What sort of gouge is this?

[julcle]

Hi Les  -  I have read the posts and do appreciate that it's at the budget end of the market but to be honest about it I only use the roughing tool to rough down parallel material to a diameter then switch to a spindle or other gouge so it has never really crossed my mind that it's doesn't perform well. However now that this thread has brought up the point I may see if I can borrow a good quality one from the club and see how it compares for me. I may end up spending yet more money on tools, you never know !
Regards  --  Julian

[burywoodturners]

I have taken a better look at the handle, click on the picture and you go to Flickr and then you can enlarge it.

The name on the handle is Draper, definitely the budget end on the market. It shoud still work, though be careful with the grinder.

It is a roughing out gouge, but I use some superflute gouges and the diference in the gouge edge varies according to the presentation to the work, so getting used to this should not be a great problem
Ron

[Les Symonds]

Well....after all the comments on here I really thought that I should at least try to use it. I had a batch of 40 baubles to turn out of 50mm diam x 120mm long stuff....some out of square stock and some out of 60mm branches. I used this gouge for all the roughing out and once I got a feel for using the tool, I have to say that I really got to like it. Not only does it rough out reasonably well, but also, I can roll it on its side and use the fairly straight part of the upper flute as a skew chisel and get a good finish off it. All of the baubles are roughed out to a standard wine-bottle-shape, ready for detailing, and this roughing out gouge has handled the job really well.

Looks like it won't be going into the bin, after all!

Thanks for all the comments......Les

[woodndesign]

Les, it's good to read that you've mastered the tool, it is with any cheap, if not poorly designed tool it will work, it's in how to best make work, should it be the only tool you have to hand.
The roughing cuts are not just at 90° to the work, but as you've found before, if not with this tool is a planing cut, tool rolled an angled pointing in the direction of the cut bevel contact, a skew cut as you have mentioned, given the larger cutting wing of this tool.

IMHO .. This form of tool could still be a problem to the uninitiated .. Just as the skew still to some, but I start to digress from the thread.

Cheers  Dewi

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Hi Les,
         it is only by experience that you get to attain a level of knowledge that allows you to make a valued judgement. You are obviously gaining that experience.
Glad you are not getting rid of it.
Regards
John BHT