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Gene Gabriel

Gene Gabriel

Gene Gabriel

Joined
Apr 6, 2025
Messages
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Location
Dracut, MA
Hello all. As the title states, my name is Gene, I’ve been wanting to get a lathe for many years. So I finally broke down and bought one. I’m finishing up acquiring the last of my “needs” to started turning, so I figured I would join a forum and see if I could pick up some tips and tricks. Of course there’s no shortage of videos out there as well.

So, thank you for letting me join in the fun, and thanks in advance for any and all knowledge I get from being here.
 
Hello Gene! I’m sure you’ll find much here - as well as asking questions, the search feature can uncover valuable older threads.

I suggest caution with YouTube videos. Many use them and some are good, but some are bad, some are horrible, and some are just downright dangerous. Better to get a real live teacher with experience. Is there a turning club nearby? Many have mentoring programs to both help get started and to develop expertise. Some clubs also have a library of good books and videos. You can meet other turners at a club and learn from the monthly demos.

If you’re a member of the AAW, one benefit is access to a library of good videos that have been vetted for usefulness and safety.

I’d also suggest learning spindle turning first (I start all students with the skew chisel). Numerous experts say the same thing - spindle turning will teach the fine took control that will let you turn anything! (I have references) Turning big bowls may sound more glamorous but frankly, it’s easy and too easy to get by without learning the tool control.

Nearly 25 years ago, I started learning without knowing anything about clubs, AAW, or even other woodturners. I learned mostly from two excellent books.

JKJ
 
Welcome, Gene. As a relatively new member, I can attest to the value of the information you’ll get here and how helpful everyone is in sharing their knowledge and what works for each in the real world. It’s an incredibly resource!
 
Thank you all for welcoming me. I do find forums pretty informative. They are definitely a great resource of information. Usually by people who have “been there, done that”. I’ll be moving my lathe to its final destination tomorrow, and I’ll start making shavings. I’m looking forward to it.
 
image.jpgWell, my first turning. At least it came out the shape I was looking for. A few lessons learned. Speed matters when it comes to finish of the cut. Carbide cuts awesome. And a roughing gouge really hogs off some material. It is only cedar, but it is what I had handy. Onward and upward.
 
Gene, check out www.turnawoodbowl.com. That site has everything you need to get started turning bowls. He doesn't do spindle work, so his videos and articles will be more pertinent if you want to turn bowls.

Carbide tools are easy, but they don't leave a great finish. You can continue with carbides, or you can look towards traditional tools. Most of the folks here use bowl gouges, spindle gouges, etc. A word of warning: Never use a spindle gouge (roughing or detail) on a side grain turning. In this case it looks like you have an end grain turning so the roughing gouge is a good choice to remove a lot of material.
 
Welcome to a great forum. If you’re ever out in western Pennsylvania drop me a line and we’ll make some chips.
And great start. Make sure you save that piece so you can look back on it some day and smile.
 
Kent Reisdorph said:
A word of warning: Never use a spindle gouge (roughing or detail) on a side grain turning. In this case it looks like you have an end grain turning so the roughing gouge is a good choice to remove a lot of material.
Click to expand...

I’ve never heard of the warning except for roughing gouges. Why do you say that? I will use a small spindle gouge for some detail work on side grain pieces and don’t see any problem with doing so.
 
Kent Reisdorph said:
Never use a spindle gouge (roughing or detail) on a side grain turning.
Click to expand...

I have to disagree. I use spindle and spindle detail gouges a lot on side grain (face turning). I don’t use them to hog out material but mostly for deail work. With good tool control and light cuts I can’t imagine a problem.

I think one problem with roughing gouges is their name: beginners may thing they are perfect for roughing out anything. If they are always advertised and referred to as SPINDLE roughing gouge perhaps some would better understand their intended function.

But yes, there is a big potential danger with a spindle roughing gouge on face turning, mostly due to the way they are made with a small, weak tang at the handle. People have been injured. The Thompsons have full diameter 5/8” shafts. Another problem is unlike a bowl gouge, a spindle roughing gouge presents a broad edge to the wood, far more likely to grab instead of cut with control.

Another option is the Hunter carbide tools, nothing at all like the “traditional” flat topped carbide tools. The hunters work more like a gouge although some models can be used effectively as scrapers and sheer scrapers. They will as cleanly as a gouge on both spindle and face turning, although spindle gouges are better for fine detail. One advantage with Hunter is you replace the tip instead of sharpening. The tip on my first Hunter lasted over a year before I replaced it. I use the small Hunter Hercules on nearly every bowl and platter, inside and out, shallow and moderately deep.

After some experience with the flat-topped carbide tools, I won’t use them again because of the surface reasons. I gave all mine away.

JKJ
 
Mike Selser said:
I’ve never heard of the warning except for roughing gouges. Why do you say that? I will use a small spindle gouge for some detail work on side grain pieces and don’t see any problem with doing so.
Click to expand...
John K Jordan said:
I have to disagree. I use spindle and spindle detail gouges a lot on side grain (face turning). I don’t use them to hog out material but mostly for deail work. With good tool control and light cuts I can’t imagine a problem.
Click to expand...


For a very beginning turner, it IS good advice - However, as experience is gained, Spindle and detail gouges can be used , you need to learn tool control first, PLUS keeping your tool rest close to the work - If you extend your gouges (most any gouge in fact) too far and get a catch (common with beginners) there's a good chance that the tool, the machine, the project, and worse yet, the person holding the tool, will experience damage due to the leverage the spinning wood creates on the gouge against the tool rest. A good solid bar stock bowl gouge can withstand that, but more delicate spindle gouges (especially the continental style) can break or bend much easier and turn into shrapnel...

However, as experience is gained, (and you understand the how and why of the gouges and grinds) you can generally use spindle and detail gouges safely, but NEVER a SRG (because of the flute shape and straight across grind) So it is generally best to just give any spindle gouge a No-No vote until the turner has the experience to tell the difference in the types of gouges, grinds, and tool control..

Just IMHO.
 
Didn’t realize I would start a debate by saying I used the “roughing spindle gouge”. Yes, I only used the roughing gouge on the spindle section. After hearing all the “pundits” on YouTube say that is its only use I wouldn’t try it anywhere else.
 
Gene Gabriel said:
Didn’t realize I would start a debate by saying I used the “roughing spindle gouge”. Yes, I only used the roughing gouge on the spindle section. After hearing all the “pundits” on YouTube say that is its only use I wouldn’t try it anywhere else.
Click to expand...

Ha! I thought of it more discussion and education than debate!
 
We all have our own ways of doing things. Especially as we age. As long as we have fun, nobody gets hurt and we accomplish what we set out to do… it’s all good.
 
Oh, here is the Thompson 5/8” spindle “roughing “ gouge - quite sturdy. It doesn’t have swept-back wings, although it could be ground that way, so one has to be aware of the corners. For spindles, the flat part of the “U” shaped flute is a blessing since you can use the curved part to cut coves and such then without pausing, roll the tool to the flat edge an use it exactly like a skew!

Handle_adapters_roughing2_IMG_6006.jpg

These are Mark StLeger signature designs - the 5/8” is the smaller one. (I made handles - bubinga and persimmon, with aluminum and brass inserts to fit 5/8” shaft tools.)

The larger one is the big brother, the 1” version of the same gouge - I got it directly from Mark, said he said it was the last one he had. When I asked Doug Thompson about these he said he won’t make any more 1” because machining them is “… too much of a pain in the….” I missed the last word of what he said, maybe it was “neck”. The big one also has a 1/5” shaft. I have other similar u-shaped gouges and they handle much different than the wide traditional “C” shaped spindle roughing gouges - I really like them. For spindles I most often use the 5/8” one without a handle - the shaft itself makes a good handle unless one is prone to sloppy control!

JKJ
 
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