What's you favorite Bowl gouge?

[Bob Oswin]

I am toying with the need to get a larger/longer bowl gouge.

I have a 1/2" Henry Taylor which I like but it could be about 1-2 inches longer for a lot of my stuff.

I'm thinking either Oneway double end 3/4" or a Hamlet deep hollow set.

What do you guys recommend?

p.s. most of my turnings are about 8" deep or less and about 10-11" diameter.
I am not above making my own if I could find a place to drive the channel fo me.

Bob[COLOR=blue]

[Bud Duffy]

I have a Sorbey 3/4 inch i realy like and the two that came in the harbour frieght set for $30 that look like sorbys and i switch between the two depends on how tight things are at the time, so its a toss up for me . Oh ya i also have a real cheap set of tools that the guy i bought my first lathe from gave me in the deal that are not real good ,dont hold an edge very well so they just sit and collect dust.

[Jim Becker]

The Ellsworth signature gouge is the tool I use 95% of the time for both the inside and outsides of bowls and the exterior of hollow vessels. This is a 5/8" (1/2" US measure) bowl gouge with a swept back grind similar to what's called an "Irish grind". I like this grind so much I also put it on my Sorby 1/2" bowl gouge...the flute is slightly different, but for rough cuts is works great and allows me to go a little longer before hitting the grinder.

[keith zimmerman]

well, my current favorite bowl gouge is my ONLY bowl gouge. It is a Sorby 1/2" fingernail. I like it a lot. I also have a 1/4" spindle gouge that I put a fingernail grind on that I use quite a bit.

I am in the market for an Ellsworth though. I have used one and it is a sweet tool.

keithz

[Glenn Hodges]

I turn medium to large stuff, and I use the 3/4 inch Glasser gouge and the 1/2 in Glasser most of the time with less sharpening they really move wood.

[Anthony Yakonick]

I use two 1/4 Craft Supplies Artisan and a 3/8 Artisan, I turn very few bowls but I use them for my hollow vessels.

[Scott Greaves]

Hi Bob,

My big bowl gouge is the Hamlet 1/2" 2060, and it is very nice! But my favorite right now is my little Glaser 3/8". It has such a nice feel to it! I think my next one will be a bigger Glaser.

Scott.

[Richard Allen]

I like using a 5/8" Glaser. A wonderful tool within it's range, which is also the range of thge work I like to do.

The deep bowls you describe sound to me like they could be end grain bowls.

For end grain I like to use a a ring tool or a hook tool though I will often hog out a good portion of an endgrain bowl with my henery Taylor "bowl buster". That is a tool sold by Craft Supplies. It is mostly a 3/4" bar of steel with a short shallow flute to maintain it's stiffness when hung a long way past the tool rest.

If you are doing end grain bowls then the hamlet Goliath is a nice tool. The main issue with the ring tools is sharpening. The tool never seams as sharp as when it is new

[Steve Inniss]

Hi Bob,
I have some sort of signature 1/2 Sorby that is nice and long. To reach end grain near the bottom I have a BIG beefy 1/2 round scraper.
I need to get a 1 1/2" roughing gouge to tame the logs - I do a lot of bowls without cutting the pieces round on the bandsaw. My 3/4" roughing gouge is bending at the tang. Typically, I make longer handles out of maple or dogwood. -Steve

[Jim Becker]

I need to get a 1 1/2" roughing gouge to tame the logs - I do a lot of bowls without cutting the pieces round on the bandsaw. My 3/4" roughing gouge is bending at the tang.

Steve, roughing gouges aren't really the best tool to use for taking a rough log section to round on the lathe unless they are in end-grain orientation...and even there I don't use them. Roughing gouges are generally considered spindle turning tools, especially with the tang design. (You probably know that, but for the benefit of folks new to turning...) I actually use my Ellsworth gouge or the equivalent 5/8" Sorby with the same basic grind to take both face-plate oriented and end-grain oriented rough blanks to round between centers. You can take a little cut or a big cut depending on how you hold the tool and what you have to work with and it's still very fast, especially if you have some power on your lathe.

[Steve Inniss]

Steve, roughing gouges aren't really the best tool to use for taking a rough log section to round on the lathe unless they are in end-grain orientation...and even there I don't use them. Roughing gouges are generally considered spindle turning tools, especially with the tang design. (You probably know that, but for the benefit of folks new to turning...) I actually use my Ellsworth gouge or the equivalent 5/8" Sorby with the same basic grind to take both face-plate oriented and end-grain oriented rough blanks to round between centers. You can take a little cut or a big cut depending on how you hold the tool and what you have to work with and it's still very fast, especially if you have some power on your lathe.

Jim,
You make a good point, and considering that users of all skill levels may be reading this, I should be much clearer. A square profile gouge can deliver massive catches in bowl work and should be avoided.

That being said, for profile roughing cuts, I prefer to use a gouge normally sold as a spindle gouge for centerwork, but the use is very specific and is part of my process. I have a Jet 18" bandsaw, but often do not use it to cut the log section to round - I personally find this a dangerous, and slower process - I go directly to the lathe. I do not like to use a bowl gouge at this very early stage. The roughing gouge can throw off the wet shavings much more efficiently than the deep flutes of a bowl gouge. Also, the bowl gouge is an expensive tool to use for this type of roughing, and too long at this stage when I'm close to the rest.
For 98% of the process though, I use the 1/2" bowl gouge and a BIG scraper towards the bottom. -Steve

[Dennis Peacock]

It is ALWAYS the exact one I <b>Don't</b> have...!!!

[Bob Oswin]

Jim,

For 98% of the process though, I use the 1/2" bowl gouge and a BIG scraper towards the bottom. -Steve

Hi Again Guys:
One of the reasons I raised this question is that I am trying to deal with a fair share of wood that is subject to tearout.
I would like to be able to shear cut as much of the surface on this type of wood as possible because sanding away tearout generally makes the surface uneven.
I have narrowed my search down to either a 1/2' or 5/8" bowl gouge.
I am leaning toward the Ellsworth grind as I learn how to control he gouges better.

I can either go cobalt HSS from Oneway which gives me a very durable edge or carbon steel from Ashley Ives that gives me the sharpest edge.
(at the sacrifice of more trips to the sharpener)
Hamlet offers a modified HSS that is suppoed to give 4 times the wear resistance of M2.
Hamlet seems to offer the best value.
So for this time I will be the Lab Rat! :p
I will post my subjective/anecdotal findings as soon as I get my hands on one of these tools! ;)

Thanks to all for your wisdom and experience!
Bob

[Paul Downes]

The Ellsworth signature gouge is the tool I use 95% of the time for both the inside and outsides of bowls and the exterior of hollow vessels. This is a 5/8" (1/2" US measure) bowl gouge with a swept back grind similar to what's called an "Irish grind". I like this grind so much I also put it on my Sorby 1/2" bowl gouge...the flute is slightly different, but for rough cuts is works great and allows me to go a little longer before hitting the grinder.

From Paul, new to the wood turnery world.
Jim, could you perhaps give us a sketch or picture of this "Irish grind". Or maybe a referance to a picture on the web. Seeing as I'm 100% Irish I figure to check this out. I have done a fair amount of tool grinding in the industrial world, so I understand much of the technical terms, this one has escaped me some how....Thanks

[Jim Becker]

Bob, I'd recommend you stick with the HHS or similar. The carbon steel isn't just an issue with trips to the grinder, it's terribly easy to ruin the tool by overheating when sharpening as you loose temper at a very low temperature. That makes for "really" soft steel that will not hold an edge even if you just look at it.

Any of the deep fluted gouges with an Irish or similar grind will give you the ability to do the shearing cuts you want on difficult materials...it's totally amazing the finish you can get right off the tool when you do this carefully. Additionally, these grinds are also great for hollowing bowls in the same circumstances as it's easy to "dial in" anything from a delicate to a very aggressive cut by just rotating the tip as you sweep through the contour of the bowl. Again, the finishing cut you can get, even on difficult wood is very impressive. I very rarely use scrapers on the inside of bowls due to this capability.

[Kent Cori]

Another vote for the Ellsworth Signature gouge. Like Jim, I use it for almost everything when turning a bowl. I do use a nice Richard Raffan designed and Henry Taylor made scraper for making the final cuts in the interior.

[Bob Oswin]

Bob, I'd recommend you stick with the HHS or similar. The carbon steel isn't just an issue with trips to the grinder, it's terribly easy to ruin the tool by overheating when sharpening as you loose temper at a very low temperature. That makes for "really" soft steel that will not hold an edge even if you just look at it.

Any of the deep fluted gouges with an Irish or similar grind will give you the ability to do the shearing cuts you want on difficult materials...it's totally amazing the finish you can get right off the tool when you do this carefully. Additionally, these grinds are also great for hollowing bowls in the same circumstances as it's easy to "dial in" anything from a delicate to a very aggressive cut by just rotating the tip as you sweep through the contour of the bowl. Again, the finishing cut you can get, even on difficult wood is very impressive. I very rarely use scrapers on the inside of bowls due to this capability.

Just what I wanted to hear! I'm sure you know how a mind can play tricks on you? :)

Thanks Jim!
Bob

[Steve Inniss]

From Paul, new to the wood turnery world.
Jim, could you perhaps give us a sketch or picture of this "Irish grind". Or maybe a referance to a picture on the web. Seeing as I'm 100% Irish I figure to check this out. I have done a fair amount of tool grinding in the industrial world, so I understand much of the technical terms, this one has escaped me some how....Thanks

Paul,
I am not familiar with an "Irish" grind, but I have heard of an O'Donnell grind, which certainly could be called Irish. You could probably find this on Google. -Steve

[Jim Becker]

Paul,
I am not familiar with an "Irish" grind, but I have heard of an O'Donnell grind, which certainly could be called Irish. You could probably find this on Google. -Steve

This should be helpful..."Irish grind" is sometimes used beyond a specific configuration...in that respect, the Ellsworth grind is "very similar"...

http://www.peterchild.co.uk/info1/sflute.htm

[Bob Oswin]

Bob, I'd recommend you stick with the HHS or similar. The carbon steel isn't just an issue with trips to the grinder, it's terribly easy to ruin the tool by overheating when sharpening as you loose temper at a very low temperature. That makes for "really" soft steel that will not hold an edge even if you just look at it.

Any of the deep fluted gouges with an Irish or similar grind will give you the ability to do the shearing cuts you want on difficult materials...it's totally amazing the finish you can get right off the tool when you do this carefully. Additionally, these grinds are also great for hollowing bowls in the same circumstances as it's easy to "dial in" anything from a delicate to a very aggressive cut by just rotating the tip as you sweep through the contour of the bowl. Again, the finishing cut you can get, even on difficult wood is very impressive. I very rarely use scrapers on the inside of bowls due to this capability.

That's exactly what I am after Jim.

I figure a guy should be able to cut the inside of a bowl to about 150 to 180 grit if his tools are right.
I have no problem with short stuff but need a bit of direction for the deeper cuts.
I figure I will be quite happy with a 5/8" HSS gouge with a decent extension from the handle.

Thanks
Bob

[Jim Becker]

Bob, the key is to practice the inside cuts over and over. Ellsworth has one do it with only the right hand as an exercise in his seminar. This is both for tool control and body posture/balance. Doing it one-handed is scary at first, but after awhile you realize that if you present the tool properly and let it sweep through the cut, you can hollow a bowl very nicely almost with your eyes closed and one hand behind your back :D ...well, not quite that easy, but it is a "habit" type action that practice helps a lot with. I don't do it enough, frankly, and that's one of the reasons that most of the stuff I've done recently (not much, unfortunately) have been bowl type projects. I really need the exercise. With the new lathe, I need to do this a little more for awhile as I choose to set the spindle height a little higher than I had before, so the body posture is slightly different.