1" Roughing Gouge
Heavy steel, about 1/4" thick. This one just has a slightly
greater curve than a spindle gouge. I have a non-HSS roughing
gouge that has a taller cut/deeper gouge. This one is shallow
by comparison.
Actually its about 7/8" roughing gouge. Steel thickness is 7/32".
Just under a 1/4". It works OK as a roughing gouge. I much prefer my
1.25" Hamlet roughing gouge, but this Harbor Freight roughign gouge
will work for 3" and under stock.
3/4" Roughing Gouge
Like the above. Same thick steel. The curve is slightly less
that the one above. It has the same curvature as the spindle
gouges I have.
This tool is the same as the 7/8" roughing gouge, except the sides
don't go up as far, therefore, its only 3/4" wide. Its a very shallow
gouge. Same 7/32" thick steel. I have considered grinding mine into
a Continental gouge.
1/2" Parting Tool
This tool is a little strange to me. I don't see it mentioned
in my books. The point is V shaped, and it's flat on top, and
the two edges are beveled. Most of my scrapers have a steeper
bevel. Still, the metal is 1/4" thick, and I can regrind it easily.
It's 5/8" wide.
This is a diamond point scraper. Steel is 7/32" thick. Width is
9/16". One of the local high schools uses this diamond point scraper
to turn pens. Why the teacher does not teach the children to use a
skew or gouge to turn pens, I don't know. But apparently they get it
done with the diamond point scraper. This is one of the tools in the
Delta lathe sets they have. I have not yet ground mine into a square
end scraper.
1/8" Parting Tool
This is a beading/parting tool. A V point, but no bevel on the
edge. But the steel is 1/4" thick by 5/8" wide. It's only
1/8" when 8 equals 4.
This is a 7/32" wide parting tool. Normal square parting tool. Not
fishtail or diamond. Thickness is of course 7/32" and height is
9/16". A fine parting tool. I would prefer a square end 1/8" parting
tool if I could only have one. But if you don't already have a
parting tool, this one would serve admirably for many years.
1/2" Skew
1/4" by 5/8" - same stock as the last two tools. Just reground.
The corners have a square edge.
9/16" wide skew. 7/32" thick steel. Works fine as a skew. I bet
even Richard Raffan would find it acceptable as a skew. This can be
ground into a scraper. But it seems wasteful to grind a perfectly
decent skew into a scraper. Even though I have a Hamlet 1/2" skew.
1" Skew
1/4" by 1" - like above, but wider.
Same 7/32" thick steel and 1" or 1" and 1/16" wide. Can't recall.
Also works fine as a skew chisel. Or can be ground into a wider
scraper. But again it seems wasteful to grind a decent skew into a
scraper. Even though I already own a Hamlet 1" skew.
1/2" Round Nose Scraper
1/4" by 5/8" - so this is a 5/8" roundnose scraper.
7/32" thick steel. 9/16" wide. Works fine as a round nose scraper as
long as you don't stick it too far over the toolrest. This is the
tool I wanted when I bought the Harbor Freight kit. I needed a round
nose to finish up the inside of a bowl. My big French scraper could
not get into the tight radiuses. I thought I would just end up with
lots of scraper material from the harbor Freight kit. Which is good.
But now I think many of the tools are too good to grind into scrapers.
So I really need more scrapers now.
1/4" spindle gouge
1/4" round stock, with a 1/16" shallow cut. It's not a deep
cut in the gouge. The groove has a nice edge halfway, then the
edges are slightly "damaged" for the second half, as if the
grinding wasn't crisp..
5/16" spindle gouge. I think this is too thin for an only spindle
gouge. Maybe OK for very delicate work, but you really need a 3/8"
spindle gouge. Which I already have. And a 1/2". So this small
spindle gouge will see some use. A fingernail grind goes onto it
easily enough.
In general, the steel is very heavy. Four of the tools have the
same 1/4" by 5/8" stock, and can be reground to make other shapes.
All of the steel in the Harbor Freight tools are the same thickness.
All 7/32" thick. Except for the 5/16" rod used for the spindle gouge
of course. As you said, four of the tools are the same piece of
steel. The 1" skew is jsut wider. And I would not be too surprised
if the 3/4" roughing gouge is the same width as the 1" skew, before
bending it to its gouge shape. I'm pretty sure the 7/8" roughing
gouge starts with a wider piece of flat steel before bending to its
gouge shape. I figure the Chinese factory cuts the flat 7/32" steel
into three widths to make all of these tools except the spindle gouge.
Very efficient.
All in all you end up with a set of tools where everything except the
3/4" roughing gouge will be used frequently, assuming the diamond
point scraper is reground to a square end scraper. I know many people
say tool sets are bad because you get tools you will never use, but
with the Harbor Freight set, that is not the case. Granted, many of
the tools are not the ones I would choose, or did choose, if buying
each of these tools separately. I went for a 1.25" roughing gouge
instead of the 7/8" here. I went for a 3/8" spindle gouge instead of
the 5/16" here. I went for a 1/8" parting tool instead of the 7/32"
here. The two skew chisels are the same or close enough to what I did
choose. The round nose and square end (formerly diamond point)
scrapers are useful for almost everyone so they are good to have. I
already have a bedan for a sturdy square end scraper.
For $29.99, you can't go too wrong. Assuming the Chinese High Speed
Steel does not fracture in use and put your eye out.
Harbor Freight item number is 47066.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=47066