Best Spindle Gouge for Simple Tapers and Sweeping Curves

[Phil Gaudio]

I am wondering what the best gouge would be for doing straight tapered spindles and spindles that have long
sweeping curves. Not interested in its utility to perform any other functions: just want the best tool to produce these profiles.
Excerpt from FWW article below to show the type of spindles I am referring to.

 

[Kevin Jesequel]

This is the kind of work a skew excels at. I would recommend you get comfortable using one, if you aren’t already.

 

[robo hippy]

I am not good with a skew, at least not nearly where I am with bowl gouges. This is a skew project, all the way. Main question would be do you want one that is angled straight across, or one that is slightly swept back in a gentle arc. For straight runs, I would use the straight edge. For coves and beads, I would go for the swept back one. If you don't have any skews, then I would go with your spindle roughing gouge/SRG. That is a nice looking chair design! I have had a bench design similar to that on the back burner for a while....

robo hippy

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

Ditto the skew but you can also use a block plane at a angle which will bridge low spots and take off the high spots first. Note any grain runout will be a problem with either the skew or block plane. The best method with either is to work from larger diameter to small diameter, which will give as much of a shear cut as is possible.

 

[hockenbery]

It will be the tool you are most comfortable/skilled with.

I will double down on the skew. I would use a skew.
Or a square nosed tool ground like a skew.

There are a few times where skew will lift some grain and a gouge will better


Second choice is a pull cut with an Ellsworth ground gouge.
I could do about the same quality cut with a continental gouge or using the straight wing of an SRG.

Pull cut with an Ellsworth ground gouge will produce a smooth surface on spindles.

 

[Rick Moreton]

I would do my best to get it as close as I can with a gouge or skew and then sandpaper over a long scrap of plywood or milled hardwood. No shame in using an 80 grit "gouge" if you need to.

 

[john lucas]

I have a 1" continental gouge that is great for that. However if you put an acute grind of say 35 degrees on the nose that would leave a fine finish like a skew it can be grabby like a skew. It's not as big of a learning curve as a skew but it's not as easy to yse as a spindle roughing gouge.

 

[Richard Coers]

A spindle roughing gouge will work great. You can roll it over so the straight section contacts the wood and actually comes close to a skew.

 

[Phil Gaudio]

I can say that I am solidly a mid-level beginner turner. My tools so far are a SRG and spindle gouge. I have had fairly good results with these. I do have a skew and although it leaves a great surface, it does require skills that I have not acquired yet. I think my focus will be to get a little more comfortable with the skew.

Over the last few weeks, I have been producing the 22 back spindles for the bench pictured above. They are straight tapers: 5/8” to 3/8” over roughly 14” length. I started out with 3/4” diameter dowel stock. I used the SRG and spindle gouge to get me to around a 1/16” of the finished dimension. At that point, I started getting too much chatter, and this is where the 60 grit sand paper glued to a piece of scrap came in handy. It was tedious, but all spindles are essentially identical, give or take a few thousandths.

Below are a few pictures of the spindles and the 8/4 cherry slab that will become the seat of the bench. Shaping this will be another mountain to climb.

Thanks all for the great advice: much appreciated.

 

[Dean Center]

I concur with all of the above. As Richard said, you can orient the SRG to get the bevel onto the wood surface and the edge at 45 degrees to the lathe axis and get a very nice surface. It would take a little practice to use it in this way, but not as much as the skew. The third choice, would be a regular spindle gouge, but if you pick this option, I would recommend a 1/2" spindle gouge rather than a 3/8". It will be more stable on a long cut like that.

 

[John Grace]

There are any number of tools that can do this task though as others have pointed out, this is that job the skew was designed for an excels at. Skew work can be intimidating at first but it's very rewarding when done well. Fortunately for you...the types of spindles you're looking to create are relatively straightforward and you'll have what works for you down pat after two or three. One word of caution...perhaps it's just a me thing, but in my turning no tool requires being kept at a razors edge like the skew.

 

[Phil Gaudio]

I am seeing an opportunity to justify a new tool purchase (thanks for that gents!). Would a Thompson 1-3/8" skew fit the bill?

 

[John Grace]

I am seeing an opportunity to justify a new tool purchase (thanks for that gents!). Would a Thompson 1-3/8" skew fit the bill?

Yes...they are the premium steel. That said, be advised...there is no sterner mistress to appease than learning the skew.

 

[Phil Gaudio]

Yes...they are the premium steel. That said, be advised...there is no sterner mistress to appease than learning the skew.

Challenge accepted!

 

[Mike Novak]

Ditto the skew but you can also use a block plane at an angle which will bridge low spots and take off the high spots first. Note any grain runout will be a problem with either the skew or block plane. The best method with either is to work from larger diameter to small diameter, which will give as much of a shear cut as is possible.

Don

Do you have any other tricks for dealing with the grain runout issue? I’m doing some turnings that don’t have a taper and pulling up splinters in spots using a skew. Is it reasonable to expect to make a smooth cylinder with a skew and figured wood?

 

[hockenbery]

pulling up splinters in spots using a skew. Is it reasonable to expect to make a smooth cylinder with a skew and figured wood?

Pieces that are not straight grained often present fibers to the turning tool that are not supported by a fiber behind them.
They get lifted and torn instead of being cut cleanly.

Always a challenge.

I sort of feel my way through techniques and tools to see what works.
Sometimes using a slower lathe speed helps a lot.

A gouge often gives a cleaner cut on these woods.
A Hunter carbide can work too.

 

[Jim Reynolds]

Are you aware of the tools and techniques to reduce the vibration of thin spindles, besides sand paper?

I used the SRG and spindle gouge to get me to around a 1/16” of the finished dimension. At that point, I started getting too much chatter, and this is where the 60 grit sand paper glued to a piece of scrap came in handy. It was tedious, but all spindles are essentially identical, give or take a few thousandths.

If I had to turn a lot of thin spindles, I seriously consider a spindle steady to reduce vibration. Here is a link to Oneway's alternative. If it was more of a one off situation, I'd probably use the finger(s) under the tool rest technique along with minimal bevel pressure.

 

[Dean Center]

Don

Do you have any other tricks for dealing with the grain runout issue? I’m doing some turnings that don’t have a taper and pulling up splinters in spots using a skew. Is it reasonable to expect to make a smooth cylinder with a skew and figured wood?

Mike, I can't explain it, but as Al said, a gouge will often work on irregular grain when a skew just lifts fibers.

 

[Mike Brazeau]

I have a 1 1/4” Hamlett ASP 2030 Sprindle Roughing Gouge that works perfectly on this project. Wings are about 3/4” and function almost as well as a skew. Finish cut only requires minor amount of sanding. I have made stool legs and stretchers and canes which are similar.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

If making chair parts as shown the last thing you would want is figured wood unless you think it is funny when a chair collapses under your mother in law.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

Is it reasonable to expect to make a smooth cylinder with a skew and figured wood?

see the previous post

I’m doing some turnings that don’t have a taper and pulling up splinters in spots using a skew.

Get yourself a froe and split your own turning blanks like the bodgers did.

 

[robo hippy]

If you want to be 'perfect' on spindles, they need to be riven, which means split from a blank of wood, which makes all the grain run true and straight. Not always practical, and you can end up wasting a lot of wood, plus you may have to wait and let it dry. I am trying to remember, but I think the bodgers would make the seat from green wood and the spindles from dry wood so that as the seat 'shrinks' it tightens up around the spindles. No clue as to how well that works. I have also heard of final shaping of the tenon that goes into the seat by sticking them in a heated can of sand to let them dry out a little extra before final sizing. For skew chisel, I would use a 1 inch wide one. You can get bigger, but I have not found the bigger ones to perform any better, and they were a bit easier for me to use. Thompson or D Way are my preferences. Do check out Woodturner 21 on You Tube. Steve Jones, I think. He is a production spindle turner and what he does is amazing to say the least. He does use a steady rest that has some felt on it for longer spindles. Some famous spindle turner did make the comment that 'the bevel should rub the wood, but the wood should not know it'. That is perhaps the most difficult thing to learn in turning for both bowls and spindles. Some times I will prefer a peeling type cut, which depending on the wood, can leave a very clean surface. Once I did turn a 3 foot long by 1 1/2 diameter rolling pin for pasta, and I used 80 grit on some plywood to make sure it was perfectly straight. It still is after a couple of years, mostly because I turned it down in maybe 6 stages over 6 months to allow the wood to 'adjust'.

robo hippy

 

[Mike Novak]

If making chair parts as shown the last thing you would want is figured wood unless you think it is funny when a chair collapses under your mother in law.

Don

I’m making birdhouses for bluebirds in white oak. The design has a cylindrical section about 8” long, 6” diameter. For last year’s batch I used a detail gouge and plenty of sandpaper.

Al

I’ll try slower rpm. I normally speed up for difficult wood.

 

[hockenbery]

birdhouses for bluebirds in white oa

I’ve done about a dozen or so from staved cypress.
Also done a few cutting the nest cavity column on the bandsaw and glueing the cut to get inside shut.
Got bluebirds and flying squirrels.

If the board grain has arrows. I try to get all the staves glued together with the arrows pointing to one end.
Cutting in the direction the arrows point will be clean.

I’ll try slower rpm. I normally speed up for difficult wood.

Sometimes faster is better too.

 

[Dean Center]

I admire your grit, Mike. White oak is not the most turner friendly wood. For a spindle oriented piece of that diameter, raising the tool rest a little higher than for smaller diameter spindles can be helpful.

 

[R Henrickson]

I admire your grit, Mike. White oak is not the most turner friendly wood. For a spindle oriented piece of that diameter, raising the tool rest a little higher than for smaller diameter spindles can be helpful.

I've found white oak well adapted to a lot the spindle turning I do. Its strength is a real virtue given the numerous alternations between small and large diameters. I also really like the range of color that it takes on when fumed.

 

[Richard Coers]

Don

I’m making birdhouses for bluebirds in white oak. The design has a cylindrical section about 8” long, 6” diameter. For last year’s batch I used a detail gouge and plenty of sandpaper.

Al

I’ll try slower rpm. I normally speed up for difficult wood.

According to the list I have on bluebird houses, you want the hole to be 6" above the floor and the overalll depth should be 8". 1.5" diameter entry hole and 5-10 feet off the ground. https://www.ogdennaturecenter.org/images/BIRDHOUSE_SIZE_REQUIREMENTS.pdf

 

[John Grace]

I am wondering what the best gouge would be for doing straight tapered spindles and spindles that have long
sweeping curves. Not interested in its utility to perform any other functions: just want the best tool to produce these profiles.
Excerpt from FWW article below to show the type of spindles I am referring to.
View attachment 61120

Watch some of this gentleman's videos...he's a skew savant.