spindle gouge as a scraper

[Michael Rodgers]

Would it be possible to sharpen a spindle gouge like a scraper with a steep angle and laying flat on the grinder rest, then use it like a scraper that could be rolled to one side for shear scraping? I dont have any spindle gouges or I would grind one and try it, just bowl gouges. Anyone have any thoughts of how this might work? Thanks.

[Roger Chandler]

You would have to grind away the flute......geez, much simpler and less expensive to get a scraper. If it is the rounded edges you are after, then hold the sharp square edge of the scraper lengthwise on a belt sander, or even grind the edge off on a wheel. Benjamin's Best scraper from Penn State Industries are pretty good for the price.....mine is going on 7 years old, and sees a lot of use, and still holds a good edge. I paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $25-$30 for it.

[Jamie Straw]

+1 on Roger's suggestion to just get a Benjamin's Best scraper. Although I spend pretty hefty $$ on my bowl and spindle gouges, the BB scrapers I bought when I first started turning have been just fine. I had two of them ground to a negative-rake scraper profile, and they even took that punishment pretty well (fast work on a CBN wheel).

[Pat Scott]

My first thought is a spindle gouge bar diameter is pretty small to be used as a scraper. You couldn't be very far off the tool rest before getting vibration. I think trying to turn a spindle gouge into a scraper is a waste of a perfectly good spindle gouge! I agree with everyone else to just buy a scraper.

[Michael Rodgers]

Thank you for all the replies, I took all the advise and ordered some large heavy scrapers. Makes sense on the chatter and durability. What got me the idea was the videos of the fluteless gouge type of chisel I have seen. I thought sharpening a spindle gouge since the flute was shallower like you would a scraper would give similar results. I may just bite the bullet and also order a thompson fluteless gouge or a psi versa gouge, whenever they get back in stock.

[Reed Gray]

Gouges make lousy scrapers. My favorites are the Big Ugly tool, and scrapers in the 3/8 inch thick by 1 to 1 1/4 inch wide. Any more is over kill. The fluteless gouge is not really a scraper because of the round bottom, which can make it kind of tipsy if you are not cutting with the middle part of the blade. Doug has an excellent 1 inch wide by 5/16 thick scraper which is kind of middle sized, so not too big, and not too little. Excellent quality metal too.

robo hippy.

[Quinn McCarthy]

I do it quite frquently to clean up the outside edge of larger turnings like pepper mill tops.Turn i9t to shape and turn the gouge so the top eddge is like a scraper and clean up the shape. I get good shavings doing this and don't have to switch tools.

[Reed Gray]

I am not sure I understand this. Pictures would help. Negative rake scrapers are good at removing tool marks in end grain wood. If the flutes are straight up, then you are taking a scraping cut. If the flutes are on the sides, then you are doing more of a shear cut or shear scrape, which does clean things up.

robo hippy