Hello Arch,
Well, you can count me in the habitual sharpening crowd... I don't care if
its a $50.00 bowl bowl gouge, or a $200.00 one - I sharpen it when I get the
first indication that the edge is going... It could have been sharpened a
few seconds earlier, it really does not matter to me.
In the early days of my studio, I turned long past the point where I should
have re-sharpened the tool (in retrospect). Although I may have saved a bit
of steel (I was born in the year of the rat), I paid for it with sore arms
and sore hands at the end of the day. Sometimes, after along day of
production turning, my arm would be almost numb and I seriously considered
leaving the turning profession altogether.
Thankfully, I saw the light very quickly and I decided to become a habitual
sharpener. I can now turn for 16 -18 hours without getting sore. No sore
arms, no white finger or carpal tunnel and a significant decrease in sanding
time not to mention the savings in abrasives. :-) Maybe age does bring
wisdom!!! :-)
As for how long a gouge will last before it's used up, I can give you an
example from my studio. The last bowl gouge I wore out (ground all the way
up the flute) was 1/2" Henry Taylor (M2 HSS) deep fluted gouge. When it
received its last sharpening and I retired it, I had turned 7,345 bowls with
it over a four year period of time. That's a lot of wood and a lot of bowls.
Bear in mind that I also used other tools on the bowls, but the bulk of the
turning (roughing, hogging the exterior and interior, primary cuts and some
intermediate cuts) were done with the 1/2" gouge. I've worn out a few gouges
in the 11+ years of my studio, but I've turned more than 12,400 bowls, not
to mention all of the platters, hollow forms, small items and all of the
other things.
Any way you look at it, a good gouge will last the typical woodturner many
years, even if they sharpen it by what some would consider - excessively.
For someone like me, four years may be the life expectancy of a bowl gouge,
but that's a pretty good ROI for a $65.00 gouge! Thanks for your posting and
best wishes to you in all of your woodturning endeavours! Take care.
--
Better Woodturning and Finishing Through Chemistry...
Steven D. Russell
Eurowood Werks Woodturning Studio, The Woodlands, Texas
Machinery, Tool and Product Testing for the Woodworking and Woodturning
Industries
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On 2/14/07 12:01 PM, in article
, "Arch"
wrote:
One turner's reason for buying a pricy XYZ turning tool is often
another turner's reason not to buy it. This isn't necessarily a
contradiction. Some folks are sorry that there's not a gouge more
expensive than a XYZ so they can buy it. Others think the XYZ is way
over priced. Some folks are willing to pay a premium for eponymous
factory grinds on otherwise run of the mill gouges. Other folks figure
to grind their own version on a noname gouge. 
There are many good reasons for buying a quality turning tool. Utility,
design, heat resistance, comfort in use, pretty handles and pride of
ownership come to mind, but I wonder a little about one of the most
hallowed reasons. I mean edge retention.
I know it must be an important reason because so many good writers say
so. I can understand that aggressive and/or too frequent sharpening
_could shorten a tool's life. True, but the many good turners I know are
competent sharpeners and they sharpen any gouge frequently while it's in
use regardless of how long it's said to hold its edge. That's every
gouge, whether it's hi carbon, hss, frozen, powdered or manicured steel
or cost ten bucks or two hundred.
How do we know when we need to resharpen a tool's edge? The only way I
know to assure that _any gouge in use is as sharp as it can be or ought
to be is to touch it up and see. Of course, there may be other ways that
I don't know about, but most good turners appear to sharpen their tools
often. Maybe it's worthwhile to find out that their powdered steel gouge
didn't really need to be resharpened yet.
And another thing. How many years does it take Ms. Average Turner to
wear down her frequently sharpened gouge to a useless length? Let's say
the gouge actually touches spinning wood for 3 hours a day for a 5 day
week for 40 weeks a year. Seems to me it would take many years to wear
down an 8 in. flute. No?
Just having fun musing with tongue in cheek and I know I'm wrong. Some
kind turner better set me straight so I don't keep anyone from buying an
XYZ.
Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter
http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings