I know this is sharpening but...

[Tellurian]

I was reading a thread on sharpening 'over there' that is descending into the usual from the usual suspects and I was contemplating my jig use which I've decided is intermittent but does happen when I want to. I then thought that what I could do with is something for carving gouges as these are what I personally have the most trouble with and then got to wondering if such a thing exists which then led to Google and I found this: Proops Carving Chisel & Gouge Sharpening Jig
It looks interesting. A 3D printed item by the looks of it. Reasonable price so I have bought one out of interest to see what it's like but I was wondering on other's thoughts.
P.S. I know, freehand all the way, get the muscle memory set but this looked interesting.

 

[Mike G]

Hmmm...if it works for you, then great.........but the difficulty I find in sharpening gouges etc isn't on the out-cannel (the equivalent of the bevel on a chisel), but on the other side: removing the burr internally, and polishing the inside of the "gutter". It's just seconds to rock a gouge backwards and forwards by hand to get the outside right, so I would see this jig as making the easy job easier, perhaps, but leaving the difficult job untouched.

 

[Tellurian]

Hmmm...if it works for you, then great.........but the difficulty I find in sharpening gouges etc isn't on the out-cannel (the equivalent of the bevel on a chisel), but on the other side: removing the burr internally, and polishing the inside of the "gutter". It's just seconds to rock a gouge backwards and forwards by hand to get the outside right, so I would see this jig as making the easy job easier, perhaps, but leaving the difficult job untouched.

Oddly, I never had a problem with that. Some suitably shaped slipstones always seemed enough for me. Mind you, I haven't carved in a very long time.

 

[Lurker]

Well, whatever floats your boat.
I would guess that is manufactured by proops sister company on the same site , so it’s British made too.

 

[Dr.Al]

Hmmm...if it works for you, then great.........but the difficulty I find in sharpening gouges etc isn't on the out-cannel (the equivalent of the bevel on a chisel), but on the other side: removing the burr internally, and polishing the inside of the "gutter". It's just seconds to rock a gouge backwards and forwards by hand to get the outside right, so I would see this jig as making the easy job easier, perhaps, but leaving the difficult job untouched.

Not that I claim any expertise in such matters, but when I got some second-hand gouges that were in a rather rough condition, I made what was effectively a dowel (I actually 3D-printed it as it seemed easier to get it the right size), wrapped it in wet-and-dry and just rubbed it back and forth in the "gutter". That seemed quite effective at getting the inside into a much better condition than as-bought.

I've read that a good way of doing a final hone (once it's in reasonable nick, i.e. without nicks ) is to use it to cut some MDF and then rub some Autosol or stropping compound into the MDF (which is now in exactly the right shape thanks to being cut with the gouge). I guess that could also work for rough-preparation with wet-and-dry but the MDF + wet-and-dry wouldn't be quite the right radius because of the thickness of the wet-and-dry.

 

[AndyT]

I'm certainly not an expert on carving, or maintaining carving tools, but if I wanted to learn effective methods, I think I'd look around for instruction from someone with decades of experience and professional carving work to show for it.

Chris Pye fits the bill, I suggest. You can read his biography on his website here where you can see the shelf full of books he's written and click through to his YouTube channel, under the name "Woodcarving Workshops".

He seems to be uploading a lot of material, possibly content that he used to sell on DVD? Some of the most recent videos show how to refurbish a neglected gouge and how to maintain a good gouge, by hand or by power. Possibly most relevant to the question in hand is this one:

It may be worth noting that in this video, and in his books, he advises that although flat chisels should be honed with the handle in line with the stone, the outside bevel of a gouge should be sharpened with the tool at right angles to the length of the stone, being rocked around the whole length of the cutting edge as it is moved along from end to end.

 

[AJB Temple]

As an aside, I agree re Chris Pye. I've got quite into woodcarving having originally been goaded by Mike and ended up buying some of the Auriou tools Mr Pye helped to re-design. This was after buying & re-selling various other carving chisels that I didn't get on with for various reasons. The Auriou tools are superb, but a tad spendy (I got mine second hand off a hobbyist who decided it was not a hobby for him). I also bought a few Japanese carving chisels from an esteemed member here - he didn't like them, but I do very much.

I agree with Mike that the inside of carving gouges are much more fiddly to hone than the outside easy bit, and if you are cack-handed it's easy to destroy the sharp edge unwittingly. In my experience jigs are a nuisance and slow you down. My (limited and non-expert) experience with carving is that the tool needs a little touch on the stones very often to keep it razor sharp - as that is the way to get clean cuts all the time. You pick up the knack quite fast.

In my case I mainly do letter carving and and find I need curved gouges much less than expected when I first started, even on curves.

 

[Tellurian]

I also agree with respect to Chris Pye. I learnt a lot by reading some of his books but I fear I have forgotten most of that so will need to learn it all again.

 

[Tellurian]

Not that I claim any expertise in such matters, but when I got some second-hand gouges that were in a rather rough condition, I made what was effectively a dowel (I actually 3D-printed it as it seemed easier to get it the right size), wrapped it in wet-and-dry and just rubbed it back and forth in the "gutter". That seemed quite effective at getting the inside into a much better condition than as-bought.

I've read that a good way of doing a final hone (once it's in reasonable nick, i.e. without nicks ) is to use it to cut some MDF and then rub some Autosol or stropping compound into the MDF (which is now in exactly the right shape thanks to being cut with the gouge). I guess that could also work for rough-preparation with wet-and-dry but the MDF + wet-and-dry wouldn't be quite the right radius because of the thickness of the wet-and-dry.

I used to do that with mdf as well, works a treat.
That's a good idea with the 3D printed dowel. I wonder if a fine fuzzy skin would work with stropping compound for honing?