Which new powder metal 5/8" bowl gouge???

[Mike Minto]

I use the Crown Ellsworth PM signature gouge - it gets used more than all my other tools, combined. Mike

[Bruce Pennell]

For roughing bowls with no need to sharpen you can't beat Ci1, I do love my Doug Thompson gouges though....Bruce

[Bob Hallowell]

For roughing bowls with no need to sharpen you can't beat Ci1, I do love my Doug Thompson gouges though....Bruce

For the ci1 you can make one cheaply, just get 1/2 sq cold roll and either go to ebay and do a search for carbide inserts and find some that will work for a few bucks or look at the grizzly shelix jointer cutter head insert 10 for $20 I bet they would work also. For $20-30 you could have a tool that is close with extra cutters. All in all it is still just a scraper. I am getting ready to make a hunter style tool soon I allready bought the cutters for $4 dollars a peice on the bay.

Bob

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I always thought that the end result was the most important, not the name on the tool, I stop my lathe often to have look at the turning I'm working on, not being a production turner, I can afford the 5 or 6 seconds it takes to touch up my tool also, be it a Robert Sorby HSS or Oneway PM tool or a Crown tool, and by gosh it might be even a carbon steel tool, though that doesn't happen often
Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

[Bernie Weishapl]

Thompson 1/2" or 5/8" gouges. You won't look back and wonder.

[Dana Berenson]

For those of you waiting for Thompson tools, he just updated his site this weekend. Lots of the tools are now available. Since I ordered mine already, the rest of you can fight over the leftovers.

I spoke to a friend who knows a lot about metals and he said, "hands down, those tools are worth the price you pay."

[Frank Kobilsek]

I had this conversation with a well known production bowl turner and instructor a couple years ago. The engineer in me and the turner in me are still argueing with themselves over the topic. The conversation went that an HSS tool because of the course grain structure of the steel created a serated edge when sharpen that was functional in as a wet roughing gouge longer than the PM tools. The PM fine grain structure makes for a razor edge when taking the finish cut. His arguement was that both have their place but edge life when rough turning bowls was not a good arguement in his mind.

I have the ONEWAY 5/8 double ended PM Bowl gouge, Sorby 5/8 HSS and Henery Taylor 5/8 HSS. Each ground slightly different for different places on a bowl. The Oneway is the rougher at my house. I also tought the P&N Supra 1" bowl gouge was a good idea but I haven't been able to make it cut.

Frank

[Joshua Dinerstein]

So I went to Doug Thompson's website today looking at his tools. What can I say I want 1 of each! But sadly having just bought a mustard monster I just can't swing the price. So the question becomes which 1 do I want.

I was planning to get a 1/2" bowl gouge. But when I started looking at them I noticed that Doug has 2 flute profiles for his bowl gouges. A V and a U shape. Which do those of you that own them prefer?

So far I have just 1 bowl gouge. A Benjamin's Best from PSI. It has been a great tool to learn on but it suffers from the fact that well... it cost $16.95 brand new and that low prices is reflected in the quality of the steel etc...

Any strong preferences? And if so why?

Thanks,
Joshua

[Gary Max]

After reading the thread---kinda looks like one of those Ford / Chevy deals.
Just think if the price was about 1/2-------there would be a lot more folks driving the same thing.
Just my small 2 cents worth

[David Walser]

...

I was planning to get a 1/2" bowl gouge. But when I started looking at them I noticed that Doug has 2 flute profiles for his bowl gouges. A V and a U shape. Which do those of you that own them prefer?

...

Thanks,
Joshua

Joshua,

I prefer a U shaped flute to a V shaped flute:

• I find the V shaped flute easier to grind. Even with a jig, the amount of "sweep" on the wings is controlled by the person standing at the grinder. With a V shaped flute, I too often end up with a tip that's too "beaky" (or pointed) in shape. This is just user error on my part, so you might want to ignore this reason for opting for a U shaped flute.
• A U shaped flute allows more room for chips to clear. When roughing out a bowl from green wood, I found my V fluted bowl gouge would clog up. Not a big deal, but it is a difference.
• A U shaped flute, at least in my hands, is friendlier and seems to have a wider sweet spot. Know how your spindle roughing gouge seems to be able to hold a cut almost wherever it contacts the wood? The handle could be anywhere from 45 to 90 degrees to the ways of the lathe and you can still get a good cut. You can hold the tool so the U of the roughing gouge is pointing up at the ceiling or roll it on its side so the U is facing the headstock (or the tail stock). This gives you a lot of flexibility in how you approach a cut. To a much lesser extent the same is true for a U fluted bowl gouge. The transition from tip to wing is more gradual than with a V fluted gouge. That gives you more flexibility in picking up a cut. It also makes it easier to transition the cut from the tip to the wing as you swing your gouge around the curve of your bowl.

As with most things, YMMV.

Good luck!

[Mike Ramsey]

Thanks for the replies, folks. Leo, I was under the impression that all the oneway tools were double ended. OOPS. Well, keep 'em comin' folks. I think I've made my decision, but we'll see. Thanks people.

I watched a demo by Clay Foster where he used the Oneway double
ended tools in a home made wooden handle, he drilled out the wood handle deep enough to accept the tool, to reverse it he used a screw
clamp or small hose clamp to compress the wood to hold it securely.

I have the Thompson tools & think they are far better than the Crown
Pro PM tools in my opinion, the tips of both my crown tools are terribly brittle & I have to sharpen every minute or so, not so with the Thompson tools.
I also have 2 double ended Oneway gouges & I love those also.

I really like the Thompsons because they were "FREE" -gifted to me last
Christmas by a member of my club.