Looking for bowl gouge

[Timmy]

This past year i started turning. I have made a couple bowls not knowing I was using the wrong tool. Do any of you have experience with the woodriver bowl gouges or any other on the cheaper side of money?

 

[Rick M]

I have a set of Hurricane bowl gouges but I don't have enough experience turning bowls to give you a fair assessment. To me they seem like a good medium quality brand.

 

[TENdriver]

Tim, I have the Pinnacle (now WoodRiver) bowl gouges but I'd encourage you to take a look at the current "it" brand that serious bowl turners use. Last I checked, that was Thompson Lathe Tools.

The price point is pretty close to WoodRiver but you won't run into too many serious turners that use WR and most of them used to use strictly Thompson for bowl gouges. Primary reason I'd encourage you to get the best quality bowl gouge is you're going to push it to do more demanding work than any other lathe tool.

I'd also encourage you to buy only one bowl gouge to start out. Use and sharpen the heck out of it. If and when you really need more bowl gouges...they'll find you!

BTW, I know that you've already figured it out but please don't try to turn bowls unles you have the right gouge. Depending on what you're trying to do, that can turn out really bad.

 

[Michael Mathews]

Tim, the "cheaper" you shell out for a bowl gouge usually means the "cheaper" the steel is. That equates to more frequent sharpening to maintain a sharp edge. If you're already setup to sharpen often, then carry on. If you're not setup to sharpen easily and regularly, then you just might want to shell out a few more $$ to get better steel. my 2 cents...

 

[smallboat]

A fine tool poorly sharpened has no benefit.

My first bowl gouge was a Hurricane and it has served me well and taught me a lot.
Along the way I was gifted a higher end gouge that I've started using more and more.

Sharpened properly, they both work but as others have said the higher end tool keeps an edge longer.

I'd also recommend a heavy tool over a light one-

 

[TENdriver]

Michael, Besides the metallurgy, I think there is an additional layer to consider on cheap bowl gouges and that's the engineering, design and construction.

I personally don't have a strong opinion on the metals, but I've seen some cheapo bowl gouges that were really so poorly designed that I'd call them unsafe. Specifically, spindle gouges that were marketed as bowl gouges.

 

[Mrfixit71]

I started turning bowls a couple years ago and bought a reasonably priced starter set. I went through the learning curve on sharpening the various tools. Now I'm debating on which higher end bowl gouge to get. There is a video on Craft Supplies web site that explains briefly about the various choices of steel, with advantages and relative costs.

http://blog.woodturnerscatalog.com/...tool-steels/?ilsource=main&iltype=promobanner

It doesn't cover carbide turning tools.

 

[aplpickr]

I took a weekend turning class at Arrowmont a couple of years ago. I had a 3/8" Crown bowl gouge, a 1/2" Crown bowl gouge, and a new Woodriver 1/2" bowl gouge. I switched gouges when they got dull. The Woodriver required TWICE as much sharpening as the Crowns. I love Thompson steel, it is worth the difference in price. You are not turning when grinding. Your TIME is the most valuable thing that you buy!

 

[Roy G]

Tim, if you are concerned about cost, check out Lise Oland on Youtube. She makes her own tools out of tool bits and a steel shaft. David Ellsworth did his hollow forms with similar tools. A local turner Darrell Rhudy made many forms with tools like that. You may have some more sanding to do, but you will remove a lot of wood quickly.

Roy G

 

[aplpickr]

One or two parts per thousand in the alloy can be the difference between so-so steel and great steel. Chinese quality control is not that good. Chinese turning sets of eight for $20 are not the way to go. If you do, your grinding time will increase by a factor of about SIX! How fast does your bench chisel get dull? An eight inch diameter blank turning at 1000 rpm sees 34.88 feet of cut per second. Please buy and appreciate QUALITY steel! The pens in my signature were turned with a Crown bowl gouge, many tools are cross functional.

 

[Mike Mills]

A little may depend on your sharpening skills. If you are just learning then the higher end like Thompson or D-Way may get expensive even though they are very good.
Most of my tools are Sorby, Hamlet, and Crown. I do have one Thompson. I did buy the Hurricane when I got a lathe for my daughter and I can't tell any difference in those and the UK.

Note: the Hurricane is sized by the flute, or UK style, compared to the "normal" sizing by the bar diameter.
They are basically 1/8" larger than US specs. I would go with the 3/8 and 1/2 (that's 1/2 and 5/8 in US size) if you go that route.
http://www.thewoodturningstore.com/woodturning-tools/bowl-gouges/

The Packard brand is also very good...made by Hamlet.

 

[aplpickr]

Most people that start turning and quickly stop do so because of lack of sharpening skills. You will probably need to sharpen before your first project is finished. Very quickly take a sharpening class or find a mentor that can teach you how. Your first project should not be a bowl. Simple projects can be turned with only a spindle gouge and a parting tool, add a bowl gouge and skew and you can turn anything!

 

[TENdriver]

Mike Mills, Unfortunately I haven't kept up with what's the best bowl gouge these days but I'm curious why a Thompson at $55 for the 3/8" and $65 for the 1/2" is expensive. Has tooling dropped that much in price?

Back when I was active, any decent tool with an Ellsworth grind was way above the Thompson price point.

 

[KenOfCary]

In that video from Craft Supply that Rich mentioned there is a very brief mention of WR turning tools - I believe the bottom line of that mention was DON'T.

Get quality and save the regrets for other things.

 

[Mike Davis]

I second the Oland tool
You can build a heavy duty tool for $10-$15 that will out cut the most expensive bowl gouge.
And can custom grind carbide ips for different uses.

 

[JonB]

Thompson tools are the way to go, you can buy a 3/8" and buy one of his handles or make your own wood handle to save money. I have others but my go to are Thompson, there is a big difference in holding an edge longer.