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American Made tools

A

almather

Joined
Aug 17, 2004
Messages
30
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Location
East Machias, ME
Website
www.almather.com
Not too long ago there was mention made, I think on this site, to a company in the USA that makes turning tools, if I remember correctly, skew chisels, gouges, etc. A website was given, and I book marked it, but something has happened and all my book marks are gone.

I've tried doing a google search but can't seem to find anything without doing a lot of digging.

Could you please supply me with names or websites of people in the US or maybe Canada too, who are making turning tools.

thanks.

Al
 
Since you mention Canada, I believe Oneway makes their mastercut bowl gouges. I don't know if their less expensive tools are imported or not.
 
Steve Worcester said:
Good stuff. Cryo treated V10, very reasonably priced
Click to expand...

I'm about to try one of the Thompson's after talking with GeorgeSeto. Any thoughts on the v-shape or u shape. I'm looking at the 5/8", my current ones are going fast now. I'm wondering if the u shape could help my end grain on the interior.
Thanks,
Mike
 
The flute shape changes how the nose of the tool is shaped and how the chips come out but usually not how they cut. I may be wrong on that but I've played with a lot of gouges and different shapes and that seems to be right. Well actually that's not totally true. The wings will sharpen at a different angle if it's U vs V. The V shape often leaves a thicker cutting edge compared to the u. This means the V holds and edge longer and the U cuts cleaner but you may only notice that on certain woods.
I bought the U shaped Thompson bowl gouge and its rapidly becoming my favorite. I use the wings in a pull cut for some applications and like how they grind. The tool seems to hold an edge longer than my other ones but that's a difficult thing to answer for me. I turn more with the spindle gouges and they do hold an edge longer than my other spindle gouges.
 
What do you use for handles on the Thompson gouges?

Joe
 
I have seven Thompson tools. Six are gouges and I enjoyed making the handles out of Osage Orange, Mahogany, and Oak (Red and White). The seventh tool is a skew and the tang is rectangular rather than round, so I put it in a Hosaluk handle from Oneway.

I am extremely impressed with the Thompson tools. They sharpen to a keen edge and they hold that edge better than any other tools I know.
 
Impressive!

After a few post I talked to Doug Thompson on Thursday, orderd a 5/8 v and a 1/2 u bowl gouge and they arrived on Saturday. Just what I was waiting for. I checked out the grind that came on them and have decided this is will be my main grind now. The packaging was impressive, the tool quality was just right. I was not disappointed. I pulled out a Hosaluk handle I've had stuck in a drawer since Louisville and went to work.

Now for turning, I may not have to buy another gouge. Seriously, I turned a natural edge cottonwood bowl about 13" in diameter with the grind that came on the tool. I didn't sharpen the tool except to hone it with a diamond hone a couple of times and I'm pretty sure I could turn another one this way and not touch the grinder. Seeing as I usually go back to the grinder several times during a piece such as this that was worth admisison.

I've always been a P&N fan and to some extent these remind me of them. However I don't have a gouge that holds an edge like this. As soon as I save a dollar or two I'll order the 3/4" gouge.

As far as the flute I didn't see a huge difference in the shape. This is probably just my eye. I have a P&N that is a definite "v".

Good going Doug. Just remember us when grab a huge market share.

Thanks.
 
4mikee said:
Good going Doug. Just remember us when grab a huge market share.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind comments.

The grind that comes on the tool is simple to do and it does everything well. That's how turning should be!

I'm not going anywhere... nor will I change. I don't need a fancy title to impress anyone... "woodturner" are the only letters I need after my name.

I love turning hats and talking about woodturning.
Call from noon till midnight 440-241-6360 I answer the phone.
 
powder metal feeling and honing

currently not a Thompson tool owner myself but i am sure I will be soon. I actually just recently stumbled onto the tool line and I was def impressed. I have a few glaser gouges (the old style), some sorby tools, a bunch of crown tools, a bunch of chinese HSS tools I make myself out of tool bits.... The glaser tools are awesome and I think the higher end powder metal (10V, 15V,or A11, and whatever 15V is in A11 format) is worth every penny. I think the Thompson tools are made this way but very competetively priced! Yes, the tools stay sharp longer...much longer. I only have one glaser handle (a 15V 3/4 bowl gouge) and use this tool very little. The other glaser gouges have my own handles. So, the feeling I get in the tool is not from the handle but the tool just feels different. Its a dampened feeling. When I go between a M2 HSS to the glaser 10V, its totally different. The M2 seems very rigid, like the diff between stainless steel and cast iron. I like it a lot! I have also learned to hone the edge rather than grind the edge, something I just figured out! You need to hone before the tool is dull though... frequent touch-ups. if you wait til its dull, go to the grinder. If I were to grind 10 times in a given daay with a tool, I now grind maybe 2 times and hone the rest of the time. Saves TONS of metal, less stone in the air, less time at the grinder, and I don't have to get back in the groove. try it!
 
well, I am not sure exactly. How is that for an answer!! I was in the local industrial supply store one day buying sandpaper. I like to dig around their stuff and "see what they have" and came across a box of an orange colored stone, rectangular in shape. They stock them for a big machine shop in the area. The shop uses them to hone tools. They were 3 bucks so i bought one. It is small... maybe 1 inch wide by 3 inches long and 1/4 thick. It still works fine (maybe 6 weeks old) even though I have dropped it a cpl times taking chips out of it and it is a little pitted. It is pretty loaded up with metal though. I suspect a diamond hone is the ticket. Alan lacer sells a slipstone that is supposed to be awesome but its 88 bucks! You can get the small diamond hones for 10-20 pretty easily. The Lacer stone is shaped so you can hone the flute of a gouge. I use 320 sandpaper to do this if I do it at all. I am no sharpening guru for certain but am trying to get better. I think honing is well worth a shot.... its working for me! PLUS- I used this tool on the jointer blades the other day, which were getting pretty dull for curly and birdseye figure. maybe 10 min later I could shave the hair off my arm with the 3 blades. I would have otherwise had to wait 3 days and 20 bucks to have them sharpened!! Uhhhh I dropped a blade and tried to catch it. Sliced my hand BAD. I did catch it though! ;)
 
I used the DMT to hone my gouge also. Works much, much better than the imports. Well worth the extra couple of dollars.
 
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