Gouges

[Gary Herrmann]

I'm going to pick up a couple turning tools soon. The wife is a pen geek, so thats a no brainer. I've read the threads, but do have a question about gouges. WC has a sale on Sorby tools 30% off.

I assume the grind on fingernail spindle and bowl gouges is the same, so the only difference is the depth of the flute. I further assume you can use either for spindle or bowl turning. Does either one have more utility for both types of turning?

And yes, I'll post a pic when I get all set up.

Peeking over the edge into the abyss...

[Jim Becker]

Spindle gouges and bowl gouges grind very differently because the flute, itself, is very different. The adjustment you use on a variable jig, like the OneWay Vari-grind is also quite different from a fingernail grind on a spindle gouge and an "Irish"/side-grind on a bowl gouge.

In general, spindle gouges are for spindle work and bowl gouges are for bowls and vessels. The former is sometimes used for "detailing" but not for turning a face-plate oriented hunk of wood. The nose angle is way too sharp. A spindle roughing gouge should never be used for bowl work. A side-grind bowl gouge can be used for spindle work (I do that from time to time), especially for shear cutting in lieu of the dreaded skew, but it's not ideally suited to the work.

[Gary Herrmann]

Thanks Jim.

[Dennis Peacock]

Well....I can't top what Mr. Becker already posted. So there you have it.

[Brian McInturff]

Actually spindle gouges are for anything where the grain runs longways of the ways and bowl is for anything that runs cross grain of the ways. That's more or less how I learned. So spindle gouges would work for hollow vessels, pens, lamps, and even plain bowls where the grain runsthe length. Bowl gouges pretty much take care of anything else. This doesn't necessarily work for burls or some exotics though. Brian

[Reed Gray]

I can turn spindles with my bowl gouge, but don't turn bowls with my spindle gouge. I did pick up one of the Sorby Spindle Masters (well, I got the whole set) and really like it. It is way more user friendly than the skew. It is also easier to turn coves with than the skew. We had the Sorby rep at the local Woodcraft to demo a lot of the tools, and the one I wanted to see the most was the excentric chuck, which he didn't do, but promiced to do the next time he comes to town. Sorby makes good tools.
robo hippy

[Brian McInturff]

Reed,
They were here Monday at the WC in Charleston. I picked up the Multitip Hollowing tool. He demonstrated a Hardwood scraper and I was very impressed with it. They didn't have any in the store so I will either order it or make one. I'm still debating on getting the Spindle Master. I've been practicing more with the skew lately and want to get it down pat but the way he used the spindle master(if I got that good) would save me some wood.
Gary, the 40 degree grind works pretty good for all turnings and I modified a bowl gouge to work spindle type work like Reed. I did it mainly because the bowl gouge has more weight and thickness. I did waste a lot of steel in the grinding though.