Ray Key modified gouge......how to use, sharpen?

[Odie]

I recently made up an order for CSUSA, and I added a close-out Ray Key modified gouge. I made the purchase more or less on a lark, having no experience with one. I am a little puzzled by it.

Anyone use one of these?

At first thought, it looks like it might be sharpened like a scraper with much of one side of the gouge sharpened up to the flute a couple of inches along the side.

Just wondering.....If anyone uses one, maybe you can explain the purpose and uses for it, along with what you know about the sharpening procedures.

Thanks for any insight you may give.........😀

ooc

 

[Henry Williams]

Ray Key grind

I attended a Ray Key workshop at CSUSA back in 1999 and I still use his grind for hollowing small end grain boxes. The stubby bevel of about 60 deg allows a clean gouge cut across the inside bottom end grain of the box and lid, especially if it curves up to the sides. The long straight grind on the right side of the flute seems to provide tool clearance when making the cut from center out. Ray also demonstrated using the long straight right side edge as a shear scraper on the outside of pieces as well. For grinding, I use a short fingernail grind of about 60 deg or more and then just grind the right side of the flute away in a long edge to remove about a quarter of the fingernail. I myself don't use the right edge as a shear scraper so I don't spend much time on it.

 

[Michelle Rich]

as was said above, plus you can drill with it..I use it to drill down to the depth I want, then use it to hollow

 

[Greg Thomas]

I also took a class with Ray and he uses the long edge to get a very fine finishing cut. He does this by making a pull cut. You can use it as a scraper but with practice you can ride the bevel around as you pull and start cutting a very fine shaving toward the tip. When I can't make a clean finishing cut with any other tool, I go with this. Sometimes it take putting some wax on the rough area before the final cut, another of Ray's tricks.

 

[alexc]

odie you are a true tool junky. Just like a wood turner to buy a random tool on a whim.

 

[MichaelMouse]

odie you are a true tool junky. Just like a wood turner to buy a random tool on a whim.

As the less-than-proud owner of a number of one trick ponies, I can tell you that not every tool used by a "famous name" will be useful to everyone. I can also say that I never learned to use a tool I didn't try....

Go "pointy", OD. Hollows a treat on the side, and plunges without skating on the point. Keep your grind steep, just like the Ray Key type.

 

[Odie]

OK, thank you all for your input on this. 😀

At this point, I still haven't given this tool a test yet, but I will be giving it a shot soon! I suppose I haven't used it because I don't have any particular complaints about the methods I've become accustomed to.....so, it becomes effort to pry myself away from methods that are working satisfactorily.......!

Your responses have given me a basis for "visualizing" it's use. I hadn't thought of the boring aspect of the shape, but now that Michelle has brought that to attention, I can see how it might be used that way. If the wood is spinning ccw, then it looks like the only place it could cut, or grab is at the very tip only.....the sides would serve to stabilize. (Strictly speaking from a theoretical perspective)

odie you are a true tool junky. Just like a wood turner to buy a random tool on a whim.

Actually, alexc, this is not of my character.....or, S.O.P! I'm not one who usually purchases tools blindly, and almost always have a particular need to fulfill before spending the bucks! There have been other cases where others have convinced me to try new tools (case on point would be Hunter tool). Sometimes I'm happy with a new method......sometimes not! That sort of thing ought to be familiar to a lot of you.....! It is particularly true what MichaelMouse mentioned that not every tool will be useful to everyone.

Again......thanks.......

ooc