Bowl gouges are EXPENSIVE… especially at Woodcraft. Dang, I was ready to plunk down $20, but not $75. So the bowls, and the bowl gouge (and the chuck) will just have to wait. I’ve got a whole garage of other tools and projects that were already in the works before the lathe showed up.

A class would be great, and definitely accelerate the learning curve, but looking here at this weeks Woodcraft flyer, $110 for the class, required tools: 1/4 and 3/8 bowl gouges, 3/4 heavy duty bowl scraper, and parting/cutoff tool. Assuming you can grab those “cheap” at $50 each, we are into $300+. Let’s face it, I’m the foster parent, I didn’t adopt.

So what do you do with a simple china-made (of course, what isn’t) lathe, and a $10 set of turning tools. There has to be something. Well, I figured if a bowl gouge was necessary for the bowls, and what I have are spindle gouges, then I need to think of a spindle project.

So I made a tool handle out of oak.

It came out alright, functional for sure.

I have a better understanding of how “riding the bevel” works after this project. With cutting at the side grain, the spindle gouge works fine at this angle.

I should point out to those of you who commented in the last blog, the photos of the “tool angle” was an afterthought, and it wasn’t a “in-process” photo. I was done for the night, and wanted to get that included, so I just stuck it up next to the block… (we won’t be calling it a bowl for a while, I think.) Also it isn’t very clear in this picture, but the gouge is oriented with the groove side away from the block and the beveled side toward it. For the record, I’ve been setting the tool rest within about an inch of the work.

From the previous blog, I think I see conflicting thoughts on where the tool rest/cutting edge meets the stock, above, below or at the axis? On the tool handle, I wasn’t paying much attention, but it seems to me the cutting edge was above center slightly, the tool rest was definitely below, it has very limited adjustment, so I guess with this lathe, the tool rest “is where it is.”

One more observation rotating the handle to about 45 degrees then moving in that direction feels right and moves material. I would say I am still making a lot more dust than shavings, I don’t even know if that is significant.

I have read about letting the bevel of the tool “ride” the work. I don’t get it. No diagrams or photos I’ve seen really offer good info about the angle of attack. When I am in this position:

Pretty soon, I get this:

Which wouldn’t be the end of the world, but the violence of the gouge is quite unnerving and definitely makes me less interested in wood turning. I actually bent one of the tools slightly thanks to a gouge.

When I am in this position:

It seems safer, but all I get is dust, little or no shavings, and seems to take forever.

All the tools were freshly sharpened on my disk sander, however don’t necessarily have a good “bur” on the top side of the cutting edge. And this has been turned so far, at the slowest speed setting.

So this is where I am at so far. Classes are available locally, so there is always that as a last resort.

Your tips are greatly appreciated. Thanks.

They started out as 6”x6”x2”, and so far I have found center, used a protractor to make a maximum circle, and cut them on the bandsaw, about 1/8” outside of the line.

One question though, to you experienced turners, the mesquite was bought at woodcraft covered in wax, I understand that it is green, but how do you remove the wax to glue/tape your faceplate block? I have already taken a scraper, steel wool, and sandpaper to it, and when I scratch my nail across it, I can see it still has some wax on it. Or is a little wax safe?