How are gouges measured

[macca2]

:confused:
Can somebody out there tell me how to measure a spindle (or other) gouge. There appears to be a difference between brands.
When a gouge is described as a 13mm or 1/2 inch is it measured by the width of the flute or the width of the tool or some other method.
I ask this because what some people describe as their 13 mm gouge is more like my 10mm, or 16mm and it makes buying a new gouge from a fellow turner's advice, a bit of an expensive quessing game.

Thanks
Macca :confused:

[RETIRED]

:confused:
There appears to be a difference between brands.
When a gouge is described as a 13mm or 1/2 inch is it measured by the width of the flute or the width of the tool or some other method.

Thanks
Macca :confused:

Yep. Each manufacturer has their own way of doing it.

Try here:http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/ca...selection.html

This refers to round bar gouges and deep fluted bowl turning gouges.

Normal spindle gouges ( where Darlow got Hybrid gouges from I will never know) are measured across the width.

[Jim Carroll]

P& N measure their tools by the size of the bar if 12mm round the tool is 12mm.
English tools , Sorby, Hamlet measure theirs by the width of the flutes so an equivelent tool to the 12mm P&N would be 3/8" in english tools.

[La truciolara]

:confused:
Can somebody out there tell me how to measure a spindle (or other) gouge. .....

To make sure that there is no possible confusion I usually ask for several dimensions, like the ones reported on the pics below.
why? because depending of the nature of the gouge you are looking for the nature of the dimension differs.


For more details (though in french) http://www.hmdiffusion.com/aoCCatalogue.jrun