Thread: "Best" handle length for bowl gouge

That is one large gouge. Mine are all about 500 max.

Long is good - it gives you better control and increased depth of cut. ie. you can overhang more steel over the toolrest without the increased leverage getting the better of you.

Even for the smaller tools where leverage isn't as important (eg. for captive rings, etc. which are more about finesse than hogging out) a long handle - in relation to steel size - gives better fine control.

I like my handles to be around 1 1/2 times the length of cutting steel... except for my deep boring oland's, 'cos then I'd have tools some 4 or 5 foot long and I wouldn't have room to use 'em in my shed.

Good question GJ.

Some of the things you might consider:

1. Length of tool overhang, from fulcrum to tip (more overhang means you may need a longer handle)
2. Length of tool 'underhang', from fulcrum to handle end; the more this figure is the more you're likely to foul the ways, (excepting swivel headstocks) depending on ..
3. Length of gouge bevel angle at the tip; the longer it is the more 2. becomes an issue
4. Balance of the tool sitting on the fulcrum
5. How hard you're going in with the cutting; the harder you go the better a long handle will be.

I'm waiting for a Woodcut 13mm tip as it happens; my rule of thumb is roughly to equal the lengths of shaft and handle, but with curved rests can reduce that readily.

But the proof of the pudding is ...

Originally Posted by rsser

2. Length of tool 'underhang', from fulcrum to handle end; the more this figure is the more you're likely to foul the ways, (excepting swivel headstocks) depending on ..

This is not an issue as the headstock can slide along the bed and if I remove the tailstock the handle will not foul the ways.

Thanks for the input so far guys.

Cheers
GJ

Originally Posted by rsser

I'm waiting for a Woodcut 13mm tip as it happens; my rule of thumb is roughly to equal the lengths of shaft and handle, but with curved rests can reduce that readily.

Ern
Did you order your tip direct from eNZed or locally?

Cheers
GJ

G'day Grumpy

Without going out to the shed, I think my 1/2" bowl gouge is about 500 or 600mm, will check it tomorrow and let you know.

Just a suggestion here, I had a handle similar in size to what you've got there till some bastard took off with it and I knurled mine cause it was hard and cold on the hand. The knurling made it warmer and more comfortable to hold

Originally Posted by djstimber

Just a suggestion here, I had a handle similar in size to what you've got there till some bastard took off with it and I knurled mine cause it was hard and cold on the hand. The knurling made it warmer and more comfortable to hold

Thanks DJ
I was tossing up whether to knurl or fit a foam rubber tube over the handle.

Cheers
GJ

I was tossing up whether to knurl or fit a foam rubber tube over the handle.

Go for the foam much more comfortable. As for length, my rule of thumb is roughly the length of my forearm elbow to finger tips.

Originally Posted by Grumpy John

............. Question: is the handle too long as I can easily part off some of the length?............

I wouldn't cut anything off unless you've given it a really good try-out and found a reason to cut some off . A long while back I made one very similar using a length of tube from an old motorbike fork leg and cut 4" off just because it 'didn't look right'. Now every time I use it on a deep form I'm looking for that extra 4"

I fully agree with leaving it long. The only reason to go shorter is if it bangs into something while using it - very, very disconcerting to control then. As said, the tailstock can be pulled, and there's store-bought and DIY solutions for swing-away or swing down. Other potential obstacles are car/truck, drill press, band saw, wall and such. Except for the wall, they can be moved too.

As for appearance, it's only a tool. Nice to exercise some finesse of course, but that's all. My DIY Oland tools have plain ol' cold rolled shanks. I hit them with crocus cloth when they get particularly rusty, but mostly to avoid rust stains elsewhere.

Joe

Hmm, just took a look at my gouges; they're closer to Skew's 1:1.5 than my own estimate. (so much for ready, fire, aim ;-} ..)

... Another covering option is a length of flywire rubber gasket wrapped around the handle. There's a post somewhere on the dub dub dub about it.

John brought this in to work yesterday & I had a gander - very noice

The woodcut tools are available locally

http://www.cws.au.com./cgi/index.cgi..._id=1107146629

or if you can wait they will be on our stand a the Melbourne Wood Show in 2 weeks time.

Thanks Jim.

You should sell a heap; good gouge tips at a good price that shouldn't be hard to fit to a shed-made shaft and handle.

Are you stocking the 13mm gouge tip with threaded rod?

... what else will you have? Will the Woodcut holder to mount a chuck to the banjo be in?