Wow ...

[Lawrence Tarnoff]

I just received my new 1/2-inch V Thompson bowl gouge. I put a small block of walnut on the lathe and started shaping the outside of a bowl. What a sweet tool! I alternated between the Thompson and my older bowl gouge and the difference is night and day. The older gouge, which was thrown in when I bought an earlier lathe, has pronounced swept-back wings and the quality of its cutting ability certainly has been compromised by my sharpening skills (or lack thereof). Bottom line ... I'll be adding to my turning tools from Thompson. Thanks, Doug!!!

Larry

[Dan Masshardt]

Cool. What was your old gouge?

I'm just starting to get into bowls. I acquired a cheap woodriver gouge which I do not like at all.

And I have a crown bowl gouge that I like much much better.

I'm thinking one of my next purchases will be a Thompson or D-day bowl gouge.

[Rich Aldrich]

This is a good video by Doug Thompson on sharpening bowl gouges and a negative rake scraper. Very good video. Reed Gray posted it on another forum, so I thought I would post it on this forum.

I own a number of Thompson gouges, but he really helped me correct the grind on my bowl gouges with this video. He is very helpful and a great guy.

I disagree with him on the CBN wheels. For us hobby turners, you will never wear out a CBN wheel but you will wear out a few normal grinding wheels. The cost will be similar in the end. Also, the CBN wheel is safer - you don't have to worry about the wheel flying apart. I had a bowl gouge slip off a regular wheel and catch the edge of the wheel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOc6giDP39A

[Reed Gray]

Hmm, I thought I posted Doug's clip here as well. It is a very good demo on sharpening, and when I first saw it, I had to post it on all the forums other than the one I found it on. The metal he uses, and the metal that Dave Swchweitzer uses are almost identical for getting and keeping a good cutting edge. I really like both guys. I do have a few old M2 high speed tools, but the only ones I use now are scrapers, but even then, I prefer mine from Doug and Dave. You also are buying from the guys who make them, which means no middle man taking their cut. Best tools, best values.

I have a couple of sharpening clips up as well if you type in robo hippy over on You Tube, and John Lucas has one or two up as well. I like his also. I need to persuade him to visit the Creek.

robo hippy

[Lawrence Tarnoff]

Hi, Reed ...

I decided to go to the Work Sharp after seeing your sharpening video on youtube. I'm having a difficulty understanding the angle referenced in the Work Sharp tables. Any idea of where I can easily find the angle for the 1/2 inch V bowl gouge? I don't want to butcher the beautiful edge Doug provides.

Larry

[Reed Gray]

Doug does have a print out that he includes with his gouges that show the proper setting for the Wolverine jig. Proper angles can vary a lot according to personal tastes. Kind of like just about all woodturning, ask 10 turners the same question, and you will get at least 12 different answers. I know the Work Sharp is set up to use the Tormek jigs, but don't really know how to set them all up. I don't use jigs.

I do love their motto of "A dull chisel is just a screw driver". That needs to go on the wall of every wood shop.

robo hippy

[Jim Underwood]

I thought John Lucas did post on Sawmill Creek....

[Rich Aldrich]

Hmm, I thought I posted Doug's clip here as well. It is a very good demo on sharpening, and when I first saw it, I had to post it on all the forums other than the one I found it on.


robo hippy

Robo - Sorry. I had found your clip on this forum and put it on another forum. Then I copied mine back to this one. I will pay more attention next time.