# Trying to get started with bowls/spoons/whatever.



## weedeater64 (May 15, 2018)

I have a crappy hatchet I'll make due with for a bit while I look for another.

I just ordered the Hirsch #4 and #8 bent gouges in 35mm from Highland and the Narex adze.

Got an email the #8 is out of stock and may be 8 weeks. WTF/AGGGGHHHH.

First, are these a good starter pair?

Second what would be a good choice instead of the #8 to get something now and get started? To either compliment the #8 when it arrives or as a replacement.

Also any other suggestions for a budget kit for spoons and bowls?

Thanks.


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## Phil32 (Aug 31, 2018)

The 35mm gouges will require a mallet to drive them thru many woods. I would choose gouges much smaller. For hand pushed work in medium hard woods - maybe 12mm. Likewise, a #8 gouge has a half circle curve. You may find the #4 more versatile for bowls & spoons. You are going to form the bowl shape with many small gouge cuts, not with a few huge lumps. The major challenge will be getting the cuts from one side to meet the cuts from the opposite side.


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## weedeater64 (May 15, 2018)

> The 35mm gouges will require a mallet to drive them thru many woods. I would choose gouges much smaller. For hand pushed work in medium hard woods - maybe 12mm. Likewise, a #8 gouge has a half circle curve. You may find the #4 more versatile for bowls & spoons. You are going to form the bowl shape with many small gouge cuts, not with a few huge lumps. The major challenge will be getting the cuts from one side to meet the cuts from the opposite side.
> 
> - Phil32


I figured as much. I plan to get some smaller ones. My reasoning for starting off with the large is two fold.

1. Price. I figured I'd get the high price ones out of the way first, then get the less painful ones later.

2. Order of progression of work. Hatchet, adze, large gouge/s, then finally small gouges as needed.

I also was following general rules put forth by several guys on blogspam, one apparently well known carver dude. That particular dude said #7 and #4, but Highland doesn't have a #7 in the largest size so I went #8 instead of #6 thinking I'd get something a little further rather than too close to #4.

I thought highland was a good place to deal with, but they still haven't even shipped the rest of the order two days later. I do intend to gripe at them about the delay, and especially give them an earful about not having their web store tell you something is out of stock before you pay for it. That is below average.

Edit:

So turns out I'm an idiot. Says right there when on individual item page out of stock. Still, don't know why they couldn't have shipped the rest by now. meh.


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## Phil32 (Aug 31, 2018)

On most carving tools the number refers to the curvature not the size. That's why I mentioned that a #8 is a half circle. I was wrong on this point - a #9 is a half circle. There are variations in the numbering system. In the London Pattern Book a #1 is a straight edge, while a #2 is a straight skew. In the Swiss system the #1 is straight and a #1S is skewed - a #2 has a slight curve. The curvature increases up to #9. The size (width) is usually shown as the following number, often in millimeters (mm)
When carving you will rarely use the full width of any gouge. There are cuts where you will use just the corner of the cutting edge - especially with fishtail gouges. 
The idea of mass-wasting a chunk of wood with a hatchet or adze to start a bowl seems to be a bushmaster approach. It is very difficult to develop good control.


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## ClaudeF (Sep 22, 2013)

For "window shopping", try https://www.woodcraft.com/categories/carving-gouges The site shows the different curvatures as well as the available widths for each.

I agree with Phil - getting proficient with axe/adze will take a significant amount of practice time. An easier way to hollow out the bowl is to use a Forstner bit or a Spade bit in your drill - just be careful the point of the bit doesn't go through the bottom of the bowl. After drilling all the holes you can, knock out the "walls" between the holes with a mallet and gouge. You could end use a carpenter's chisel for this, as well as removing waste wood on the outside of the bowl. Oh, and do the inside of the bowl first. That way you'll have a stable piece of wood while drilling, then gouging out the rest of the waste, and final smoothing.

Claude


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