Gouge Grind Question

[Richard Baker]

Having finally achieved a satisfactory fingernail style grind on a relatively inexpensive bowl gouge (using home made fixture), should I replicate this grind on a Sorby bowl gouge, or leave the Sorby with a straight conical grind?

Or to put it another way, are there some specific tasks or applications for which the straight conical grind is preferable to the fingernail?

 

[Gordon Seto]

You may find some explanation here:
http://www.peterchild.co.uk/info1/sflute.htm

A traditional grind has the wings almost vertical. It has a high shearing angle cut; it can leave a smooth surface. Jimmy Clewes demonstrated that in his 2nd DVD "Turn it On".

It all depends on your style and what you are comfortable with. There is always more than one correct way in woodturning.

Gordon

 

[hockenbery]

I keep a 1/4 bowl gouge with an English grind for finish cuts
I also have a 3/8 with a Michelson grind (convex bevel) for finish cuts
my 1/2 bowl gouges have an Elsworth grind.

My recommendation is to put the Ellsworth grind or something similar on your good tool. You have experience using this grind. Use the less expensive tool to try new grinds on.

The side ground bowl gouge is used by virtually every production bowl turner.
It is the one to master and use. then work on others for the times the sideground gouge won't work as well.

Happy turning,
Al

 

[john lucas]

I've been playing with the Stewart Batty grind which is probably similar to what you describe. I use it a lot for final cuts. It's not really the wings that give the clean cut but the presentation angle you use when cutting the wood and the sharpness of the grind on these wings. Stewart uses a 40 degree grind.
I have a bowl gouge that I use for my hand mirrors. The grind looks similar to an Ellworth on the front but the wings go back very far, may be 1 1/2". Because of the shape of the flute and my particular grind the wings are very sharp, probably 25 degrees. It cuts extremely clean in bad wood. I use in in a pull cut with the wings cutting at about 35 degrees to the rotation of the wood. That combination of presentation to the wood and the extremely sharp grind gives a very clean cut.

 

[Brian Hahn]

Each type of grind has is advantages and disadvantages. No one grind is perfect for everything.

If you like your fingernail grind and it works for you, I'd say put it on the new Sorby gouge. Why go through another learning curve with a new grind?

p.s. My favorite grind is the Sorby grind, primarily because it is the grind I learned with and I haven't found a strong reason to change.

 

[MichaelMouse]

Depending on the contour of the flute and the thickness of the metal, you may not get what you expect going across gouge families. Grind on the general cutting truths of all gouges, fingernail or not, which want to poke across the grain and peel down. Broader radius peels, narrower pokes.

 

[Steve Worcester]

You start with a known grind, an Ellsworth or Batty, then experiment. It is only metal.

 

[john lucas]

It's only metal, unless it's CPM v-15, then it's really expensive metal.
Micheal mouse is correct in that all the gouges out there have slightly different flute shapes and thicknesses so the same grinding jig and angle may not grind the same shape.
My mirror gouge that I mentioned is an offbrand and it's getting shorter. I'm going to have to do some serious searching to find a gouge that matches.

 

[Richard Baker]

Thanks!

Thanks to all for your replies. Printed the Roy Child article for ref. Very interesting. Seems like more practice and experiment time is in order for the "fingernail" grind on the Ben's Best; then maybe tranfer the result to the Sorby and return Ben's to a straight conical grind. Very different flute shapes, so some experimentation will be required. Still using home made tools w/ HSS tool bits for most hollowing, but learning to use the gouges for some.

Is possible, of course, to make pretty stuff with minimal skill, but one wishes to improve. Can't manage "relentless pursuit of perfection"; it's more like just continuous pursuit of improvement. Actually it's "pursuitus interruptus", as the new shop has been built, and is now prudent to devote full time to building the deck that my sweetie wants.

Am tired and slow, so maybe will finish the deck in a month or so and get to turn some wood. A friend just brought me some nice mesquite logs, great motivation to get the deck built and get back to the lathe. Will try to turn something really nice for him from one of the best pieces.

Metal, like time, is indeed money. But not much money unless it's John's CPM v-15, whatever that is! Thanks guys.