Gouge for Carving ? Maybe Turning

[Flute Maker]

I have a 1 inch used Buck Bros gouge that one of my sons gave me for carving. Could a gouge of this type be used for turning also? I didn't see how to post a pic here I will in the photo thread Thanks Mike

 

[bob vaughan]

Two problems I see here. First, a carving gouge and a turning gouge are sharpened differently for best results. Second, the fine high carbon steel of the older Buck Brothers tools doesn't have the red hardness need to withstand the heat built up by a powered spinning piece of wood and thus will dull much quicker than a high speed steel. Hand carving doesn't create the friction and thus heat on that fine razor edge.

 

[froglips]

I'll second that.

Back when you pedaled or spring poled a lathe, carbon steel was great for turning.

Since the invention of the motor, its been all downhill Er, I guess a-round the hill?

There is no reason you can't use it, but odds are great it won't hold up well. I would also worry a bit about the tang being too short. Might not be enough tang for the forces subjected to it during turning.

Here is a helper on uploading and posting pics into a thread:
http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/f86/how-add-picture-your-post-updated-8-24-09-a-25508/

Thanks,
Jim

 

[mkepke]

I'll second Jim's and Bob's comments. A carving gouge is not designed to withstand the forces of a lathe.

All of my Henry Taylor gouges, for example, have a narrow shank (tang). I'd be concerned they would bend or snap during a bad catch at the lathe.

-Mark

 

[CarvedTones]

Not to be contrary, well maybe a little:eusa_thin, but...

For a littlle light spindle turning with the tool rest close to the work, they work okay. Not great, and you want to get dedicated HSS lathe tools, but as long as you only have a small length of the gouge between the tool rest and the work, the leverage is such that a carving tang is more than adequate. And if you are just cutting side grain and squaring a small blank (yeah, I think I know what you are up to ), you probably aren't going to generate enough heat to worry about. Keep in mind that a gouge (even a HSS spindle gouge) is going to leave a surface you will need to sand. But if you want to press on with rounding one of your 1" square tubes with that gouge, it will work. Just make sure to watch a YouTube video on using a spindle roughing gouge to get the right approach as far as tool angle/rotation and rest height.