RW wrote:
.... and a Sorby 1/2"
fingernail bowl gouge. My problem is the gouge. It needs to be sharpened. I
tried by hand on my 8" grinder and the results are ugly.

My advise to anyone who has spent money buying a gouge with a
speciality-grind is to either take close-up photos or careful drawings
of it before you use it or take it to the grinder. Even with a
sharpening jig, it may not be very long before the edge of the tool
bears little resemblance to how it was when bought. One of the
fundamental skills involved in sharpening is knowing the exact shape you
are aiming for.

The only supplier I know of who has done this right is Melvyn Firmager.
He supplies a set of pewter models of the custom grinds he sells for
natural edge and hollow vessel work.

One of the first things I explain to students who ask about purchasing
bowl gouges is that what you are really buying is the flute, rather than
any fancy grind the manufacturer has applied. It really annoys me that
so few catalogs show the cross section of the flute but make such a big
deal about the grind.


--
Derek Andrews, woodturner

http://www.seafoamwoodturning.com
Wedding Favors ~ Artisan Crafted Gifts ~ One-of-a-Kind Woodturning