Calling the Spindle Turners.........

Stuart Ablett

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What is the difference between a "Spindle Gouge" and a "Detail Gouge" :huh: :dunno:

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Detail Gouge

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Spindle gouge.

My cheapy tools are just about done, so I want to replace them, should I get the detail gouges or spindle gouges? :dunno:

Thoughts?
 
Stu....the reference material I have.....the spindle gouge can be ground to a the detail gouge form. It's sharper pointed that allows it to get into tigher corners. I have a 3/8" spindle gouge ground to a "detail gouge" shape and it allows me to get into crevices that it wouldn't get into if it had the standard grind.


Ken
 
Stu, my understanding is that the main difference between spindle gouges and detail gouges is the amount of steel left under the flute. More steel under the flute allows you to grind a longer bevel on the end and create more detail while using the long point in some ways that emulates a skew.

I use detail gouges in a variety of ways. I have a couple of detail gouges from Packard Woodworks. One has a long bevel and the other has a short bevel. I use the long bevel for exterior shaping of some of my boxes that have globular shaped bodies. The one with the short bevel I use for hollowing and cutting end grain. More steel under the flute allows me to reach farther into the body of the box when I am hollowing and have less vibration.

My favorite detail gouge for hollowing is the Henry Taylor 1/2" which really has a lot of steel under the flute and allows a full cut with the shortened bevel without any chatter. I use it for rough work and then do the fine work with the Packard tool. I like the shape of the flute on the Packard tool for clean up inside a box better than the Henry Taylor.

The other detail gouge I have is the 5/16" P&N I use with a long bevel to reach into areas where the size of the other gouges would prevent access. The long grind on this P&N really is a substitute for a skew. I can peel off shavings of end grain that resemble frog hair!:eek::D

I do not know if this is how detail gouges are supposed to be used but this is how I have adapted them for doing what I want to do for turning boxes.

I am contemplating pulling the trigger for the Doug Thompson 7/16" detail gouge that has a really shallow flute and see how it does for hollowing. If I don't like it I will regrind it at a long bevel and use it for detailing. Now that is an original thought.

Here are some pictures of three of my detail gouge grinds. In the first picture with the side view from top to bottom is the Henry Taylor 1/2" and then the Packard 1/2" both ground for hollowing. The one at the bottom is the Packard 1/2" ground for work on the outside of a box as a traditional detail gouge. The second picture has the tools in the same order but shows the difference in the flutes. The narrower Henry Taylor flute really makes for a great hollowing tool.
 

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Thanks Mike, when you are saying "more steel under the flute", you are really saying a very shallow flute, right?

Cheers!
I've got one of Doug Thompson's 3/8" shallow detail gouges, and it's handier than I expected it to be. I use it more than I thought I would.
 
Stu I would get both. You will use them both. I use a regular spindle gouge for roughing stuff and then I like the little 3/8" detail gouge for fine work and like Mike to finish the inside of boxes.
 
Stu, I'm getting here a little late, but I thought I would add a little to what has already bee written. Mike's description of the tool difference is accurate. The pictures you posted in your OP are what I have, only reversed. My spindle gouge has a very long bevel and my detail gouge has a very short bevel. What it boils down to is that either tool can be ground to be used in whatever application or technique you prefer. But the detail has more metal and a shallow flute compared to the spindle. I will refer to it at times as a glorified scraper.

Bill
 
Late or not Bill, I appreciate the info!

I saw Eli Avisera and Jean-Francois Escoulen both using both types of gouges, and both of them had ones with various grinds on them, so I guess I'll get two of each in one size and put long and short grinds on both of them :bonkers:

:D

I certainly did see all four of these gouges in use at the two days of demo, and I have to say, I do understand, more and more, having the right tool ground the right way for the job.

Cheers!
 
Hey Mike,

Out of trial and error, I have ended up using the same grinds that you have the the in and out of boxes. My inside gouge is a 1/2" P&N with a grind like your middle gouge, and the outside is a 3/8" Sheffield Leyland ground exactly like the bottom picture. The SL is a great tool that keeps it edge superbly: it hardly needs a gridn.
 
Gari, that is exactly how my grinds came into being; through trial and error. One thing I do want to try is an asymmetric grind where one side of the flute is ground back farther than the other side. Apparently Ray Key and some other master turners use a grind like that for some interior hollowing operations.

I still wonder if anyone has tried the Thompson 7/16" detail gouge. I wanted some feedback before I pulled out the wallet.
 
This is also where the "Spindlemaster" and other similar tools come into play. They work like a detail gouge with a long beveled grind that allows you to get into tight spots when turning beads. I've read quite a few stories of folks that buy them and don't really like using them. But it's often because they're trying to use them on boxes or bowls more as a scraper. But for a spindle tool they work really well for details, like a round nosed skew.
 
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