Hey Guys.... something new to discuss...

I don't know anything about gouges. The different names or shapes I can understand, but how does the numbering system work?... There seems like so many different sizes...

Do you buy them in sets or individually?.... If there is 5 widths of #3, and 5 widths of #5 and so on... how do you know what to get?

Tommy, with your fretwork.... you just happened to have a gouge that matched the curve you were carving? If you didn't have one, would you buy one?

It just seems like there is a million choices, how would you go about starting a collection of carving tools? Maybe T-Mac can show us the ones he has in a ATM vid.... or maybe Eli can suggest a starter set for stuff he might tackle at school?

thanks, Dave

Dave,
That is a really good question, I am in the same boat as you, I want to get some to start playing around doing some cavings in my woodwork but dont know what tools to start with first. Also what makes a good gouge, and do we need really good ones to start off or is there a brand that is a good quality at a great price.

Justin

Justin

hey guys....yo justin...welcome to the forum....i guess the tool depends on the job....i dont recommend buying a bunch of expensive tools without a deliberate task....with that being said.......i bought swiss made ...only because it was the thing going around school at the time and we couldn't find any better...if i was going to do it all over again i think i would buy henry taylors....i know they come all beat up.. but since i learned how to sharpen i am no longer afraid of tuning them up....HTs come in standard sizes ...swiss come metric...and since i like period stuff i would go for the HTs.....i think you should decide wether you want to carve a panel or a fan maybe a shell.....but you might want to try your hand at some bellflowers or some line and berry stuff....so after you decide ...buy ONLY what you need....i know it looks like i have allot of carving tools and they look cool and stuff but i bought them as i needed...and to be honest...i hardly reach for them....for me carving is wicked hard...i think it would be great to be able to commit myself into that field of woodworking but i dont have the time...you know carving is something that takes a lifetime to get....but it fun to mess around too!!!!....nothing like a frustrating piece of uncooperative grainy wood to make my day!!!! i have a really cool video coming up that is all about carving the prospect door....and i think i can do a little demo on bellflowers ..now the beast is out of my site....

Tommy,
Thanks for the replay, I guess it like anything, baby steps and before you know it your running.

The desk looks amazing. Keep up the great work

Justin

Justin

Hey Dave and Justin.....

just to follow-up T-Mac, he struck a nerve when he mentioned carving a shell and what tools.......you could pick-up a DVD, I remember a guy I had on tape who did a ball and claw and I remember he actually mentioned the specific carving tools he used. And like Chizz mentioned I remember just supplimenting what I needed. Just recently I was looking at fishtails in a catalog http://www.woodcarverssupply.com thinking I could use one to aid in fitting an arcing groove. On the same page of the catalog is a DVD on a Newport shell like T-Mac mentions, I bet it will specifically say what type and number tool is being used. That would get you specific to the shell Chizz mention.

Again like Chizz says.....the fishtail I'm looking at is a bit pricey, not sure how often I'll need it, my carving tools are packed away haven't used in many years....it's a really cool "specialty".

Hi Dave

this weekend a friend gave me a
book on carving; there is a table comparing the pfeil and henry taylor
numbering systems, I'll try to scan
it and post this afternoon.
(could not find an on-line equivalent)

as the book got me interested in
learning carving, I was checking pfeil's website,

http://www.pfeiltools.ch/cgi-bin/flexi060614?WEB=H4OgRdRHb0kAAElLErEAAADu&Q=&S=3:1:14::0:7:::1::&P=&MT=main2

when you click on "Technical information about this product" you'll have a pop-up
window with some info, there you can find a "More info" link;
with both you can get all info. (not the best on user-friendliness :p)

HT has a colour brochure
http://www.henrytaylortools.co.uk/downloads/htt_brochure.pdf

cheers,

-Ronaldo

You can have many different widths for each sweep.

In the figure:
Columns for HT tools
A - straight
B - bent
C - spoon
D - back bent
E - long pod (as I am translating from French, I am not sure about this one)

Pfeil (add a letter to obtain the code)
bent - L
spoon - a
fishtail - F
the line with ** is for back bent gouges

I was checking each manufacturer site, it is really confusing all the different naming/numberings!!
(Flexcut also has its own)

I've also found this article: "Tools for Carving - Getting started doesn’t need to be confusing or cost a fortune" by Ian Agrell, FWW February 1997.

quote: "Here is a list of 22 carving tools to obtain, in order of priority.
Don't worry if you can't get the same size and section
(profile); something close will do. The curve of the sections
vary slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer."

First
8mm V-parting tool
13mm No. 9
20mm No. 5

Second
4mm No. 11 veiner
18mm No. 11 veiner
25mm No. 5
25mm No. 8

Third
5mm No. 5
12mm No. 3 fishtail
13mm No. 8
16mm No. 1
16mm No. 8 spoon

Fourth 7mm No. 9, 10mm No. 9 spoon, 12mm No. 5, 16mm No. 3, 25mm No. 11
Fifth 8mm No. 5, 20mm V-parting tool, 25mm No. 1, 30mm No. 3, 35mm No. 5

hope this helps

-Ronaldo

Dude! Of course that helps!.... that might be the most in depth, information loaded post to date!..... I'd almost say you went a little overboard... but I really appreciate it.... it helps clear things up

Thanks a bunch Ronaldo, Tommy and Neil

Dave

thats cool....

Hey Dave

I was a bit sick this weekend
so no chop chop, cut cut or turn turn
but read read and type type, so it was
just a matter of putting the info together.

And I like to be informed before opening the wallet...
ok ok I can be cheap sometimes ;)

-Ronaldo