Thread: 1/2" bowl gouge

Yes Scott, the Henry Taylor has a different flute profile and many yurners prefer this to the Sorby. Some opinion is that the steel is of superior quality also. I personally prefer The HT, but then again tht's what I learnt on.

In Australia we have a brand called P&N. The profile on those is even more V shaped than the HT. They are very fine turning tools with excellent metal.For Us the P&N is even less expensive than the HT.

Scott, HT make diff bowl gouges. Likely you got the Superflute.

If you go hunting for more tools this guy does some good value units in exotic steel: click

You'll see he offers U and V flutes.

Originally Posted by Daddy3x

I have used up 3 Sorby gouges and ordered a Henry Taylor 1/2" bowl gouge.

Scott, what are you doing to wear out the gouges, is it your sharpening tecnique. You may want to consider a Tormek, it only wears off microns each time it is blunt.
regards,

Crocy

Originally Posted by Old Croc

Scott, what are you doing to wear out the gouges, is it your sharpening tecnique. You may want to consider a Tormek, it only wears off microns each time it is blunt.
regards,

Crocy

He might actually use them, like me.

Ooh, them's fighting words! ;-}

Will have you know I'm close to wearing out an HT Superflute bowl gouge, so there!

Originally Posted by rsser

ooh, them's fighting words! ;-}

will have you know i'm close to wearing out an ht superflute bowl gouge, so there!

:d

I sharpen a lot, I do not like them "sort of sharp". The three Sorbys used lasted about 2 years and I lightly make sharpening passes using the Oneway jig. I have less than 2 1/2 years turning experience, most I learned from you all as trial and error. I wanted that Tormek, but in the Jet version for sharpening chisels but the $400 tag scared me. I went old school with glass and sandpaper.

Originally Posted by

He might actually use them, like me.

You will keep, LOL, I have 6 weeks off soon and will be turning full time for a while, if I can get the big saw running again, had a major failure on the old dear and broke a huge casting on the upper wheel adjustment support, and am trying to replicate it in steel. Without the big saw I cannot break down the huge bits of Silkwood to turn bowls and platters,
Back to the original question, Scott, my poor maths say 2 sorby gouges at $90 each, could have paid for half a Jet or 40% of a Tormek. Just buy one, tell your wife its for her birthday, I do.You will never regret the purchase, and you can do your other tools and knives,
gotta go, bloody hot here today,
regards,
Crocy.

Croc, the lathe was her birthday present Wait a minute! Our anniversary is the 24th of this month! Can't wait to see the look on her face...

]

Croc, the lathe was her birthday present Wait a minute! Our anniversary is the 24th of this month! Can't wait to see the look on her face...

[/QUOTE]


your a braver man than me...

I love my 5/8" HT Superflute I have 2 of them & 2 Crown copies of the same thing.
The HT holds an edge longer than the Crown.

Yeah, there are U flutes, V flutes and HT talk about the Superflute as being parabolic.

Course there can be grades between these shapes.

The Ellsworth Sig gouge is closer to parabolic than to a U or V, and Doug Thompson says his V gouges are close to the Ellsworth.

And finally how long you spend grinding the tip in relation to the sides will vary the shape of the cutting edge.

Woodcut tools in New Zealand make the best bowl gouges in the world and they have two bowl gouge profiles including the more 'V' shaped style. For those that haven't discovered them, they are the replaceable tip style gouge and are the most rigid gouge on the market. I trialled one about 3 years ago and haven't looked back.

Turning a lot of burls and hardwood I need to sharpen a lot, tools get blunt just as quick which ever way you sharpen them if I was usung a wet grinder i'd have no time for turning. At just under $1000 which equals about 10 P&N's I'll stick with the old grinder. If however I only workes in softwoods i could see the advantage of the finer cleaner edge.

Cheers Tony