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solid gouges

solid gouge = skewchigouge ?

Bob,

A while back there was a discussion here or on WC about taking some 3/8" round bar and grinding down the end by leaning it against the grinder, removing about 3/8 of the stock on the end. Orient the ground part as up, put it in your Wolverine, and put a spindle gouge grind on the remaining portion. Doug Thompson sent me a piece of his steel that he had ground this way and I put it in a handle with a collet. You can get a smooth cut with this tool like you wouldn't believe. In many ways it behaves like a skew, but cutting downhill on a spindle you get a surface that is burnished and smooth. This is one of my "go to" tools.

There was a tool called "skewchigouge" I think that is similar to this. It may still exist. But this is what I think of when someone says solid gouge. I checked and it is made by Crown Tools and was developed by a Brit named Alan Beecham.

I'll try to take a picture of this tool.
 

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Eli Avisera uses some solid round stock which he has ground flat on the top and bevels like a fingernail gouge on the bottom. I have not tried a tool like that but in his hands they are like magic.
 
At Totally turning four or five years ago I watched Keith Tompkins use one that he had made. I obtained some HSS 1/4" stock from Enco and made the same and it works great. A flat ground on top and then a swept back profile same as a gouge beneath. Leaves a very smooth surface. I made a second with more of a pointed end which is great for V-grooves or getting into and cleaning up tight areas.
Mike
 
Detailing scraper gouge

Richard,
I use it for creating V grooves and cleaning up coves, so while there is a bevel I use it much more in what I'd call a scraper mode, cutting small areas, cleaning up and leaving a fine surface. While I don't use it for tasks other than that I'm sure that some, Keith comes to mind, roll beads, etc and rely more on the bevel. I'd call it a small detail-like tool that is kind of a gouge/scraper combo...if that makes sense, one is more pointed and one rounded sort of like small, narrow scrapers. They have a small, fine cutting edge/burr. The steel is inexpensive and available at Enco, the tool is very easy to shape on the grinder. Make one and experiment.
Here's the steel:http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INLMK3?PMK0NO=1007818
Mike
 
Some of the old timer AAW members may remember Clead Christiansen. He's been around the woodturning for 30-40 years and once told me his AAW membership number was something under 200. Anyway, he uses what you're referring to as the solid gouge. He runs a business call The Turning Post that does every kind of architectural and decorative turning imaginable. He also hosts our small woodturning club. But I've rarely seen him use the conventional u or v grooved gouge. He has an assortment of the solid gouges in sizes from 1/4" up to 1" and it's amazing to watch how fast he can remove wood with them. And whenever I've asked him where he gets them he just says he makes them. When you look close they're just round rod milled flat on one side and ground with a normal beveled cutting edge. He's used them since long before all the bowl gouges that are available today.
 
Thanks Mike. I have a couple of similar home made tools with 1/8" HSS tool bits and some larger ones up to 3/8" tool bit, and use them mostly as you said, or like a Bedan tool. Just never thought about trying to "ride the bevel" in the same sense that one would with a bowl gouge. Will have to regrind one to 50 or 60 degrees and give it a try.
 
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