bobasaurus Posted February 9, 2017 Posted February 9, 2017 I forged this set of incanal wood carving gouges from 1080 steel. The handles are walnut and copper. Quote
C-1ToolSteel Posted February 10, 2017 Posted February 10, 2017 Nice!!! ....Did you make them with the swage block that I almost bought??? Quote
stockmaker Posted February 10, 2017 Posted February 10, 2017 Thanks for the inspiration. I use In-Channel gouges in my work, mostly Buck Brothers Off Set gouges, I have had a hard time finding decent used 3/8" off set gouges in various sweeps. So looking at your post I just had an ah ha moment.... I'm a blacksmith (sort of), I can make this stuff. I now have something else to add to the list, and 1080 does not scare me ether. Quote
SLAG Posted February 10, 2017 Posted February 10, 2017 Bob, Check out Alexander Weygers book The Complete Modern Blacksmith. It has great instructions on making that kind of tool. He was a professional wood sculptor and made his own tools, especially gouges. What sweep are those gouges? (London Pattern number). SLAG. Quote
bobasaurus Posted February 10, 2017 Author Posted February 10, 2017 41 minutes ago, C-1ToolSteel said: Nice!!! ....Did you make them with the swage block that I almost bought??? You know it. That thing works great: 35 minutes ago, stockmaker said: Thanks for the inspiration. I use In-Channel gouges in my work, mostly Buck Brothers Off Set gouges, I have had a hard time finding decent used 3/8" off set gouges in various sweeps. So looking at your post I just had an ah ha moment.... I'm a blacksmith (sort of), I can make this stuff. I now have something else to add to the list, and 1080 does not scare me ether. They were pretty simple to rough forge thanks to the swage block. Drawing out the tangs was the hardest part. If I cut the tangs instead, I could really crank these things out. 14 minutes ago, SLAG said: Bob, Check out Alexander Weygers book The Complete Modern Blacksmith. It has great instructions on making that kind of tool. He was a professional wood sculptor and made his own tools, especially gouges. What sweep are those gouges? (London Pattern number). SLAG. That's a good reference, thanks. Mystery sweeps, from three different positions on the swage block. I could try to work out their radii, but it would take some math. Quote
SLAG Posted February 10, 2017 Posted February 10, 2017 Bob San, Working out the radii to determine the gouges' sweeps is going about it the hard way. I suggest that you try an easier way. Check the catalogues of several wood tool sellers. (e.g. Lee Valley Tools, Garret-Wade, woodcraft, etc.). They have had pictures, in the past, where you could put down your gouge and compare its sweep to the illustration. Failing that check out the Pfeil, or Henry Taylor , or Beech, or Marples-Record, etc. company websites to uncover similar illustrations. One of those sites should have it. That will same you all kinds of mathematic thinking. Regards, SLAG. P. S. I just checked my latest Woodcraft catalogue. It has a full set of sweep illustrations for their complete line of Pfeil Swiss gouges (5 pages worth). Pfeil may have a more extensive set Quote
JHCC Posted February 10, 2017 Posted February 10, 2017 10 hours ago, bobasaurus said: I could try to work out their radii, but it would take some math. Here's an easier method, if your gouges have a constant radius: put each one edge-down on a piece of soft wood, and swivel to scribe a circle. Measure. Quote
bobasaurus Posted February 10, 2017 Author Posted February 10, 2017 Those are both clever ideas, thanks. Quote
bigfootnampa Posted February 10, 2017 Posted February 10, 2017 I like them! Did you hot fit the tangs? Quote
bobasaurus Posted February 10, 2017 Author Posted February 10, 2017 9 minutes ago, bigfootnampa said: I like them! Did you hot fit the tangs? Thanks. I didn't hot fit them, I drilled out the tang holes a bit wider than necessary then used a lot of glue. Thought about burning the tangs in, but the last time I did that the wood beneath the ferule shrunk and the CA glue burned out, making the ferrule loose. I'll try using a good epoxy next time instead. Quote
bigfootnampa Posted February 10, 2017 Posted February 10, 2017 Epoxy works well but hot fitting is the best way IMO. You need to predrill and use just enough heat to melt into place... charring is disastrous! Think of the resins in the wood as ferrule cement. I usually step drill or use a tapered bit to get close with my predrill. Softer woods can be predrilled to a tighter fit. Harder woods won't compress as much. A low black heat is usually enough. Quote
WoodnMetalGuy Posted February 10, 2017 Posted February 10, 2017 Those look great! What was your procedure for grinding the convex back part of the gouge? They look very symmetric, and I wonder if you had some kind of jig to do that? -- Dave Quote
bobasaurus Posted February 10, 2017 Author Posted February 10, 2017 1 minute ago, WoodnMetalGuy said: Those look great! What was your procedure for grinding the convex back part of the gouge? They look very symmetric, and I wonder if you had some kind of jig to do that? -- Dave Thanks. No jig, I just used a flat stationary 6x48 belt sander and pivoted the gouges while grinding. As a finishing step, I briefly used the slack of the belt to polish things up. Quote
WoodnMetalGuy Posted February 10, 2017 Posted February 10, 2017 You're too good! Looks mass-manufactured on that side. Good thing you left the interior rough so we know they're hand-made! -- Dave Quote
Jbradshaw Posted February 14, 2017 Posted February 14, 2017 These look great. What was your starting stock size? Quote
bobasaurus Posted February 15, 2017 Author Posted February 15, 2017 18 minutes ago, Jbradshaw said: These look great. What was your starting stock size? Thanks, I started with 1 1/4" wide 1/8" (or maybe 3/16"... can't remember) thick 1080 stock from Kelly Cupples. Quote
Jbradshaw Posted February 15, 2017 Posted February 15, 2017 I have some 1/8"x 1.5" 1080 (also 1/8x2" O1). I think I'll try this this weekend. I'll have to get creative for the sweep though since I don't have a swage. Maybe use a stump? Quote
bobasaurus Posted February 15, 2017 Author Posted February 15, 2017 4 minutes ago, Jbradshaw said: I have some 1/8"x 1.5" 1080 (also 1/8x2" O1). I think I'll try this this weekend. I'll have to get creative for the sweep though since I don't have a swage. Maybe use a stump? If you have some round bar stock, you could use that to shape the concave/inside flute while hammering around the convex outside. Maybe even a tin can filled with plaster would work okay for a round fuller? Quote
Daswulf Posted February 15, 2017 Posted February 15, 2017 If you have a welder I would think you could cut a piece of pipe the size you want the sweep to be and cut a section in half and weld it to other stock on the sides and to a base to use as a swage shape. Quote
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted February 15, 2017 Posted February 15, 2017 Be careful with O1, thin sections will air harden. Quote
bobasaurus Posted February 15, 2017 Author Posted February 15, 2017 2 minutes ago, BIGGUNDOCTOR said: Be careful with O1, thin sections will air harden. Yeah, it can crack easy if worked too cold. I've made a couple knives from it without trouble before, being careful about the heat. Quote
Jbradshaw Posted February 15, 2017 Posted February 15, 2017 15 minutes ago, bobasaurus said: If you have some round bar stock, you could use that to shape the concave/inside flute while hammering around the convex outside. Maybe even a tin can filled with plaster would work okay for a round fuller? 10 minutes ago, Daswulf said: If you have a welder I would think you could cut a piece of pipe the size you want the sweep to be and cut a section in half and weld it to other stock on the sides and to a base to use as a swage shape. I don't have any large round stock (largest is I think 5/8"). I do have a welder and pipe is fairly cheap and easy to come by. I already have some 3/4" (that is destined to become a new burner) and some 1" pipe that is just scrap I grabbed out of the recycling bin at work. I think the outside of the 1" pipe would be appropriately sized for 1.5" stock. Quote
bobasaurus Posted February 15, 2017 Author Posted February 15, 2017 I really wish I had a good way of forging shoulders that the handles could sit on, instead of the tang going right into the gouge body. I might try to make some dies that would work with this, or some kind of guillotine / spring fuller tool. Quote
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