Stockdale Gouge

[Joe Kolmer]

Greetings:

I just joined the Creek, but I have been reviewing the various postings for a while now and have always found them useful and informative. I am now looking for some information about gouges, specifically the Stockdale gouge. I saw that Richard Allen recommended it in a posting back in 2003, but he did not explain the grind and flute. I have searched the intermet and asked many knowledgable individuals about this gouge/grind and no one seems to know about it. Can any of you help me? Also, what is the best application of this gouge? Thanks in advance.

J.R. Kolmer

[Dario Octaviano]

Curious...why are you so interested on it? It sounds to be more due to the novelty of it since you know so little of it.

I mean other gouge are recommended by hundreds maybe thousands of people who actually used and tried them and you go after one that you heard once or twice of.

Doesn't make sense to me.

[Hilel Salomon]

Welcome. Dario, Joe may be a little like me. Everytime I see an accomplished turner say that he/she uses such and such a turning chisel or chuck or whatever, I rush to get it. Now that I'm on an imposed credit card diet, I've stopped doing this, but I have dozens of chisels which worked fine for the demo but I can't seem to use... Could it be my lack of talent???
Anyway, Joe, Highland hardware carries the Stockdale gouge, made by the folks who bought up Glaser tools. Truth is that I don't know anything about it, but does anyone out there want four Hout scrapers, two Eli Avisera Hamlet gouges and several Rosand tools (just kidding.....)

[Brett Baldwin]

Welcome to the Creek, Joe. I'm afraid I'm totally ignorant of the Stockdale gouge profile but I wish you luck in your search.

[Joe Kolmer]

Dario, I'm not looking to buy this gouge (at least not right now) but I am interested in the grind/flute configuration and it application. This is a quest for knowledge as much as anything right now. I like to know what is out there so that I can put it into my thinking in the future. As much as anything I am bugged at this point because I have talked to many turners (some very experienced) and I can't get a specific answer on this gouge. Usually I just get a questioning look. When I saw that Richard Allen recommended it, I figured the folks at Sawmill Creek might be able to help satisify my knowledge quest. I'm still hoping.

Hilel, thanks for the input. I am also a tool junkie of sorts, but I think I have it under some control. I don't have the room in my shop to get too many things. More or less, I think all woodworkers are tool junkies. There is always the adventure of experimenting with a new tool. Yes, I do know that Highland Hardware as well as a few other dealers advertise the Stockdale gouge by Glaser. I have talked to some of these dealers and apparently the Glaser tools are in short supply (big demand and slow manufacturing?) and they haven't actually seen the gouge. One description I got was that it was a spindle gouge with a deeper than normal flute, but no specific input on the grind, nose angle, etc. Then I saw that Richard Allen recommended it as a detail gouge (2003 thread on the Creek) which further confused me because detail gouges usually have shallow flutes. Anyway, even if the Glaser Stockdale gouge were available, I wouldn't buy it at this time because I don't know anything about it, and that would be a lot of money just to satisify my knowledge gap. Thanks again for the input and I hope you sell your excess tools.

Anyone know the specifics on the Stockdale gouge?

J.R. Kolmer

[Jim Johnstun]

This gouge was originally developed by Bob Stockdale. He was a famous turner from the S.F. Bay area in the 80's. I think that he was the original teacher of Dell Stubs. The gouge is a 3/8 gouge of lower flutes and has a fingernail grind on it. It doesn't have the high flutes of the modern ones so there is no slicing of the wood. It was designed as one of the first bowl gouges. I have made many bowls with mine. Used it for all the turning. In fact that is the only tool that I have used for a long time. Hope this gives a little insight into the question.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

JIm....can you point us to a link or a photo of same. I'd like to see one.

[Jim Johnstun]

don't know of any. Bought mine in 83 at ademonstration by Bob and haven't seen anything else.

[Hilel Salomon]

Ken, Jim, Joe,

Highland hardware can special order it, although I was not very impressed with the people who bought up Glaser industries. They had over a dozen people at the Louisville aaw meeting and everytime I asked them about a Glaser gouge, they immediately told me that the new stuff they were producing was much better.
Here's a link to the illustration
http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/browseproducts/Glaser-Hitec-9-16--Bob-Stockdale-Gouge.HTML
Good luck, Hilel.

[Tony De Masi]

I'm sure Richard will address this when he can. Right now he is probably at our club meeting which should be over later this afternoon. Personally I've talked to him about several things over the last year or so and this topic has never come up.

Tony

[Joe Kolmer]

Greetings:

Thanks for the help. If I am reading you right Jim, the Stockdale sounds more like a bowl gouge than anything. I once heard of a combination gouge that had a deeper flute than a spindle gouge and the flute was radiused (like a U shape). The nose was also ground at a steeper angle than a spindle gouge. I don't recall anything about the side grilnd. I have never seen one of these gouges either but based on your description, it sounds similar. Well my curosity is satisfied. Thanks so much for the help and I hope to run into ya'll again. Have fun.

J.R. Kolmer

[Christopher Zona]

For what my two cent are worth, any kind of tip or trick that can be learned and stored in the old noggin is well worth investigating. All tools work for a reason, be it bad or good. It's up to the individual to filter out what works and doesn't work for himself.

[Richard Allen]

The Stockdale Gouge?

The one I have was made by Jerry Glaser. It has the usual Glaser handle which I find to be one of the best features of Glaser tools. The tool is between a spindle gouge and a bowl gouge. The tool is made of 5/8" bar stock and is 1/2" across the flute. I have the tool ground well back with the heel of the bevel ground down. If I want a clean cut on the outside of a bowl this is the tool I reach for. The long point makes getting into tight places easy and I use it in places where a 3/8" spindle gouge would be used. But the size of the tool insures that there is no vibration even with a 3" or so overhang.

Is this a must have gouge? NO.

Does this gouge work better than other tools for some woodturning tasks (without a learning curve)? YES

Would I recommend that you get a Stockdale Gouge? A spare 1/2" bowl gouge would likely get more use.

Some pictures of my Stockdale gouge can be seen at:

http://www.gyniahouse.com/stockdale/stockdale_gouge.htm