Which bowl gouge first?

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GaryMadore

GaryMadore

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Jan 25, 2007
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Location
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Learned Friends,

I am preparing to take the leap and begin to spin things other than pens (GASP! I know, I know)

Of course, pens will always be primary but LOML has begun to hint that she'd really like a set of goblets with captive rings, so I figure that I had better start praticing now in order to be able to produce them for a wedding present in 10 or 15 years... ;)

So, my question for all who know more than I (yep, that's all o' ye) is this: What size bowl gouge do I want to start with?

Alternatively, if "Benjamin's Best" from PSI are decent enough to start with, let me know because I can buy a set of three (3/8, 1/2, 5/8") for less than I currently pay for a single chisel up here in Canada (I buy my (Sheffield-Leyland) tools from KMS Tools, and they average about $70 each).

Thanks,

Gary

We now return to our regularly scheduled frivolity....
 
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Gary, you will also need to look at the different grinds. Standard, fingernail etc. I only do small bowls on my jet 1014 and I have a Sorby 3/8 standard grind. I think it works very well for what I do but I also do not have expereince with other grinds or sizes. When I start to do larger bowls I will get a bigger one and also look into another grind as I understand they will remove more wood quicker.
 
My first bowl gouge was a 3/8" Pinnacle Gouge from Woodcrack. I still use it for most of my exterior bowl turning. I have a 1/2" PSI bowl gouge, and I put a more finger nail grind on than a swept back grind. I use this mostly for hollowing. I follow up both my interior and exterior cuts with large crown bowl scraper that I bought from Lee Valley.

For small objects like goblets, boxes, etc - I use a 3/8" spindle gouge for hollowing followed up by a modified round nosed scraper for finishing cuts. (I basically modified it by making it look more like a bowl scraper than a simple round nosed scraper - it is particularly good for round bottoms like goblets)
 
From what I do know about turning in general. which is mostly knowledge not practice. is that the true correct use of a tool determins what size you use to produce a particular shape.
you can use a skew to produce notches, beads and grooves. I'm not sure about coves.
so for example you want to make a 1" diameter bead on a spindle. with truly correct tecnique you would select the size of skew that would produce the bead desired.
the same is true with all the other tools. I would say the gouge is a lot more versatile on the line of this thinking though but still the best way to produce a 1/2 inch cove is with a 1/2 inch gouge. ground and sharpened correctly it is a simple matter of letting the tool cut it's own profile into the wood.

Along this line of thought you can see that the selection of tools would get enormous in short order.

Along the same line but for different reasons the type or size of the turning will require new tools. large turnings require larger, longer, and stronger tools. certain shapes require specific features in your tools such as bowels , vases or even goblets. longer reaches require the tool have more support of it's own or at least a method to keep the tool supported.

asking what is the single best tool for turning is a bit like asking which car is best for your family. unless the question gets a lot more specific and your needs are defined. it really cannot be answered with much more than something like. One that runs.

having said all that I do think the gouge is the most versatile tool in the rack. 3/4 inch is about the mid line favorite for me but I would not want to try and cut a bead with one. I am not sure is can even be done. but you are talking to a real tecno turner to that cuts beads with a parting tool. I can hear the groans from here.
 
Very good point Daniel. I've seen it too often that turners want "specialized" tools because they don't really know the full potential of what they have. One tool can actually do a lot of things if only we learn the basics...how an edge cuts.

Sure there are limits on what a tool can do but trying to compensate our lack of skills with more tools have become the norm...which manufacturers and vendors gladly provided.
 
I have done most of my bowl turning with a 1/2" Sorby, and recently I got a Thompson 5/8" which is great for roughing out. I keep the 5/8 at a traditional grind and the 1/2 is a fairly swept fingernail grind.

With the bowls I turn (6"-9" diameter), the 5/8 is probably overkill, but I plan to start turning larger stuff once I get back in the swing of bowls. I had taken almost 6 months where I did all spindle work, mostly pens, so now I am re-learning bowls but it is coming back fast.

When I first started using the 5/8 I had a rough time getting clean cuts, and would have to clean up with the 1/2, but today I finally got a bit more comfortable with the 5/8 and started getting very nice cuts.

With that observation in mind, I would recommend that even if you go with the batch of Benjamens Best, pick one like the 1/2, and master the feel of it before playing with the other 2 sizes.
 
If you are just starting to turn larger than pen I would try to stay away from kit type of buys. Most of the time you will end up with a lot of dust collectors. I would suggest looking at Thompson tools on his web site. Another tool to look at might be a CI2 from Craig Jackson. Not affiliated with ether but have both and they are good tools. A good skew will go a long way also.
 
For a first gouge I'd go with a 1/2 inch gouge, either a Sorby or a Crown. I'm tempted to say that you should go with a traditional grind rather than a fingernail, simply because they're easier to sharpen. The fingernail is definitely the better grind, but you will wind up buying a sharpening jig for it. If you don't have any sharpening jigs at all you can wind up spending another $100. Money well spent, but it is a consideration.

If your going to be making a lot of bowls that are very small, say less than 4" then a 3/8 might be better for you. But as a general purpose gouge it can be a pain for wider or deeper bowls.

If you want 'best,' buy a Thompson gouge and either turn or buy a handle for it. Thompson provides them with either a v or shape. I prefer a V, but the U's are great too.

Marc
 
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Hello again,

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I just got back from the store where I grabbed a 3/8" Sorby on sale for $75 (Canadian dollars, which is, I think, somewhere around $3.98 USD)

It's a fingernail grind - I have the Tru-Grind system here already.

I went with 3/8" because I thought about your advice and realized that I would be starting with really small stuff and so the choice came down to 1/4" or 3/8" .... I'll get the 5/8" next, I think, and then fill in the middle.

Thanks again,

Cheers!

Gary
 
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