Review - Ellsworth Bowl Gouge

[Dean]

http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com/reviews/crownellsworthbowlgouge.htm

Hope it helps!

[rsser]

Anyone on the forum flush enough to have bought one?

(220+ at Timbecon; ouch).

[Dean]

I think the $220 one is the Pro-PM version. The regular Ellsworth gouge (as reviewed) is listed at $165.

[rsser]

Doh! You wrote the review ... ok, awake now.

[Dean]

:2tsup: :2tsup: :2tsup: :2tsup: :2tsup: :2tsup: :2tsup: :2tsup: :2tsup:

[rsser]

btw ... one for Skew ;-}

http://www.amazon.com/709172-Alan-Beecham-Skewjy-Gouge/dp/B0006IHHXO/sr=1-104/qid=1171364928/ref=sr_1_104/104-0184379-8893560?ie=UTF8&s=hi

[Little Festo]

Dean,
Do you have any info re the grind. I have a Glaser V15 bowl gouge, it works very well as far as edge holding goes.

Peter

[Dean]

Dean,
Do you have any info re the grind. I have a Glaser V15 bowl gouge, it works very well as far as edge holding goes.

Peter

It has a hollow grind.
Is that what you wanted to know? I think I left that out of the review... Will add now.

[westpest]

After watching a DVD by Bill Grumbine from USA who uses this grind almost exclusively, I paid $149 from Timbercon and it is a pleasure to use. I use it for a number of things besides bowls and even some spindle work. My only problem is when I sharpen it I seem to end up with a slightly different grind from the original. I have tried the Tru-grind and a wet system with the Tormek jig but still not quite right. Perhaps persistence will prevail....

Ern, I bought mine about 12 months ago maybe they are now charging a lot more.

[rodent]

youll have to send off for his sharpening jig he makes it just for his chisels.

[tashammer]

roll vs rotate?

was this clear?

rotate as in present the tool tip to the stone and then rotate around the tools axis.

roll as in swing the tool covering almost 150 degrees or is that for lady's finger (i forget).

[TTIT]

I must be missing something here!:B Why is the chisel so damned expensive? I put the same profile on a P&N bowl gouge I picked up at a garage sale for $5.:o All that money just for a different grind :whatonearth: :no:
I mentioned this grind on a thread (http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=39188&highlight=ellsworth) a while back saying I wouldn't be with out my P&N's with the Ellsworth grind and my original Henry Taylor gouge - but in truth, I haven't used old Henry since :shrug: These days I use the Ellsworth grind for just about everything - very versatile profile :2tsup: but I'm damned if I'd pay that much for a standard bowl gouge just for a different grind :~

[rsser]

The grind looks a bit different to me Vern, tho certainly not $140 worth of difference. The sides of the bevel look longer and the tip more vertical on the Ellsworth.

[TTIT]

The grind looks a bit different to me Vern, tho certainly not $140 worth of difference. The sides of the bevel look longer and the tip more vertical on the Ellsworth.Right you are Ern (as always! ;) ). I recently extended the sides of mine so it's closer than it used to be to the real thing. I also tried the more vertical tip once but went back to my original angle - I found it easier to blend sections with it there. :shrug:

[rsser]

Ironically I tried the Irish grind on the Supa-gouge and didn't like it much ... wouldn't keep an edge on the stuff I was turning, so it was back to the conventional profile and back to the Taylor superflute :pipe1:

[scooter]

This jig is sold to "regrind" an Ellsworth grind, would be able to make a homemade version using a Darryl (http://www.aroundthewoods.com/sharpening04.html)Feltmate type jig.


http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000002/146201-img.jpg


Cheers.................Sean

[rsser]

Just got an Ellsworth from Timbecon on sale.

Only tried it on a medium bowl in green wood but it's pretty schmick. Using it as I would a std grind bowl gouge. Bevel at tip is about 55 degrees so you're working with the handle more horizontal for hollowing - a plus to clear the ways on smaller lathes - and it's easier to 'turn the corner'.

For the outside profiling I sat on the bed and got a smooth controllable arc. Long wings do a nice job of shear scraping to refine the curve.

Good heft and stability.

There is supposed to be a special technique for the gouge and it comes with written instructions that aren't very clear but David Ellsworth emailed two pages of diagrams. Today's job maybe.

PS: The Sorby fingernail jig seems up to repeating the bevel geometry

[Alastair]

Couple of comments:

While it is possible to put an Ellsworth grind on the P&N flute, you have to be very careful. The P&N has more of a "U" shaped flute, and if you aren't very circumspect with your grinding, it is very easy to get the wings "hooked" into a concave profile, rather than the straight to slightly convex of the Ellsworth. That said, I have been using a 'middle road' Ellsworth grind on the P&N successfully for some years now.

Ern, the edge problem you had might have been due to the edge becoming too 'sharp' and thin on the wings; the supaflute would be better.

Regarding grinding jigs, his is just a fixed version of the Glaser style jigs. Locally there is the Unijig, + some others. See also earlier threads by scooter and myself on home grown clones. These will take some playing around to get the exact profile match, but once there, record settings, and you are set for the future.

regards

[rsser]

Exactly right re my problem with the P&N Alastair.

As for jigs, I've been able to set the Sorby up to work on the Ellsworth and just added that in case anyone also had one and was wondering.

The Ellsworth btw has a nicely polished flute except for one long machining mark; it's up high on the wall so will barely affect the wing.

Hope to wield it on some hardwood soon.

[reeves]

hey i've actually got one of those crown chisels, didnt know it was an elsworth, got it a while back from the manely woodshow, very nice chisel indeed.

Good info on the sharpening jigs, my sharpening is ok but i still gotta work on the accuracy of my jigs a bit more..

[DJ’s Timber]

Sounds like a beauty to use Ern, look forward to giving it a workout on the Yellpwbox this Sunday.

My 1/2" sorby is starting to get down and was only just thinking about gettin a new one to replace it when I was roughing out the Yellowbox last Sunday.

This may just be the ticket :2tsup: