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2" Spindle Roughing Gouge

Ron Grob

Ron Grob

Joined
Jul 2, 2018
Messages
28
Likes
22
Location
Springfield, VA
I was thinking about buying a SRG. I don't have one currently. This past weekend I put a chunk of log on my lathe from the firewood pile to turn a tool handle - while I was successful, I just used a regular spindle gouge on the log that was quite out of balance so the experience of getting it to round was... exciting at times.

I was thinking about trying out the Hurricane brand tools for a SRG - I've mostly turned bowls in my first few months of turning so far, but I can see a lot of things I'd like to turn in spindle form as well - and I think my old log pile might provide a lot of wood for that purpose. Which leads me to my question...

Hurricane has a little combo deal of a 1" and 2" SRG. The 2" seems SO large and I don't see any of the premium tool makers with something so large in their catalog. Is the 2" beast worth the purchase? I know no one can really answer that but me, but I'd appreciate hearing thoughts on them. Thanks very much!
 
I have two U shaped SRG tools. 3/4 And 1 1/4
Unless you are doing a run of lamp posts a 1” or 1 1/4 will be big enough for most any task.

Also a sideground bowl gouge properly used will make short work of turning a square into a cylinder. You also learn to use the gouge better. Sort of practicing bowl cuts on spindles.

This video is a clip from a demo on 3 sided Napkin rings. I do most of the turning with a side ground bowl gouge. Bowl gouge is used to Rough square to round with a push cut and smooth the cylinder with a pull cut.

Cylinder with SideGround gouge Push & Pull cuts -
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I05IYkb06Jc

 
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I have 3 spindle roughing gouges. I have the small 3/4" from Doug Thompson. A 1" unknown I've used for 20 years or more and a Henry taylor 1 3/4". I almost never use that the big one. my 1" is used constantly. You have to be careful with the big one. It want's to take too big of a bite and can roll on you and get a catch pretty easily. The small one I use a lot for small work. If I was buying a new one I would by The Thompson 1". It has a really thick tang and you will never damage it. The thompson tools also hold an edge longer which really pays off when roughing.
 
I have three SRGs 1” and 1.5” Robert Sorbeys and a whopping 3” Serious Tool that is discontinued. I purchased all of these when I was beginner because I didn’t know better. If a tool is sold and widely excepted as a standard it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to own it.

If you watched the video provided Al you will see a great alternative to this tool. His method works most effective on both regular square billiards and out of round irregular logs. Why buy speciality SRG tool that only works well in cetain roughing situations when you own other tools that will do more?

IMHO, if I didn’t have a turning tool and I had to start over, I would not buy a SRG. The task of roughing can be accomplished by other tools equally as well or even more effectively.
Nevertheless, if you do elect to purchase an SRG. Take a look this AAW video on how to use it.
View: https://vimeo.com/72448213

https://www.woodturner.org/general/custom.asp?page=VideoRoughCut#.W6Z4c8jI2qQ

My roughing gouge collection. No grunting please:

image.jpg
 
I have 2 SRG's, a 3/4 one from D Way, and a 1 inch one that came with my first set of tools from Craft Supplies. I almost never use them. A video I plan, when I get into the new shop, will be on peeling cuts. After watching Eric Loffstrom and his peeling cuts with a skew, the SRG is pretty much obsolete.

robo hippy
 
Although you can do peeling cuts with the skew it isn't nearly as good as the spindle roughing gouge for removing wood. I do a sort of peeling cut with the spindle roughing gouge. Push the gouge in and cut down almost to size. This is very similar to what Stewart is showing in the video. Then move over an inch and do it again. pretty much like using the skew for a peeling cut but it cuts across the grain as is it goes down and doesn't tear up the shoulder which is handy if your leaving a square pommel on a table leg for instance. The other reason I don't use the skew for peeling cuts all the time is that I like my skew to be extremely sharp when I use it for normal skew cuts. If you do a lot of peeling cuts you've dulled that edge and have to stop and sharpen it again.
 
John, you need to see Eric Loffstrom turn. I can rough out a 3 inch sugar maple blank to a 220 sanding surface with no tool marks, and I can do it faster than I can with a SRG. Until I saw him do it, I considered what he did with it to be 'totally and in all ways inconceivable!!!' and yes, I do know what that word means. Honed edge is the key.... it doesn't destroy the edge at all since the bevel is rubbing, and a few seconds on the Tormek honing wheel brings it right back up. You will see it when I get the video done. I have used the wing on a SRG to do peeling cuts and it works pretty good, but the skew or a 30/30 NRS is faster...

Still waiting for transporters so I can do more play dates....

robo hippy
 
I did spindle turning exclusively for many years, all architectural stuff. I do have a 2" gouge and often wished that I had a bigger one. For me, the big gouge is THE tool to grab when taking down anything bigger than a 4X4, especially in production work with a lot of duplicate pieces.
 
Thanks for all the thoughts guys. I skipped buying the larger one for now. I was contemplating it because of the package deal. Opted to get just a regular 1" SRG for now.

Since I don't have it yet, I did try a little skew and bowl gouge wing to rough turn a couple logs on Friday and Saturday and it didn't come out so bad. The combination of dry wood and a not so powerful lathe means I did have to go pretty slow, but I got the job done.

Now I just need to practice my spindle work more to reduce catches!

Thanks again all.
 
Ron Grob said:
bowl gouge wing to rough turn a couple logs on Friday and Saturday and it didn't come out so bad. The combination of dry wood and a not so powerful lathe means I did have to go pretty slow, but I got the job done.
Click to expand...

I use the bowl gouge quite a bit on mini lathes to make cylinders. Have done a few works shops on mini lathes. Doing exactly what I show in the video with beginners on dry wood. They all get cylinders quickly on 3” square blanks.
As long as the cut is limited to a 1/2” with a sharp tool it will go really quick. Focus on the 1/2” bevel riding cut and it will go much nicer.

When I use the bowl gouge to make a cylinder. The wing is used mostly for the pull cut to smooth the cylinder.
Roughing is a series of bevel riding push cuts each about a 1/2 of wood cut straight in the nose does the cutting not the wing. You can cut to round with each cut all the way down cylinder. In classes i have the students put lines every 1/2” on the one face of the square stock then aim the bevel down the line.
If you watched the video I think there is one spot where I make a mistake and take about an inch cut and it gets grabby. This would be much slower than taking two 1/2” cuts.

Nice looking handles in th gallery
 
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Thanks very much for the comments again @hockenbery . It's very well appreciated. I will rewatch that video and give it another go when I'm able to hit my lathe again. Unfortunately it'll be about 2 weeks before that will happen.
 
hockenbery said:
As technique improves the lathe does more of the work and the turner does less.
Accomplished turners just sort of watch the tools and maybe guide them a bit.
Click to expand...
Isn't it funny--turning used to be good exercise, but not any more (except lifting big chunks of wood). Still hoping to be one of those accomplished turners some day.
 
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