Woodturning Tools Serious Gouges* Serious Gouges are dimensioned the North American way--the diameter of the round bar. Useable length of 10" — compared to 5-7 inches for most gouges. Tip-to-tip fluting means a turner can have two different profiles on the same gouge, if using our Camlock Handle. To ”shrink” Serious Gouges, just slide more of the gouge inside the Camlock Handle. *Handles not included Deep Flute Bowl Gouges Deep Flute Gouge 3/8" x 16" $59.95 Deep Flute Gouge 1/2" x 16" $71.95 Deep Flute Gouge 5/8" x 16" $85.95 Deep Flute Gouge 3/4" x 16" $96.95 Deep Flute Gouge 7/8" x 16" $107.95 Deep Flute Gouge 1"x 16" $119.95   Spindle Gouges Spindle Gouge 3/8" x 16" $59.95 Spindle Gouge 1/2" x 16" $71.95

Deep Fluted Bowl Gouges (click on images to see large-size versions) 1" Bowl Gouge 7/8" Bowl Gouge 3/4" Bowl Gouge 5/8" Bowl Gouge 1/2" Bowl Gouge 3/8" Bowl Gouge   Spindle Gouges (Shallow Flute) (click on images to see large-size versions) 3/8" Spindle Gouge 1/2" Spindle Gouge

Bowl Gouge Design & Use

The Serious bowl gouge features a deep and broad V shaped flute. The tools do not ship with a finished profile or cutting edge on them. Every woodturner should be equipped to produce the desired finished shape and edge on his turning tool within about three minutes.

Bowl gouges are designed primarily for two types of woodturning.

1) The first is face grain turning (common bowl orientation), where the wood grain direction is spinning perpendicular to the lathe bed ways. A very sharp bowl gouge applied with good technique will result in very minimal end grain tear out with this type of turning. A Serious 7/8" bowl gouge may seem massive and excessive, but this is an amazingly stable and efficient tool to rough out something like a 12" x 6" salad bowl!

2) The second type of application using a bowl gouge is moderate end grain open form turning. A common item in this category is the goblet. More frequent sharpening is necessary on end grain turning. Never use a bowl gouge to attempt hollowing a deep closed form. There are many hollowing tools for this job.

Spindle Gouge Design & Use

The Serious spindle gouge features a shallow open U shaped flute. These tools also ship with a simple profile without a cutting edge. The most common usage for this tool is spindle or long grain turning, where the wood grain is spinning parallel to the lathe bed ways. A common spindle turning would be a table leg. The second type of application is to grind a long bevel on the spindle gouge and use it for detail work like beads and coves on face grain turnings. The Serious 1/2" and 3/8" spindle gouges are very versatile and useful lathe tools.

Tool Sharpening

We recommend an 8" x 1" 1800 RPM grinder, with a quality friable aluminum oxide wheel. I have turned more than 400 bowls and I use an 80 grit wheel. I see the slight serrations as more of a benefit than a problem in producing my west coast hardwood bowls.

Some turners sharpen free hand, some use the grinder tool rest, and some use woodturning sharpening jigs to help reproduce the desired grinds. A well designed, sharp, and consistent grind is what is important. Anytime I can not produce small shavings off my thumbnail, I take one or two passes on the grinding wheel. You can not have a lathe tool too sharp, but it can quickly become not sharp enough.

Never grind so fast that you blue the edge of a tool steel or high speed steel tool, this produces microfractures in the tool edge. If the tool becomes warm, lay it on the bed ways for a few minutes. Never water quench tool steel or high speed steel that is hot, as this also creates fractures in the steel.