# need advice on gouge



## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

Hi, I am sharpening a used 3/4" gouge I bought recently. One corner is rounded i am leaving that because for spoon it won't matter. My problem is as I sharpen I develop a hook on the other corner. This happens when I sharpen my roughing gouge for wood turning as well. what am I doing that put that hook on a straight edge thanks Mike


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

I'm not sure why you're getting a hook on one side but here's what I did as sharpening a gouge is tricky to me as well

One side I used a dowel, and the other I made a maple leather honing strop to compliment the contour.

HTH

If on a grinder I would use a uni jig.


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## rad457 (Jun 15, 2013)

I use a wolverine jig and sometimes just freehand when brave, slight angle variances can solve most hooked edges, sort of roll the blade off the stone at the end of the pass? Practice will improve finished product, after a few hundred grinds will be almost perfect


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

I am no where ready for a stop I am still working on an edge. I am getting there but it will barely cut. It need alot of work yet. I don't like the wolverine for my roughing gouge I would rather free hand. When I did use one I still got that hook


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## mpounders (Jun 22, 2010)

You are applying too much pressure when you get to the end of rolling the gouge. That causes metal to be removed on that corner or ear and when it is thinned enough to a wire edge, it just buffs off. I do this deliberately on a lot of my gouges to create a thumbnail shape that allows me do undercutting on carvings without the corners digging in. I was taught to do this by several carvers who do realistic carvings and they use it in particular on #11 gouges. It lets you lay them on their side and get several different carving profiles out of one tool. i realize that is not for everybody. The repair for your tool is to square it off on the end and start sharpening again. But I would recommend that you practice on some cheap tools until you stop pressing so hard on the ends. i f you push on the corner, you will see that it rounds it off pretty easily.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

That gouge in the picture was dull, it did take a lot of time to get it sharp but it worked.


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

the rounded corner is not an issue and if I ground it out I would lose a lot of steel. I don't mind a little round ed corner. What I am concerned about is making a hook on the corner. I straightened that gouge once but in the process of forming the edge a hook developed on the corner.


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## mpounders (Jun 22, 2010)

I guess I am not understanding what you mean by hook. Are you talking about the wire edge that forms on the inside when you sharpen the outside? I use a buffing wheel to remove the wire edge on the inside of all my tools, large and small.


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

Sounds to me like with the gouge you show and with what you said about your turning gouge that maybe you're rolling the gouge too far on the stone (and on the grinder with the turning gouge). If you mean what I think when you say a "hook" it sounds like you may be rolling it far enough that you're turning the top corner and kind of folding it over. Just a guess but I find that I often accidentally roll my turning gouges further than intended.


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

the hook has nothing to do with the wire edge it is the profile. the hook on the non rounded corner is higher than the resat of the edge. if i was putting to much pressure on the corner I would be rounding the corner. This is like metal is being added


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## Phil32 (Aug 31, 2018)

Please note that the gouge being sharpened by waho6o9 has the bevel on the *inside* like a firming gouge. A carving gouge or turning gouge would have the bevel on the *outside*. 
Considering the pitting and other damage to the gouge, I think you need to grind the bevel back to the shape you want across the entire cutting edge, then clean it up with sandpaper, stones, etc.


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

ok thanks


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