I'm a beginner. Finally got around to grinding the 55 deg bevel swept back bowl gouge. What a difference. Best day of turning so far. Nice long shavings. Worked well gouging out the inside of a deep bowl. Thanks for the video.
Kent's grind is essentially an Ellsworth grind, except that the classic Ellsworth bevel angle is 60 degree. There is not going to be a lot of difference in how a 55-degree bevel cuts when compared to a 60-degree bevel. It is my favorite bowl gouge grind, by far. It is very versatile, and it cuts fast. Furthermore, it is also great for the inside bottoms of bowls, even bowls with flat or nearly flat bottoms. It is also a great tool for truing up the bottoms of bowl blanks. The swept back wings are much better at truing blanks, scraping, or shear scraping than my 50-degree, fingernail grind gouges are. I still use my fingernail grind gouges for finishing cuts, mostly on the inside of bowls, boxes, etc. I have always liked Kent's videos.
Thanks Kent for the review -- you were on my short list of turners I used for online instruction when I started turning, and I used your sharpening course to profile my first bowl gouge. My partner and I watch your videos together, and have a pretend drinking game when you say "55 degree swept back bowl gouge" and "I have a video...". Couldn't afford the calories to drink that much for real 🙂
Thank you very much for turning me onto the 55 Deg sweptback angle, it really has made a difference to my turning, wood turning is one of those hobbies that you can fall in and out of love with dependant on the failures your having at the time, and your video on supported and unsupported fibres explains why I have needed to sand so much in some situations, I would recommend all to watch it, keep up the good work your patience is what we need, thank you again.
Quick...count how many times he says '55 degree bevel swept back bowl gouge'! I personally have learned a ton from this series and website. I almost feel like I have had a personal instructor watching these videos. Great stuff!!
Transiting from carbide. Brand new 1/2’’ bowl gauge. Never been sharpened. Just used it first time today, not very well I must admit and now it’s dull. As soon as I get the grinder and pro sharp set up I’ll try the 55/swept back grind. Fingers crossed.
Rand, check out my courses, both Tool Sharpening (and shaping) and Bowl Gouge Mastery will have you up and running super fast. www.TurnAWoodBowl.com/shop All the best to you and Happy Turning!
I bought a Carter and Son 1/2" (shaft size) bowl gouge a few years ago. It came with a 52-ish grind. I call it my "open road" bowl gouge. After I've rounded a bowl and determined the shape I want (usually with a heavier gouge), that Carter and Son is a true pleasure to use. I'll have to take a look at those extended wings. Thanks for sharing!
I have all my gouges set at this profile now. I was using a 60 degree profile before, when I started watching your videos. After listening to how confident you were about the 55 degree profile, I said I'll try it on one of my gouges. Now I'm all in. If we stay flexible, we will only improve our skill set. Happy Turning.
Kent Thanks for yet another very informative video. I got into turning a little over a year ago after retiring and have used your extensive catalog of videos to show me the best methods. First thing I did was to take my 1/2" and 5/8" bowl gouges and re-ground them to the 55-degree swept-back profile. I hardly use anything else doing raw wood bowls as well as segmented bowls. Thanks again.
Kent… your good! Fabulous and captivating explanation. I subscribed your your courses last year and then dropped turning off due to life getting in the way… I’m back on the lathe, quite a few huge catches in and loving it. I’m going to re engage in your fabulous courses…👏👏👏
Another excellent video, Ken. Having seen a video of yours some time ago, I set up my sharpening station so all my gouges sharpen to match this, which allows me to sharpen in seconds which, because it is easy and quick, makes me more inclined to keep them sharp. (I use the vari-grind with a block to set the distance of the holder back on the flute consistently.) Good stuff, thanks again.
Thank you for that thorough explanation on the 55' degree swept back bowl gouge grind. I started turning a little less than a year ago . I have been using a pro-grind jig for my sharpening. It is a lot like the Wolverine/ Veri Grind sharpening system. Just checked my gouges both gouges are 60 degrees and only about 66% of being 2 times the width on the wings. I do get a nasty catch here and there. Maybe it is my inexperience LOL, or maybe my angles. I am going to put some thought into how I can modify my sharpening system to get 55 degrees and longer wings. I would like to give that angle a try. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.
Kent, On your 55 degree gouge video you show a diagram where the side bevel length is twice the width of the diameter. Do you care what the top angle is… like on the 40-40 grind… which is 40 on bottom and 40 on the top. Would your grind be 55-55 ? Rick in Santa Rosa - Calif
Thank you for your wonderful videos. Can you clarify that when you reference your 1/2 bowl gouge in your videos, that you are referencing the shaft diameter and not the flute width. I'm about to purchase my first bowl gouge and want to get it right. Thanks. Keep making videos, I'm hooked.😊
Hey Kent, I am looking at getting a 6" CBN wheel, I have a Tormek but want something that is better at reshaping profiles. Do you recommend a slow speed grinder for the CBN wheel? My current grinder is very high speed. Thanks
I would use the 8" wheels. The 6" diameter makes concave curves in the tool bevel. And yes, slow speed and CBN. See my Tool Sharpening course. We cover it all and then some. Happy Turning!
Just for info, that long swept back grind was first known as the Irish grind and was introduced to Davi Elsworth by Liam O'Neill when David visited him at his home in Galway Ireland. David developed the jig which made it easier to grind it repeatedly. Good video, thanks Kent
When you turn a bowl, is it better to have the pith near the bottom of the bowl, or near the top/rim. I'm sure there's some room for creativity in the choice, but from the standpoint of structure and ease of turning, how do they differ. My first impression is that if the wood moisture isn't completely equalized, going pith down could cause more distortion as it equalizes.
Thanks Kent. I have some gouges that I need to reshape. I am going to try your design. Do you use the rough or smooth wheel to establish the shape before actually sharpening the edge? Still would love to visit your shop and watch you work - I'm only about 25 miles north of you
Jack, Good question. The bevel of all bowl gouges is flat. Only flat-surfaced tools like the round nose scrape, etc. can also have a downward top angle. It would be pretty hard to shape the inside of the flute of a bowl gouge. Happy Turning! Kent
@@TurnAWoodBowl thanks for the response. I’m trying to figure out how to do this on a Robert Sorby ProEdge and for long grinds you typically start with a flat grind on the top at a pretty shallow angle. I’m just trying to figure out the angle. I’ll figure it out.
@@TurnAWoodBowl thanks for the quick response. The reason I asked is because I use a Robert Sorby ProEdge to sharpen my tools and I need to grind an angle on the top edge first. I’ll do some geometry and find a good angle to start with, unless your E-Course on sharpening covers the ProEdge. Then I would engage that.
I don't have a sharpening wheel/station and can't really afford one. I have an old used lathe, hand-me-down spindle tools, and a bowl gouge I got for Father's Day a couple of years ago. I sharpen my tools on a disk sander. How hard do you think it would be for me to shape my bowl gouge like this on the disk sander?
Thomas, Good question. To be honest, unless you are very skilled with shaping items at the sander, sharpening a bowl gouge this way would be very hard. Not impossible, but difficult. The benefits of the jig system will be well worth it. Happy Turning! Kent
Kent, you’ve answered a question that’s been a puzzler for me a long time and that is about how one manages to shape a tool that way - so, thank you very much! I use the Wolverine sharpening system and ‘dropping the handle’ to get the side bevel that long on my fingernail shaped gouges is not an option. I don’t have the confidence or skill to sharpen freehand. Any suggestions?
Good question. Are you using the Wolverine 2 system? Because I use the wolverine for all my shaping and sharpening. Have you seen my Tool Sharpening (and Shaping) course? We go over all the details there. All the best to you and Happy Turning!
I found the answer by accident. I needed to adjust the angle of the leg on the jig. I’d been adjusting the system to line up with the grind on my tools as they came from the manufacturer. Now that I’m reshaping the tools I’ve changed the whole setup. Much better. I’m really liking the new profile. It’s as good as you said it would be.😊
Just for info, that long swept back grind was first known as the Irish grind and was introduced to Davi Elsworth by Liam O'Neill when David visited him at his home in Galway Ireland. David developed the jig which made it easier to grind it repeatedly. Good video, thanks Kent.
I use this profile on every turning. A while back I bought a 1/4 inch bowl gouge shaped it to 55 swept back and love it for very small turnings and fine detail work. Those who have small lathes and do small projects may want to invest in the diminutve 1/4 inch gouge. Thanks for the video.
I love Kent's enthusiasm. For whatever reason I end up with a smile every time i watch his videos.
Ahh, Thank you! ;)
I'm a beginner. Finally got around to grinding the 55 deg bevel swept back bowl gouge. What a difference. Best day of turning so far. Nice long shavings. Worked well gouging out the inside of a deep bowl. Thanks for the video.
Fantastic, Bill! I'm so glad you're liking that profile. Happy Turning! ;)
Finally a decent explanation of the difference between a pull cut and a scrape! Thanks!
I've been using this profile since I took your sharpening course. It's been a game changer and excelerated my success in turning. Thanks Kent.
Kent's grind is essentially an Ellsworth grind, except that the classic Ellsworth bevel angle is 60 degree. There is not going to be a lot of difference in how a 55-degree bevel cuts when compared to a 60-degree bevel. It is my favorite bowl gouge grind, by far. It is very versatile, and it cuts fast. Furthermore, it is also great for the inside bottoms of bowls, even bowls with flat or nearly flat bottoms. It is also a great tool for truing up the bottoms of bowl blanks. The swept back wings are much better at truing blanks, scraping, or shear scraping than my 50-degree, fingernail grind gouges are. I still use my fingernail grind gouges for finishing cuts, mostly on the inside of bowls, boxes, etc. I have always liked Kent's videos.
The best thing I have done is use this grind.Thank you.😊
Wonderful, Mike! I'm glad you like. All the best to you and Happy Turning!
Thanks Kent for the review -- you were on my short list of turners I used for online instruction when I started turning, and I used your sharpening course to profile my first bowl gouge. My partner and I watch your videos together, and have a pretend drinking game when you say "55 degree swept back bowl gouge" and "I have a video...". Couldn't afford the calories to drink that much for real 🙂
The Double Nickle Swept Back Grind - Woot Woot! Great Video Kent!
Thank you very much for turning me onto the 55 Deg sweptback angle, it really has made a difference to my turning, wood turning is one of those hobbies that you can fall in and out of love with dependant on the failures your having at the time, and your video on supported and unsupported fibres explains why I have needed to sand so much in some situations, I would recommend all to watch it, keep up the good work your patience is what we need, thank you again.
Thank you kindly, Doug! I'm so happy this helped! And yes, it's much better turning than not. All the best to you and Happy Turning!
Nice video! I would like to see how you sharpen your tools. I like your presentation and I want to see your take.. Thanks!
Quick...count how many times he says '55 degree bevel swept back bowl gouge'!
I personally have learned a ton from this series and website. I almost feel like I have had a personal instructor watching these videos. Great stuff!!
Transiting from carbide. Brand new 1/2’’ bowl gauge. Never been sharpened. Just used it first time today, not very well I must admit and now it’s dull. As soon as I get the grinder and pro sharp set up I’ll try the 55/swept back grind. Fingers crossed.
Rand, check out my courses, both Tool Sharpening (and shaping) and Bowl Gouge Mastery will have you up and running super fast. www.TurnAWoodBowl.com/shop All the best to you and Happy Turning!
I bought a Carter and Son 1/2" (shaft size) bowl gouge a few years ago. It came with a 52-ish grind. I call it my "open road" bowl gouge. After I've rounded a bowl and determined the shape I want (usually with a heavier gouge), that Carter and Son is a true pleasure to use. I'll have to take a look at those extended wings. Thanks for sharing!
Michael, Yes Carter and Son makes very nice tools! Enjoy!
Glad you noticed that the black crown gouges have by far the best flute profile for the 55 deg long grind 👌🏽
My number one tool, thanks to the sharpening class you have.
I have all my gouges set at this profile now. I was using a 60 degree profile before, when I started watching your videos. After listening to how confident you were about the 55 degree profile, I said I'll try it on one of my gouges. Now I'm all in. If we stay flexible, we
will only improve our skill set. Happy Turning.
Kent
Thanks for yet another very informative video. I got into turning a little over a year ago after retiring and have used your extensive catalog of videos to show me the best methods. First thing I did was to take my 1/2" and 5/8" bowl gouges and re-ground them to the 55-degree swept-back profile. I hardly use anything else doing raw wood bowls as well as segmented bowls. Thanks again.
Just got my new bowl gouge and my new sharpening system. Can’t wait to change it to this grind. Doing it tonight actually!!
Thank you for yet another great lesson!
Great information Kent.
Yes. That’s my go to tool.
Kent… your good! Fabulous and captivating explanation. I subscribed your your courses last year and then dropped turning off due to life getting in the way… I’m back on the lathe, quite a few huge catches in and loving it. I’m going to re engage in your fabulous courses…👏👏👏
Another excellent video, Ken. Having seen a video of yours some time ago, I set up my sharpening station so all my gouges sharpen to match this, which allows me to sharpen in seconds which, because it is easy and quick, makes me more inclined to keep them sharp. (I use the vari-grind with a block to set the distance of the holder back on the flute consistently.) Good stuff, thanks again.
19:34 I have not tried this 55° angle. Bevel suck back yep, but I sure i'm going to, and I'll let you know in a few days 19:41
Roger that! I hope you enjoy the profile. Happy Turning!
Thank you for that thorough explanation on the 55' degree swept back bowl gouge grind. I started turning a little less than a year ago . I have been using a pro-grind jig for my sharpening. It is a lot like the Wolverine/ Veri Grind sharpening system. Just checked my gouges both gouges are 60 degrees and only about 66% of being 2 times the width on the wings. I do get a nasty catch here and there. Maybe it is my inexperience LOL, or maybe my angles. I am going to put some thought into how I can modify my sharpening system to get 55 degrees and longer wings. I would like to give that angle a try. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.
Kent,
On your 55 degree gouge video you show a diagram where the side bevel length is twice the width of the diameter. Do you care what the top angle is… like on the 40-40 grind… which is 40 on bottom and 40 on the top. Would your grind be 55-55 ?
Rick in Santa Rosa - Calif
Otherwise known as the Ellsworth grind which he developed in the 1970's. Credit where credit's due.
This must be the video you talked about at the florida woodturning symposium. 😉
Thanks for this video! Kent, what angle do you recommend for the Spindle Gouge?
Thank you for your wonderful videos. Can you clarify that when you reference your 1/2 bowl gouge in your videos, that you are referencing the shaft diameter and not the flute width. I'm about to purchase my first bowl gouge and want to get it right. Thanks. Keep making videos, I'm hooked.😊
Hey Kent, I am looking at getting a 6" CBN wheel, I have a Tormek but want something that is better at reshaping profiles. Do you recommend a slow speed grinder for the CBN wheel? My current grinder is very high speed. Thanks
I would use the 8" wheels. The 6" diameter makes concave curves in the tool bevel. And yes, slow speed and CBN. See my Tool Sharpening course. We cover it all and then some. Happy Turning!
Just for info, that long swept back grind was first known as the Irish grind and was introduced to Davi Elsworth by Liam O'Neill when David visited him at his home in Galway Ireland. David developed the jig which made it easier to grind it repeatedly. Good video, thanks Kent
How do you set the fixture to get the fifty five degree angle when it is labeled a,b,c etc.?
Your presentations are extremely informative and helpful, and I’m always excited to put the knowledge into practice. Thank you, Kent!
Is this possible on a Tormek T8 or would I need to use a grinder?
Just ground the 55 degree swept back profile on my 1/2 ‘’ bowl gauge. I need more practice and I do like the scraping cuts I’m getting.\
When you turn a bowl, is it better to have the pith near the bottom of the bowl, or near the top/rim. I'm sure there's some room for creativity in the choice, but from the standpoint of structure and ease of turning, how do they differ. My first impression is that if the wood moisture isn't completely equalized, going pith down could cause more distortion as it equalizes.
Good question. Do you have a video on this sort of thing? I’m never sure I’ve got the right side up so to speak.
Thanks Kent. I have some gouges that I need to reshape. I am going to try your design. Do you use the rough or smooth wheel to establish the shape before actually sharpening the edge?
Still would love to visit your shop and watch you work - I'm only about 25 miles north of you
Good question. I use the rougher 80 grit wheel for shaping and the 180 for sharpening. All the best to you and Happy Turning! Kent
great xxxxxxxxxxxxx
On the 55 swept back, is the edge of the swept back a positive,negative or straight profile?
Love your videos!
Jack,
Good question. The bevel of all bowl gouges is flat. Only flat-surfaced tools like the round nose scrape, etc. can also have a downward top angle. It would be pretty hard to shape the inside of the flute of a bowl gouge.
Happy Turning!
Kent
Kent grind!
Great information. Looks like your wings are flat not slightly convex. Is that correct?
Victor,
Yes, either way is ok, just not concave.
Happy Turning!
Kent
What is the angle of the flat grind on top relative to shaft top? 15°, 20°, 25° etc.
Chuck, good question. It is not a fixed degree. I grind it by eye making the wings about 1-1/2 the length of the gouge width. Happy Turning!
@@TurnAWoodBowl thanks for the response. I’m trying to figure out how to do this on a Robert Sorby ProEdge and for long grinds you typically start with a flat grind on the top at a pretty shallow angle.
I’m just trying to figure out the angle. I’ll figure it out.
@@TurnAWoodBowl thanks for the quick response. The reason I asked is because I use a Robert Sorby ProEdge to sharpen my tools and I need to grind an angle on the top edge first. I’ll do some geometry and find a good angle to start with, unless your E-Course on sharpening covers the ProEdge. Then I would engage that.
Where can I buy this particular Gouge?
Kent, do you prefer the parabolic flute or do you use something else?
Parabolic is the way to go! Happy Turning!
I don't have a sharpening wheel/station and can't really afford one. I have an old used lathe, hand-me-down spindle tools, and a bowl gouge I got for Father's Day a couple of years ago. I sharpen my tools on a disk sander. How hard do you think it would be for me to shape my bowl gouge like this on the disk sander?
Thomas,
Good question. To be honest, unless you are very skilled with shaping items at the sander, sharpening a bowl gouge this way would be very hard. Not impossible, but difficult. The benefits of the jig system will be well worth it. Happy Turning! Kent
Best tool in my turning shop.
Kent, you’ve answered a question that’s been a puzzler for me a long time and that is about how one manages to shape a tool that way - so, thank you very much!
I use the Wolverine sharpening system and ‘dropping the handle’ to get the side bevel that long on my fingernail shaped gouges is not an option. I don’t have the confidence or skill to sharpen freehand. Any suggestions?
Good question. Are you using the Wolverine 2 system? Because I use the wolverine for all my shaping and sharpening. Have you seen my Tool Sharpening (and Shaping) course? We go over all the details there. All the best to you and Happy Turning!
I found the answer by accident. I needed to adjust the angle of the leg on the jig. I’d been adjusting the system to line up with the grind on my tools as they came from the manufacturer. Now that I’m reshaping the tools I’ve changed the whole setup. Much better. I’m really liking the new profile. It’s as good as you said it would be.😊
Do you strop your tools after grinding?
I do not. No need. They will be dull and needing sharpening in a few minutes with ort without stropping.
All the best to you and Happy Turning!
Kent
@@TurnAWoodBowl Thank you. And what grit is the wheel you use to touch up the tool?
Just for info, that long swept back grind was first known as the Irish grind and was introduced to Davi Elsworth by Liam O'Neill when David visited him at his home in Galway Ireland. David developed the jig which made it easier to grind it repeatedly. Good video, thanks Kent.
Can you buy them with a 55°.
Not usually, but you can easily make your own. Check this out www.TurnAWoodBowl.com/sharp All the best to you and Happy Turning!
You could make a drinking game out of watching your videos and drinking on “55 degree swept back bowl gouge” =p
LOL My brothers have mentioned this. ;)
@@TurnAWoodBowl 😂😂😂
bevel angle consistency has a lot t do with muscle memory also
I use this profile on every turning. A while back I bought a 1/4 inch bowl gouge shaped it to 55 swept back and love it for very small turnings and fine detail work. Those who have small lathes and do small projects may want to invest in the diminutve 1/4 inch gouge. Thanks for the video.