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Roughing gouge 🧲

M

Michael Perez

Joined
Jul 5, 2022
Messages
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Location
Lima, Peru
Hello everyone, I hope you’re all doing well and had a great weekend! Today I had a little anecdote I thought I’d share. Near my bench grinder, I have a stack of speaker magnets—kind of like a little tower. While I was getting ready to sharpen my roughing gouge, I accidentally set it down too close to the magnets, and it stuck right to them.
When I started grinding, it actually felt really nice—like someone was holding the gouge steady for me. Even when I went back to turning, it felt kind of funny (in a good way)—more stable than usual. A happy accident, I guess!
But then I decided to demagnetize it, because I wasn’t sure if it’s recommended or if it could cause any issues down the line.
I’d love to hear your thoughts—has this happened to any of you? Is it okay for turning tools to be slightly magnetized, or should we avoid it altogether?

Looking forward to your valuable comments!
Greetings
 
I want my tools to slide smoothly and effortlessly on the tool rest
I find it uncomfortable to use a magnetized tool as it wants to stick in one place and not slide without extra effort.
I have less control of a magnetized tool be cause it wants to stick on the tool rest.

If you find that you have better control with a magnetized tool you should use it.

It’s a little like the folks who like heavy tools. They aren’t wrong it works for them.
I don’t want to use heavy tools.
 
Last edited:
hockenbery said:
I want my tools to slide smoothly and effortlessly on the tool rest
I find it uncomfortable to use a magnetized tool as it wants to stick in one place and not slide without extra effort.
I have less control of a magnetized tool be cause it wants to stick on the tool rest.

If you find that you have better control with a magnetized tool you should use it.

It’s a little like the folks who like heavy tools. There aren’t wrong it works for them.
I don’t want to use heavy tools.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I couldn’t agree more with you. Today I was also switching between my 1/2” straight skew, my 3/4” curved skew, and my Carter & Son 1” square scraper. I really enjoy using it—it’s quite heavy, but it feels like it finds its own balance.

By the way, my roughing gouge was magnetized, but not too much. It had a nice bit of pressure, but still slid freely. I actually liked the effect more at the grinder—it felt really stable
Greetings
 
I think that a round turning tool would not be bothered much by magnetism as there is such a small area of contact to the tool rest. If that tool rest was a stainless steel bar probably no problem at all as most stainless steel s non magnetizable. But a scraper being flat has a lot more area on the tool rest and I'm sure that would slow down trying to slide across a cast iron tool rest.
 
I have a lot of turning tools secured on magnetic racks. Some of my tools do get magnetized. While turning, I don't feel any magnetic interference on the tool rest. The only negative of magnetized turning tools is when sharpening there maybe a buildup of swarf around the tip of some tools, especially gouges. If not cleaned away, it may interfere with the sharpening process. I have not experienced that. I do clean it off with a rag when necessary.
 
Dennis Weiner said:
I have a lot of turning tools secured on magnetic racks. Some of my tools do get magnetized. While turning, I don't feel any magnetic interference on the tool rest. The only negative of magnetized turning tools is when sharpening there maybe a buildup of swarf around the tip of some tools, especially gouges. If not cleaned away, it may interfere with the sharpening process. I have not experienced that. I do clean it off with a rag when necessary.
Click to expand...
Thanks, that’s an interesting observation to be aware of
 
Dennis Weiner said:
I have a lot of turning tools secured on magnetic racks. Some of my tools do get magnetized. While turning, I don't feel any magnetic interference on the tool rest. The only negative of magnetized turning tools is when sharpening there maybe a buildup of swarf around the tip of some tools, especially gouges. If not cleaned away, it may interfere with the sharpening process. I have not experienced that. I do clean it off with a rag when necessary.
Click to expand...
Maybe mine had a bit more because there were a lot of magnets, but it was just a gentle attraction. It didn’t interfere or make it difficult to slide, but I could feel it
 
I don't use magnets to hold lathe tools but they will still get magnetized sometimes, depending.

I demagnetize lathe tools because I don't like the black steel dust that clings to and trails from the tip when I sharpen spindle gouges on a Tormek (dry) CBN wheel. I use a bulk tape demagnetizer. I don't think it hurts anything but it's annoying since it hides the tip.

How can tools get magetized if not held near a magnet? By the earth's magnetic field. (Ask Google "can things be magnetized by the earth's magnetic field")
I discovered this years ago and confirmed it by research. The molecules in something made from the right ferromagnetic material (steel, etc) can be realigned by the earth's magnetism even when they are left sitting in the same position for a long time. I just now used a magnetic compass to check some appliances and even some cans sitting on a shelf. Two chest freezers and one upright freezer were definitely magnetized. Even some steel cans showed a relatively strong attraction, in particular one with cherry pie filling! In this part of the world, I see the white south pointer on the compass attracted to the top of the item and the red north pointer attracted at the bottom.

Steel reportedly becomes magnetized quicker if it is struck or vibrated repeatedly when held in a consistent orientation - well describes my tools at the lathe! This magnetism is weak and I haven't noticed any effects at the tool rest, just at the Tormek. I haven't tried using a strongly magnetized tool on the rest but for some things I do I suspect I wouldn't like it. Prob not a problem turning a bowl but maybe would be with a magnetized NRS held flat on the rest.

There are several threads on this forum with discussion, some from a long time ago.

JKJ
 
Years ago, I reshaped a couple really thick scrapers on my Wolverine platform tool rest, from square to round. All the swiping left and right, over and over, of the steel on steel contact magnitized the tool for sure, noticeable on the lathe tool rest. I bought one of those demagnitizer thingies and that helped, eventually it resolved itself.
 
magnetized it again to make a video and show the process more clearly. To demagnetize it, I simply separate my magnet tower into two parts and slide the gouge through the gap.


I tried to attach the video, but it looks like that’s not an option.
 
Woodcraft keeps all of their lathe tools on magnets. To me it doesn’t let the tool slide as nice on the tool rest as it should. When I go up to teach a class I bring my own tools for me to use.
 
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