Bowl gouge

[darrenjttu]

I have been making bowls and hollow forms now for a while and want to gget a new bowl gouge. I have the wolverine vari grind jig and have problems keeping a good edge. My question is there a bowl gouge out the that is easy to sharpen without using the vari grind?

 

[steve_mcloon]

The best bowl gouge I have used by far is Doug Thompson's:
http://www.thompsonlathetools.com/default.asp

It really holds an edge better than anything else I have tried. I do sharpen it using a jig. (I use a Tormek.)

Another tool that I really love is Mike Hunter's carbide ring tools. You can do many things with a Hunter tool for which you would otherwise use a bowl gouge. AND you never sharpen it.

 

[darrenjttu]

Is it possible to sharpen it without using the vari grind jig?

 

[markgum]

yes, it can be sharpened with out a vari grind jig. but, I must add that since using the vari-grind, my time at the grinder is much less and that means more time turn'n.
I took the Woodcraft class on sharpening and it was very helpful. They covered both free hand and wolverine sharpening.

 

[low_48]

Can't help myself, please don't take this as being mean.
"Is it possible to sharpen it without using the vari grind jig?"
Uh, the vari-grind was only invented a few years ago, before that all gouges were sharpened without it. Actually, the vari-grind came into play after the fingernail type grind came into vogue. Before that, most bowl gouges were straight across the front and you did not have to advance the gouge up the wheel while twisting it at the same time, just twist it in a single position on the grinding wheel.

 

[talbot]

I have been making bowls and hollow forms now for a while and want to gget a new bowl gouge. I have the wolverine vari grind jig and have problems keeping a good edge. My question is there a bowl gouge out the that is easy to sharpen without using the vari grind?

Are you having problems keeping the sharpness or keeping/replicating the shape of the gouge? Please let us know exactly what the problem is.
I use the same set up and to be honest a quick touch up on any of my bowl gouges takes a few seconds.
Are you perhaps having a problem using the varigrind attachment? If so they have an on line tutorial which would probably help. Repeating the set up with the wolverine is key in my opinion but once there, you are guaranteed sharpness and shape consistency with all your gouges. By that I mean gouges with a 'fingernail' type grind which is where the varigrind attachment really comes into its own.
Finally, sharpening should take no more than a couple of passes on the stone to recover the edge. I have seen some people go at it as if they're trying to regrind/shape the gouge and its an awful waste of steel.
Regards, Bill

 

[marcruby]

It's perfectly possible to use a square-nose profile on a bowl gouge and these can still be bought - take a look at the P&N tools CSUSA sells. Tthis is NOT a recommendation to buy, by the way, I've heard some bad things about P&N recently.

This profile is fairly easy to sharpen. The downside is that the fingernail/Ellsworth profiles are easier to turn with. Since I know that profile jigs do work my off hand recommendation is that you take a very close look at both how you are sharpening and what profile you are cutting. And how you are turning for that matter.

Don't read what I'm saying as critical - I've replaced tools too many times only to discover that I was the problem, not the tool. It gets expensive.

Marc

 

[Rifleman1776]

Of course it is possible to sharpen without the Wolverine. But, why would you want to do it another way when you have a Wolverine? My Wolverine is a fairly recent acquisition and I consider it a great addition to my shop. Sharpening, including bowl gouges, is quick, simple, easy and gives the best edge I have ever had on my lathe tools.
There are a lot of good tools out there. Thompson is just one. Check out the catalogs and make a choice.

 

[Dario]

I have been making bowls and hollow forms now for a while and want to gget a new bowl gouge. I have the wolverine vari grind jig and have problems keeping a good edge. My question is there a bowl gouge out the that is easy to sharpen without using the vari grind?

As mentioned, you certainly can sharpen anything w/o the vari-grind but a fingernail bowl gouge will be (IMHO) one of the most difficult to freehand.

If you really want a freehand sharpened bowl gouge then get one with the flat edge that looks like a roughing gouge.

Review your sharpening procedure...it MIGHT be something you are doing that's causing the problem. Another experienced person showing it to you might help.

Good luck!