Size of bowl gouge

[darrenjttu]

What size does everybody use or recommend for V bowl gouges?

 

[jclark58]

My goto gouge is a 1/2" Crown pro-PM. I use it 80-90% of the time. I have a 1/2" Thompson V flute but I don't use it as nearly as much as my Crown, I think it's partially due to the shape of the flute and partially because it's closer in size to a 3/8" gouge. That's due to the different ways Europeans and Americans measure the tools.

Jason

 

[talbot]

My regular is the Thompson 1/2",,a joy to use and I wouldnt be without it.
regards, Bill

 

[Dario]

What size does everybody use or recommend for V bowl gouges?

What size/shapes will you be turning?

IMHO 5/8" US (1/2" British) is the best size overall but 3/4" is better if you do big or deep turnings.

Crown ProPM is hard to beat value wise (among its commercial peers). Thompson consistently get rave reviews even from professionals but I never used/tried them personally so cannot comment.

 

[marcruby]

I have four on hand when I'm turning - 3/8 and 1/2 glasers, the 5/8 ellsworth, and the 3/4 thompson. the Glasers are a new addition and I'm still deciding if I'm going to modify their grind a bit. As far as steel and handling goes, they're wonderful. So are the others for that matter.

I prefer a v fingernail with long swept sides - this makes it easy to switch from a rough cut to a 45 degree cut to a shear cut to a shear scrape without a lot of fiddling.