sam wrote:
For some reason, my 1/2 inch spindle gouge is often
catching and pulling in the opposite direction I'm going,
only when I'm making a cove, tearing out quite a bit
of wood. This also happens less often with my 3/4 inch gouge,
and also when I'm making a cove cut.

I work downhill, and try to be careful about using the bevel
and cutting out a clean shave. I tend to get a catch more
when working right to left. I have no problems working with
other tools.

Any suggestions?

Make sure you're cutting on the bottom half of the gouge. For instance,
if you're cutting from left to right, make sure you're using the edge on
the right side of the gouge. I usually try to position the cut about a
third the way up from the tip.

If you're cutting in the middle (i.e., with the tip) it's easy to get
just a bit off kilter and start cutting with the upper edge. That
results in the wood grabbing the gouge, rolling it counter-clockwise and
the wham - you have a nasty dig-in.

....Kevin
--
Kevin Miller
Juneau, Alaska
http://www.alaska.net/~atftb
In a recent poll, seven out of ten hard drives preferred Linux.