How to Refurbish Gouges - Woodcarving Workshops

[@goognamgoognw6637]

What i like a lot about your videos is you are very respectful of the listener, you don't waste words or waste the time of the listener. This is hard to find on you tube and I mean in all categories.

[@mikeevans3766]

I recently purchased over 50 carving tools (mostly Henry Taylor) that had this exact issue and was able to restore all of them to usable condition using many of these ideas. I used a grinder with a wire brush and abrasive paper along with W-40 to eliminate the rust, reworked the concave surfaces near the edge with a rotary tool and slip stones, and sharpened as I would with any new tools. It took some time but the monetary savings made it well worth the effort and resulted in some very lovely tools. Thanks for the great video Chris. I would love to see you do a video on issues with sharpening micro tools.

[@revwayne6168]

I was given a set of antique micro carving tools that need this touch. Great teaching. Thank you!

Thanks for this Chris, clear, concise practical advice !

[@sambarker404]

Really lovely video to watch. A friend of my father's just donated me a load of old tools as he knows I am interested in carvig, some are approaching a hundred years old, and I am excited to try and restore them. I hadn't thought of adding a bevel to the inside.

[@sambarker404]

@@chrispye5149 Hello, Thank you for that response. I am trying to do as you suggested and just try to focus on restoring a few rather than a lot. At the moment I only have 5 old ones as my dad had to bring them from the UK to Poland where I teach. A problem I am having is that the metal in the middle of the curve is much thinner than around the edges. Would you recommend focusing on the sides of the gouge or grinding the cutting edge of the gouge so it is flat and start from there.? I haven't been on the site yet but will investigate ASAP. Do you deliver to Poland? I will also request your book for my birthday, I don't tend to do much relief carving, I tend towards very rough bushcraft efforts and even rougher flat plane carving and whittling, but I love it as an art and it is definitely something I am interested in. Thank you again for such a great response and I hope you have a happy new year.

[@woodcarvingworkshop]

@@sambarker404 - When a blade is forged, it's struck between two 'fullers', shaped blocks that give it it's hollow profile (the 'sweep'). Done properly, across the metal should be a uniform thickness but, more commonly than it should be, the centre can be struck thinner than the sides. This means that, as I think you've worked out, you can't sharpen it in the 'normal' way, which ends up with the heel of the bevel parallel to the cutting edge - a thinner middle means you'll end up with the centre of the cutting edge pulled back and the corners protruding ('winged'), and weak. But all is not lost! (1) Square the end ( perpendicular to the stone/wheel) so you have enough metal in the middle to form your inner bevel (2) Grind the outer bevel avoiding the middle to give you a uniform edge, which appears as a white line. This means you'll draw back the bevel on either side and the heel (where bevel meets blade) will now be an inverted U-shape. (3) Add your inside bevel, thinning that white line uniformly corner to corner. (4) Now just ignore the shape of the outer bevel and sharpen normally. Hope that helps. BTW the videos on Woodcarving Workshops stream through the internet so can be seen 24/7 wherever you have a connection. We have subscribers from some 50 countries around the world. Happy New Year to you too and success with your tools and carving!

[@alangibson2118]

Love your videos, love your quiet teaching style, thank you for sharing your knowledge and skills.

[@InformationIsTheEdge]

Brilliant! I absolutely love the idea that fixing up that chisel, it might be around a hundred years from now. Thanks for the great video!

[@filipzamec9671]

I actually tried similar method to yours, but the micro rusty holes caused gauge not to be perfectly sharpened. You can bevel the edge as you showed, but you should also tell the whole story and that is that you increased the angle from 17° to cca. 25° and that is too much. Tool works, but not greatly. I think we would have to sand the tool more, but I don't know how to do it on the inner side.

[@brandynpetersen8017]

I watched this video a while back, and a short while afterwards, I was at a flea market. It was closing time and I was walking back to my vehicle to leave, and a vendor was covering up their stuff with a sheet, and I spotted a small rusty old gouge. I asked if they would take $3 for it, it's all I had left. They excepted. It was hard to read, but said, "W M Jackson & Co Shear Island works. The internet says it's old and English. The other side says cast steel. I broke the broken handle off of it the rest of the way, and soaked the blade and ferrule in Evapo rust. Then hit them with my wire brush. Cut the counter bevel with my slip stones, just like you said, (that thing was hard) and sharpened the other side with my Tormek 8. And then made a new handle for it on my lathe. I copied the shape of the old handle, and used the original ferrule, but I made it out of spalted maple. I know that maple isn't ideal for a tool handle, but I wanted to see what it would look like.

[@FlukeTog]

I spray all my chisels now with clear coat or poly to prevent rust . It's worked well. Acrylic cLear coat has been working fine. At least it saves what doesn't ware off from carving. It stinks having a damp shop.

[@imtyazali3213]

hi sir I'm form India I like your work bkos I'm also wooden carving muster your instrument is very good thanks

[@Lawman212]

What are the names for stones used on the inner bevel? I've seen similar rectangular stones, but not ones that have the curved edge. I'm familiar with the cone-shaped stones, but it seems to me that the stones in the video would fit one's hand better.

[@claudb1029]

Sharpening stones can be an interesting collection. I will guess the white one is a hard white Arkansas stone. Far as the rounded edge, you can buy them that way. If, you can't find one, try a machinists supply place. You can also by a square edged stone and shape it on sandpaper, a grinding wheel, a diamond honing stone etc. As to those cone shaped stones they are not really fine enough for a truly keen edge.

[@bertkutoob]

@@claudb1029 You seem to be a kindred spirit. I took a brave decision and bought an Arkansas stone with the specific intention of making customised slipstones. I used a diamond cut-off disc on a Dremel to slice it up and the same disc for roughing out with final shaping on a diamond stone. It was surprisingly easy and very satisfying. You can get a surprising number of slipstones out of an 8" x 1½" stone and save a bucket of bucks.

[@hangblague]

Do you dis-recommend electrolysis for rust removal?

[@AA-69]

READ THE INSTRUCTIONS....NEVER put brush back in the tub, as you spoil the whole tub. !..It reacts with the iron oxide.

[@barrydesmond6232]

Want to have a go at carving so is there a starter set I can get or should I just start with a v gouge and can you recommend a brand don't want to get a cheap set and be no good was looking at about £80/90 Narex chisel set straight carving 892008 Carving gouge 892404 Veined carving gouge 892508 Deep carving gouge 892610 Straight v tool 892706 Carving gouge bent 893310 Carving knife 894210 Chip carving knife 894210 Detail carving knife 894310 Sharpening stone

[@woodcarvingworkshop]

Hi Barry - I wouldn't buy any 'sets' as such; it's better to buy tools for a particular project then increase your collection as you need project by project. That way you build up the tools you need, and they suit you're style and interest in carving. On the WoodcarvingWorkshops.tv website you'll see a beginners section that involves just three very useful tools with which to carve an interesting project. (There's also an extensive download with tool recommendations to accompany the the beginners project.) You use these tools on other simple starter projects on the site as you then start adding a few more tools at a time. You DO have to subscribe to Woodcarving Workshops but you can do so for just a month but we've made it as cheap as possible: about the cost of a cup of coffee and half a bagel!

[@user-ch4ex3yy4l]

@@woodcarvingworkshop Dang, 20 bucks a month!? I can buy 3 cups of gormet coffee and a couple of bagles with that. If it were cheaper I would join.

[@woodcarvingworkshop]

@@user-ch4ex3yy4l Not where I live! - you'd be lucky to get just the one. But, yes, there is a subscription cost which, by the way, is as low as we can make it and hasn't increased for years. There is no way we could have filmed, edited and copywrit nearly 900 individual master carving videos on low, high relief, lettering, ornamental and in-the-round, carving tools and sharpening; written around 100 accompanying downloads of working drawings; answered thousands of comments and questions; published a monthly blog full of carving advice; paid for the website build and maintenance, and so on and so on, for free. You wouldn't really expect us to, surely? It's up to you what you spent your money on of course, but you could forgo one month's coffee, sign up for (just) that month. You'd have full access to everything and could assess how much your carving would benefit from getting stuck into what we have to offer.

[@user-ch4ex3yy4l]

@@woodcarvingworkshop One coffee for 20 dollars? That seems like stretching the truth to me. I Googled it and you can get one for under 4 dollars in The States. No, I would not expect you to offer your services for free but at 20 bucks a month, that is almost $250.00 a year. If I get hooked into needing your site, in only 4 years that is nearly a THOUSAND dollars! That seems a bit steep. At this point, I can't afford $240.00 a year. Why not offer a yearly discount?

[@user-ch4ex3yy4l]

Good info. Thanks.

[@denniswilliams8747]

Hi If you use some automotive wax, real wax not the modern oily stuff the rust will be less likely to occur in the first place.

[@machfiver753]

My god it's so frustrating to try and make my tools perform like yours. I can get pretty sharp but no where near as good as yours are. I dropped one of my best u gouges onto concrete which broke off parts of the edge. I have tried to make a new bevel and thought I'd succeeded until I used the chisel and snapped off bits of the edge in the wood I used it on. I went too fine. It looked ok but obviously wasn't at all. I think I'll take my chisels to a professional sharpener and pay him to get them all back to a proper state. It doesn't help that most of my chisels were bought used and hadn't been well looked after by the previous owner. They are all high quality chisels though so that is something at least.

[@claudb1029]

Perhaps superstition but, I was taught not to run the tool perpendicular on the stone as it creates scratches across the cutting edge. Like scratching glass and then breaking it on that scratch line the same thing happens to your sharpened edge.

[@woodcarvingworkshop]

Susan - I've been doing it for 40 years with no problem. So, experience over superstition every time!

[@talkin-ape]

Great video! It validated my own thinking on refurbing a gouge re the pitting near the edge and the small internal bevel, which another carver had scolded me on. He wasn't a master, and I ignored him as my gouges worked brilliantly. Thanks also for the rust tip. As you said the Kurust neutralises the oxidation, stopping further penetration. So is much better than a simple clean and oil. I had used vinegar myself, but was unaware I had to soak in a neutraliser afterwards and the acid ate a little too much. Thankfully the tools were saveable, and now in use. I'll look out for the Kurust, it seems a much easier method.

[@kickpublishing]

"Jenolite" is another variety you might get in the US - or "Vactan"

[@JamMastaJew]

Anyone know a brand more common in America similar to Kurust? It doesn't appear to be carried in American stores.

[@WBogel]

Try "Ospho" When I worked on a dredge, we would pop the rust off of buoys in the canal we were working and then apply Ospho on the bare metal followed by marine paint. It has phosphoric acid which preps for the paint.

[@valobar17]

thanks for showing me how to do it .

[@julianjaramillo645]

Good stuff😮

[@joewhiteman9462]

do they call sandpaper emory there?

[@woodcarvingworkshop]

I don't think it's UK specific. 'Emery' paper for metal. Sandpaper for wood. If you don't have metal paper, you'll find fine sandpaper will work.

[@claudb1029]

Emery is the abrasive that is glued to the paper. In the US, you will find it in most decent hardware stores. It might be marked wet sandpaper as it can be used with water or oil. Ultra fine grades are available. For that you may try an auto paint suppler

[@gazsope]

If you want to use the gouge as an electrode, you harm the whole surface that is in the elecrolyte even if it is not visible. Not recommended...

[@billastell3753]

Why not just sand or steel wool the rust off then put on a bit of wd40 or light oil to prevent future rusting?

[@woodcarvingworkshop]

Bill - You can, of course. There's more than one way of refurbishing old tools.

[@Slic3R1]

i'd just use a fine steel brush to clean the rust and then force a patina

[@curiousgeorge555]

what is force a patina?

[@squidskunk]

thanks for this info..

[@dustind7509]

thx!

[@666Tagada]

28 Negatives...WTF!?

[@woodcarvingworkshop]

Peter - Thanks for that comment. I've never understood the few negatives that sit against the overwhelming positives (comments too) for any of our videos either. We've made the effort to offer something useful for free. Why not just leave the page and go somewhere else if you're not interested? It's an easy click but what is the thumbs down feedback supposed to be, or tell me? Without knowing how can we improve? Anyway, just wanted to say I appreciated you making the point and allowing me to vent. Cheers.

[@furlockcombes3837]

@@woodcarvingworkshop Unfortunately some people are just jerks. I think all your woodcarving videos are wonderful Chris, very inspiring. Keep up the good work!

[@mickwall1286]

7B? Hmmmmm...

[@mickwall1286]

@@chrispye5149 Sorry, I am a tool refurbishing enthusiast with a twisted sense of humour. I was referring to the 7B pencil which makes a brief appearance. Also, I had not thought to use Kurust on a hand tool, more usually I'd apply it to bike frame parts, but I tried it on a v gouge a couple of days ago and it has been very successful, so thank you for that. I found your exposition on V-gouges (elsewhere) very helpful also. Thank you for replying, so often this stuff just goes into the void.....