# first homemade lathe gouge



## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

I've been thinking for some time about making a homemade C1 rougher (used extensively by turners on a turning forum I'm on and sold by Easy Wood Tools for about $120) and when I saw the tips had come down to $1.20 I decided it was time.

I bought the 3/8" steel bar stock for under $3 and the wood cost me maybe $5 (probably less, but it's cocobolo, so on the expensive side). The tip I got for $1.20 (I bought 10 of them for $12) plus $.80 for the screw and the ferule is half of a copper coupling piece that was, I think, about $1, so that's about $10 or $12 total. Then there was another $10 which is half of the $20 that I paid a local machinist to grind down (recess) the end for the bit and tap it for the screw on two of these bars. If you can do your own grinding and tapping, then your cost will be just the $10 or so, which is a bit better than the $120 that Easy Wood charges.

I wasn't sure if I wanted bar stock or round stock and since it's so cheap, I'm doing one of each to see how I like each one. The 3/8" round stock wasn't really thick enough to take the screw and have much left over, so the machinist welded on a short square section at the end of the round one, which I thought was a great idea.
I was so much in a hurry to USE the tool that I didn't wait for the handle. I turned two bowls and then the handle of the tool while the tool was still just 12" long bar stock. That was a bit tedious on my fingers but I LOVE the way it turns, and now with the handle, it's really terrific.

I did notice that by the time I had done two bowls (of dry hardwood) plus the cocobolo handle, the one edge of the tip had gotten noticibly duller, but hey, even if it was just two bowls, that's 1/2 of 1/4 of $1.20, or 15 cents per bowl and this thing is SUCH a pleasure to use.

It looked BEAUTIFUL when it came off the lathe, just burnished, and I would have been delighted to use it as it was, BUT ... rather than drill a round hole big enough to accomdate the square cross section bar, I decided to split the handle wood, put in channels in both halves, glue it back together (with a paper separator) and then split it apart and reglue after turning so as to install the bar. I used epoxy on the bar and regular glue on the rest of the handle when regluing. To make a long story short, I did NOT do a great job of this part so it it took at bit of cleanup and it isn't quite as nice when looked at up close as it was fresh off the lathe, but it FEELS fabulous. The big blob of epoxy at the end of the ferule started off smaller, and was just to hide the slight mess-up I had created at the end of the channels, but I liked the way it looked, so made it even bigger. 

There's no finish on it, just burnished cocobolo, and I plan to leave it that way.

I was a bit surprized to find that the "radius curve" at the corner of the tip is not a curve but a beveled flat slice. You can see that in the bottom right pic. It works just fine, I just expected a curve. I wouldn't even have noticed that except for the closeup pic that I took to see what it looked like. You certainly can't tell just looking at it directly; it's too small.

The handle for the round-stock version is a piece of much prettier cocobolo so I'm hoping it will be a bit more attractive. I'll post pics when I have it done.

By the way, if any of you turners are not familiar with the Easy Wood Tools you should check them out. All reports say that although they are just a shade on the pricy side, they are WONDERFUL tools, and my homemade one makes me agree w/ that.

Paul


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## thekctermite (Dec 23, 2007)

Nice looking tool Paul! Great work. 

Where the heck did you get the carbide tips for $1.20???? Last time I checked they were about $15. 

I have both the easy rougher and the easy finisher and I love them both. Great tools, albeit pricey.


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

:laughing:Hey phinds I just had a post like this one a week or so ago. I'm new to turning so my handle don't look need as nice as yours but I wanted to try it out before I make some better handles and more tools. I wonder if there are any differences in the $1.20 cutter you bought and the $15.00 ones. Mine was like $15.00 but the guy (Joe) that made it for me said to turn it a 1/4 turn when it dulls out usually around 300 - 500 pens. I'm not sure what that equates to in bowls. He also had a friend of his sharpen his and it cuts like new.

Here's the one I made like I said not as nice as yours but I'm learning. Next is a square and diamond cutters with nicer handles.

Did you use a chuck for yours. I think it would mak it easier and I just don't have the money for one yet. Them things are expensive, almost more then I paid for my lathe.

*Duh you posted on my thread. I didn't see it until just now.*


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

Hey Paul good job on the gouge. I can't see where the price is $1.20 for the cutter - what I am seeing on their site is $13.99. Can you point me in the right direction? 




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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

TT here's a site for the square ones $1.84 each but only in a box of 10.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

It just dawned on me I already have a whole box of them - spares for my shelix planer head. They are the exact same thing duh. :stuart:






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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

TexasTimbers said:


> It just dawned on me I already have a whole box of them - spares for my shelix planer head. They are the exact same thing duh. :stuart:
> 
> 
> .


Right, TT. Sorry to you and kctermite about being mileading. As I should have stated, I had been watching the prices for these heads on a couple of machine-tool sites, not the Easy Wood Tool site. I forget where I got them for $1.20 but I'll look it up if anyone cares. I got the impression that this was NOT a sale price, it's a permanently lowered regular price, but I could be wrong about that.

rrbrown, no I didn't use a chuck, just did it as a spindle turning w/ a drive center and a live center. I had to fill the end of the rectangular hole (which was SUPPOSED to be square hole) with wood glued in before I could jam it into the live center). 

It's a good question about how long these $1.20 blades will last. I have read on the turning forum that they do NOT last as long as the better ones, but hey, even if the $13.00 to $15.00 ones last several TIMES as long, you're still ahead on the money. I REALLY don't believe that the expensive one is good for 10 times as long and even at 10 times as long, you're a buck ahead.


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

On the question about pens, I turned two 8" to 9" diameter, 2" thick bowls of hard woods (laminated) and I turn at high speed, so my guess is that dry hard wood (and I don't mean "hardwood" I mean HARD wood) 8" out on the moment of torque is putting WAY WAY WAY more stress on the edge of that bit than a pen turning at less than an inch out on the moment of torgue, so it's GOT to be the equivalent of an awful lot of pens.


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

I just went back and checked rrbrown's thread, which is where I first pointed out that the heads are $1.20 at

http://globaltooling.bizhosting.com/products/carbide-insert-knives.html

I bought 10 of the square edge and 10 of the radius edge, all for $24 plus shipping. Sweet deal.


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

Hey, RR, I see where you said yours can be sharpened. I have read on the turning forum that it's not worth trying to sharpen the ones I got because it's hard to do AND not very effective.

TT what's your experience with them, do you ever get them sharpened?

Paul


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

rrbrown said:


> TT here's a site for the square ones $1.84 each but only in a box of 10.


 
Had to laugh ... that IS the site that now has them at $1.20


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

phinds said:


> TT what's your experience with them, do you ever get them sharpened?
> 
> Paul


No I never even heard of anyone trying to sharpen them. They are so cheap they're disposable. I was getting mine from the same place I bought my spiral cutter (Woodmaster Tools) and paid $3.50 each for them last time I ordered a box and thought that was reasonable. Now with your link at $1.20 that equals 0.30¢ a side - that's almost free!





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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

Hey I'm not recommending it. I said Joe has a freind that sharpened his. It's the round blade also. If I get 10 for 20.00 I'll replace it but Joe is one that don't like to waste anything. You know a real old timer probably went through the depression or was around right after and was raised like that because of the depression.
I was raised not to waste but my time is worth more then $1.20 - $2.00 no matter how fast you can sharpen them.

I was just passing on what I knew.:laughing::laughing:


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## thekctermite (Dec 23, 2007)

Sharpening them is ridiculously easy. You just sit them face down on a fine diamond hone and rub them back and forth.


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

Wonderful post Paul. Is there a specific screw you used for yours? I am not a metalworker but know several. What do you think the chances are of using this idea and making a swan necked hollowing tool? Should be much different I wouldn't think.


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## H. A. S. (Sep 23, 2010)

The trick to grinding/resharpening carbide is to use a green wheel, or diamond wheel.

Carbide doesn't like vibration, or shock. Make sure you have a solid way to hold the inserts before presenting them to a stone or wheel.

BTW, I really liked the gouge. :thumbsup:


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

ACP said:


> Wonderful post Paul. Is there a specific screw you used for yours? I am not a metalworker but know several. What do you think the chances are of using this idea and making a swan necked hollowing tool? Should be much different I wouldn't think.


 
As I said in the post, I bought the screw along with the inserts. Carbide doesn't like uneven pressure, apparently, so it's important to get the right screw. As I also said in the post, it was only 80 cents.

I only would worry on a swan neck that if you are using it on inside underlips where you can't see, the sharp corner would cause catches and uneven cutting, but MAKING a swan neck would be identical to my process, except you need a swan neck rod.

Paul


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

phinds said:


> As I said in the post, I bought the screw along with the inserts.
> 
> As I also said in the post, it was only 80 cents.
> 
> Paul


Sheesh, sorry Paul.  Guess I misread it. It said you bought a screw for .80 not that it came with the tip. If that's what you were saying I read it differently.


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

ACP said:


> Sheesh, sorry Paul.  Guess I misread it. It said you bought a screw for .80 not that it came with the tip. If that's what you were saying I read it differently.


AHA ... I guess *I* was the one not paying attention. I did NOT specifically say it came w/ the insert, thinking that the "plus" implied that, but on rereading I see that it doesn't. Sorry about the confusion.


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## mars (Aug 24, 2010)

rrbrown i have a few square ones if you would like to try one let me know and I will see about getting it to you. If you want to buy some and do not want to order them PMC has them for $1.88 but you have to buy ten.


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## gus (Oct 31, 2010)

i knew i was paying way too much at woodcraft for those cutters. phinds that tool is impressive. i wish i had seen this before spending $120 + $15 for an extra cutter.:blink: my friend has a cnc mill in his garage..


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