Carving tool advice?

[Chris152]

I want to try putting a texture on the inside or outside of a few bowls like this:

Is this the kind of tool I need for the inside -
https://www.axminster.co.uk/hand-tools/ ... ing-gouges
and a straight one for the outside? If so, can decent ones be had for cheaper? Any links to a guide on how to?
Thanks, C

 

[Chris Knight]

It depends on the curvature and depth of the inside. You might need a spoon gouge like this for smaller radii.
https://www.toolsandtimber.co.uk/pfeil- ... ouped-2009

Incidentally, Pfeil carving tools are excellent quality in my experience.

Whatever you buy you will eventually need to sharpen it and this is a different ball game from straight chisels and plane irons. What they have in common is that they need to be razor sharp or your carving experience will be miserable. I suggest you look at this video.

https://www.marymaycarving.com/carvings ... roduction/

 

[Dalboy]

As Chris above said a spoon gouge is ideal for inside the bowl whereas a normal straight gouge is ideal for the outside and rim. When I say straight gouge that is the shaft is straight but the working end can be from a flat to quite a heavy sweep (curve of the tip across the chisel) .
To give an idea of the sweeps of chisels look at THIS.
Sharpening is unlike turning tools as the only time you ever put a carving chisel to a grinder is if it is in desperate need of sorting out. They need to be stored so the cutting edges never contact any other metal object. Through normal use, a strop will bring back an edge and at most a diamond stone is used.

 

[Chris152]

Many thanks for the reply, Chris. Yes, I can see that the one I linked to might well struggle to get around the inside bottom curve of a remotely deep bowl, and having trawled the net the one you linked to looks a decent price. That's my Christmas present to me sorted! Cheers.

 

[Chris152]

To give an idea of the sweeps of chisels look at THIS.

Great link, thanks Derek - though, as with all these things, you don't really know how they're going to work til you try them out! I know someone with a set of block cutters (I think that's what they are), so I'll ask to have a quick play and see what shapes they make.

 

[SVB]

Other powered options are a Rotary Chisel (but only available from US oem), fine grit saburr or I’ve just bought the orbicut and am having fun experimenting with that.

Saburr

rotary chisel

Orbicut

Simon