What is the best bowl gouge brand, size, and material for beginners?
You can also get the double ended tools with the correct handle from Dway tools.In addition to having to work out a sharpening method, as a beginner you may want to explore different grinds on your gouges. Oneway makes double ended handle less tools. You can put on two different grinds and easily compare the two. (They need handles with a long cavity such as from Oneway or Trent Bosch). Handle less tools are easier to sharpen, too.
I agree 100% with this. It is much more enjoyable to turn with a good tool. I have Robert Sorby, Thompson and DWay and all are good. It doesn’t take that long to learn how to sharpen.Well, I am one who wants higher quality tools. Many seem to think that you are wasting good metal if you buy the expensive tools first, mostly because you don't know how to sharpen. I am not sold on that idea. I would suggest to get good quality tools, M2 high speed steel at the least. Sharpening with jigs makes that process simple. Learning the difference between sharpening and grinding is more difficult, but that should be taught along with basic bowl turning.
Now as for which grind would be best, if you want 'one tool does it all', then I would suggest a swept back grind, which has a fairly standard 60 degree nose bevel angle. This will get you through most bowls. Side note here, is that a lot of beginners tend to do the dog food style bowl, which has fairly steep sides and a small radius transition area going into the bottom of the bowl. A 60 degree bevel will have a rough time making it all the way through that. If you are getting 2, then I would suggest the 40/40 grind, and a BOB tool. I consider the 1/2 inch bowl gouges to be good starter tools. I use the 5/8 gouges most of the time though. Tried one 3/4 inch gouge and didn't like it. I do prefer my scrapers to the 3/4 inch gouge since they hog off material faster.
I guess to this I would add that I prefer the M42 HSS from D Way, and the V 10 from Thompson as my go to tools. Yes, you pay more, but you get a lot more for your money. You get far more cutting time from them than you do from M2. I was shocked when I went back to a M2 gouge after using nothing but Thompson and D Way tools for years. The difference is huge.
robo hippy
Add a round nose scraper and you can do anything but hollowing.My starter set for a beginner is a 1/2"V bowl gouge, a 3/8" spindle gouge and a parting tool. You can do most everything you want with those three tools.
I agree. I have tools which were less expensive to start, but rarely use them, having since replaced them with better quality. I own a Crown Ellsworth Pro-PM 1/2" gouge. The steel sharpens easily and keeps it edge a long time. I'd buy another but they are now almost twice as much as when I bought mine a few years ago. Anyway, there doesn't seem to be any point in buying cheap tools just because you aren't an experienced turner unless you think it's a passing interest and you might not continue turning in the future.Well, I am one who wants higher quality tools. Many seem to think that you are wasting good metal if you buy the expensive tools first, mostly because you don't know how to sharpen. I am not sold on that idea. I would suggest to get good quality tools, M2 high speed steel at the least. Sharpening with jigs makes that process simple. Learning the difference between sharpening and grinding is more difficult, but that should be taught along with basic bowl turning.
Now as for which grind would be best, if you want 'one tool does it all', then I would suggest a swept back grind, which has a fairly standard 60 degree nose bevel angle. This will get you through most bowls. Side note here, is that a lot of beginners tend to do the dog food style bowl, which has fairly steep sides and a small radius transition area going into the bottom of the bowl. A 60 degree bevel will have a rough time making it all the way through that. If you are getting 2, then I would suggest the 40/40 grind, and a BOB tool. I consider the 1/2 inch bowl gouges to be good starter tools. I use the 5/8 gouges most of the time though. Tried one 3/4 inch gouge and didn't like it. I do prefer my scrapers to the 3/4 inch gouge since they hog off material faster.
I guess to this I would add that I prefer the M42 HSS from D Way, and the V 10 from Thompson as my go to tools. Yes, you pay more, but you get a lot more for your money. You get far more cutting time from them than you do from M2. I was shocked when I went back to a M2 gouge after using nothing but Thompson and D Way tools for years. The difference is huge.
robo hippy
If you buy the gouge without the Ellsworth grind already on it, you can save 25%. If you've worn one out, you certainly know how to grind it.I own a Crown Ellsworth Pro-PM 1/2" gouge. The steel sharpens easily and keeps it edge a long time. I'd buy another but they are now almost twice as much as when I bought mine a few years ago.
Good suggestion. Didn’t wear it out. Just wanted a second for turning larger pieces where I have to stop and re-sharpen. Because the steel holds an edge so long it isn’t often necessary. I’ve slowly decided to be extravagant possibly with something elsebalthough the second gouge would be a nic convenience. Still a good suggestion. Wouldn’t be tough to re-sharpen with the Ellsworth grind.If you buy the gouge without the Ellsworth grind already on it, you can save 25%. If you've worn one out, you certainly know how to grind it.
After the suggestion, I found the non-Ellsworth Crown Pro-PM at Hartville Tools online for less than I paid for my original Ellsworth with no shipping. It seemed like a sign so I bought it. I don’t know why I never thought about buying the non-Ellsworth version before. Guess when I bought the first one I wasn’t very experienced and didn’t know much about sharpening.@Randy Heinemann you could also try one of the Crown Razor M42 gouges to compare M42 to PM. They are less expensive but hold an edge for a long time. Flute design is the same.