Yes, I think I do.
but how hard can it be? It’s just a cut with a curved chisel. Not exactly Michelangelo. Here’s an original one from a Wooding plane.
Bevel angle for gouge
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but how hard can it be? It’s just a cut with a curved chisel. Not exactly Michelangelo. Here’s an original one from a Wooding plane.
Use a smaller chisel which will leave facets that can then be taken out with a shaped scraper or a fine rasp or combo of the two. Easier to control and you won't ruin the cut with one, bad pass.
If you want to make the cut perfectly and with one movement of the correctly sized and selected chisel then the only answer is "practice."
If you want to make the cut perfectly and with one movement of the correctly sized and selected chisel then the only answer is "practice."
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For what it’s worth, I have worked it out. It is dead easy. It’s simply about how the work is held and the direction the cut is made.
Yes it is practice , but there’s no point in practicing doing something wrong, which is what I was doing.
Yes it is practice , but there’s no point in practicing doing something wrong, which is what I was doing.
Adam W.
A Major Clanger
Go on then, tell us what you have found out.
You can't just go cryptic all of a sudden.
You can't just go cryptic all of a sudden.
johnnyb
Established Member
My rather strange advice is not to become obsessed with tiny stuff. I know its a chaps nature and all that but if you can reduce the intensity and maybe not concentrate on it for a month . When you come back you will have assimilated what you've learned and I'm sure it will be clear how to proceed. Hope this helps.
Ahhh it’s a secret!
But seriously, for the longer sweeping cuts for big planes, if you hold the plane in the vice as shown in the pic, and start the cut at the bottom (right at the bottom of the chamfer), and slice along the edge to the corner, if suddenly works. it can be done in several passes. It looks like it shouldn‘t be possible to approach the cut from that direction, it in fact because of the cove on the plane shoulder it is very possible.
i had tried it from every direction except that one.
I saw the chap I am trying to plagiarise (Matt Bickford) doing gouge cuts on his instagram stream and I realised he does it all in one go - cuts the chamfer and cuts the gouge cut immediately without taking the plane out of the vice.
Blind side gouge cut.
Funnily enough, after I’d posted that I found another video of his on instagram doing some stubbier cuts on smaller planes. It is as I thought, but in several passes. The way he blends them is amazing, he is clearly superhuman. See next vid.
Gouge cuts
I hate the fact that by being totally anal and persistent you get there in the end. Ive been obsessing over this for weeks.
Just watched those videos and agree Matt is clearly a very skilled guy, and you too seem to have learnt lots by watching him and trying different techniques along the way -Kudos!!
The problem with him is his planes are so precise and skilfully made, normal people with less experience and resources trying to make them will never be truly happy with theirs
I obviously learnt how to basically do it from Larry Williams‘ video (as did Matt) but you find yourself drawing on as many resources as you can find. The best two are the plane making booklet by WJ Armour (c. 1900) and the amazing video of Norman Bayliss in 1961, many of whose production tricks I’m now trying to emulate to speed things up.
BTW I wonder what chisel Matt is using, mine are very weedy in comparison.
Yes that chisel does look quite a substantial beast and as one would expect mirror sharp.
I am not in either his nor your league but do use hand tools quite often and have my own routine for sharpening straight bladed tools - as on those videos a fine edge does just make using them so much easier and as one does I have a quick routine I use to keep them that way - I don't use many gouges or rounds so haven't developed a technique for them but for straights it works well for me and is super quick to get them to this -
I am not in either his nor your league but do use hand tools quite often and have my own routine for sharpening straight bladed tools - as on those videos a fine edge does just make using them so much easier and as one does I have a quick routine I use to keep them that way - I don't use many gouges or rounds so haven't developed a technique for them but for straights it works well for me and is super quick to get them to this -
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