Woodturning: Using a Bowl Gouge

Video transcription

Bowl gouges are specialized tools for shaping and hallowing out bowls. You're cutting on the in grain, which is a little bit tougher than cutting with the grain on a spindle. The bowl gouge is typically ground at approximately fifty-five degree angle, and we're cutting with a side sweep back so we can use more of the edge. The bowl gouge, as you'll find versus a spindle gouge, have very deep sides. This particular gouge is ground, at the hallowing on the inside, is ground in a parabolic type method, parabolic type shape, to ease, to better flow the separating of the chips. In sharpening these gouges, you're typically going to use, you'll use some type of a guide. This one is set up in particular for this particular gouge. You'll hold it in position and you'll rotate the tool as you grind it to get the proper shape of the side grind. Different types of bowl gouges, you can grind them a little bit, they can be ground back this far, or a little bit shorter. It depends on your personal preference. But this I found to be about the most efficient set up for the type of work I do.