheapest from Grizzley catalog. The don't have everything but they have the ones you need to get started.

Artisan Tools are a good deal at Crafts Supply. Its a Henry Taylor that didn't pass finish muster.

The Pinnacle tools from Woodcraft are a great way to fill out a set. Tools are good but the handles are too big and too lightweight, fixable.

Enjoy! Turning can melt you credit card so keep you wallet in the freezer at night.

Frank

[George Tokarev]

Have to say I haven't found the 2030 or 2060 powder types to be any better than their M2 counterparts. What dulls at my house is grit or corrosion, and they seem as vulnerable to both as the next. I turn low pressure, so heat isn't a big factor for me. Sorby comes with a longer handle on average, but I find the round-bottom Hamlet/Packard and Henry Taylor types most comfortable overall. The ones I make or remake tend to follow the "knob" pattern.

When you choose your sizes, do so by the swing of the lathe and your average timber. A 1/4 flute will sneak into some tight places, but you can't hog wood with it the way you can with a big gouge. If your work's large, make sure you get one at 1/2 or better flute size.

I too favor the U shape for easier shaving ejection. My one semi-V folds and grabs on a heavy cut, causing this fool to brush off the accumulation and cut the heel of my left hand. Should know better by now. It's a 1" A2 cylindrical that fears no overhang.

Commercial for a "detail" gouge follows. I think it's about the best endgrain hollowing hogger out there. I grind to almost an Oland tool pointy profile so I can plunge endgrain without a blunter point skidding on me, then sweep and roll to use the wings. With a bit of down tilt the shavings tumble out of even relatively small openings, so I don't clog and catch. When there's lots of room I change to a scraper on a bent hollower.

If you look at the last snap, hollowing a goblet, you can see that the taper allows a really clean cut, evidenced by the feathered edge where it severs the wood completely.

[Dave Bonde]

Thanks for the replies guys - a lot of very good information to consider. Dave

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Dave....I won't even tell you what brand of bowl gouge I use...It's a well known brand made with good HSS from across the pond....Maybe the best advice you've received so far is find a local club. Turners by nature on average are exceptionally generous. I'm sure folks in your neighborhood would be glad to let you test drive their grind and tool before you buy. I only wish the nearest club to me wasn't 110 miles away. Good luck with your decision!

[Gordon Seto]

I only wish the nearest club to me wasn't 110 miles away.

Ken,

Move! Or form you Chapter.

I didn't know how lucky I am. My house is between 2 active Clubs: 31 miles (35 minutes) from one and 30 miles (21 minutes) from the other. Each has more than hundred members.

My Big Gloat!

Gordon

[Dave Bonde]

Dave....I won't even tell you what brand of bowl gouge I use...It's a well known brand made with good HSS from across the pond....Maybe the best advice you've received so far is find a local club. Turners by nature on average are exceptionally generous. I'm sure folks in your neighborhood would be glad to let you test drive their grind and tool before you buy. I only wish the nearest club to me wasn't 110 miles away. Good luck with your decision!


Ken, I feel your pain about the same distance for me :(