Need some help with tools.

[Kallie]

Hi again.

 

Can someone please tell me where I might be able to find some wood carving gouges online? Ive been looking at hardware shops at so many places locally already but couldn't find any other than the normal flat surface chisels. Ive been able to find small gouges for the scroll, but nothing big enough for the body of a violin.

 

Also, since I live in South-Africa, please only recommend websites where they ship internationally, if possible. I went to look on this website and found  http://www.mehr-als-werkzeug.de/product/715257/Gouges-Blade-Width-24-mm.htm   today, but the shipping cost alone is 32Euro, which is almost twice the cost of the gouge itself.

 

Only other "bigger" gouge Ive been able to find locally, has a heel underneath the cutting area, which requires you to hold the tool at about a 60degree angle, and then lifting the front up to cut out a little piece of wood. You cannot just push it through the wood normally.

 

Thank You. I'm also attaching a picture for those not exactly sure what I'm looking for.

 

[Berl Mendenhall]

Go to Michael Darnton's web site.  That will get you on the right track as to exactly what you need.  You don't need a ton of these things.  Ebay is a very good place to shop.  Anything old English Cast Steel is good.  Also Japanese laminated are very good and very expensive.  It's hard to know just what Japanese tools to buy.  Just because they are laminated doesn't mean they're any better than any one else.  Buy the best you can afford, don't skimp.  I don't think you can go wrong with ADDIS gouges.  They're old English and high quality.  You can find them on Ebay.   

[nathan slobodkin]

Kallie

I think you will find most of the tool suppliers will ship but that the cost will be prohibitive. The best and possibly closest suppliers would be Gunther Dick, GEWA or Herdim all of which are in Germany. Do you have any colleges or universities near you that offer sculpture courses? If so they may be able to steer you to more local tool suppliers . Try looking at the tools in the  German catologues and then buy stuff that looks like those. You will almost certainly need some type of grinding wheel and will have to grind the angles and polish the flatter side on any new tool that you buy. I strongly reccomend a small book called "Sharpening small tools" which is sold in the USA by Woodcraft supply Co. Good luck   

[Kallie]

Thank You so far for the replies. Could anyone take a look at this specific gouge, and perhaps tell me if this will work for violin carving purposes? http://www.mehr-als-werkzeug.de/product/715257/Gouges-Blade-Width-24-mm.htm  As I said before, the shipping cost to me might be too much, but I figured if I order more stuff from that website, like the spruce/maple neck block I will also need, then combined it wont be so bad. I have all other tools needed. The only thing that remains is the gouge.

[Kallie]

Go to Michael Darnton's web site.  That will get you on the right track as to exactly what you need.  You don't need a ton of these things.  Ebay is a very good place to shop.  Anything old English Cast Steel is good.  Also Japanese laminated are very good and very expensive.  It's hard to know just what Japanese tools to buy.  Just because they are laminated doesn't mean they're any better than any one else.  Buy the best you can afford, don't skimp.  I don't think you can go wrong with ADDIS gouges.  They're old English and high quality.  You can find them on Ebay.   

Thank you for that help. Glad to see another eBay enthusiast. I found this, which seem like it might do the job. http://www.ebay.com/itm/S-J-ADDIS-NO-6-CARVING-GOUGE-CHISEL-7-8-MASONIC-LOGO-/230971900505?pt=UK_Collectable_ToolsHasdware_RL&hash=item35c6ff8259%C2'>

[Christopher Jacoby]

Kallie, what you're hoping for is, I think, an incannel, or pattern-maker's gouge, so that the bottom of the gouge's sweep is flat, and the inside is ground away to give it an edge. I like these for rough arching-- eBay was my Clementine, once upon a time.

[nathan slobodkin]

Kallie, what you're hoping for is, I think, an incannel, or pattern-maker's gouge, so that the bottom of the gouge's sweep is flat, and the inside is ground away to give it an edge. I like these for rough arching-- eBay was my Clementine, once upon a time.

I definitely would not use an in cannel gouge for rough arching or digging out violins. The standard tool for rough arching is a #5 sweep 20 mm.conventionally sharpened gouge with a long handle. There is a specially shaped, flat, in cannel which some Mittenwalders use but I think it is more of a finishing tool. I also would not think the set of tools you showed on the link would work well. They are meant to be hit with a mallet and for violins you want handles that can be held in the hands and pushed. While the blades of our gouges are similar to regular carving tools the handles needed to shape violins without skinning your knuckles are pretty unique to our trade. I again urge you to look at the catologues of specialized violin makers tools and either buy from them or let them be your guide in modifying locally available tools for this purpose.

[Christopher Jacoby]

Nathan, I respect your work, and know you are well poised to give advice. But the incannell I use works beautifully, needs no hammer, is well sweeped, not flat, and roughs like a dream. I was addressing the OP's assertion that the gouge he didn't like required a lift in his arm to find the cutting edge, which he found inconvenient.

[Jacob]

Kallie, Hardware Centre in Breë Street (Cape Town) has it all.

 

http://www.hardwarecentre.co.za/web/

[Kallie]

I just noticed the other link that I tried to post didn't make it onto the website. Here goes again. Its one that I found on eBay, wondering if someone might tell me if it will do the job. http://www.ebay.com/itm/S-J-ADDIS-NO-6-CARVING-GOUGE-CHISEL-7-8-MASONIC-LOGO-/230971900505?pt=UK_Collectable_ToolsHasdware_RL&hash=item35c6ff8259

I checked out Addis gouges after Berl Mendenhall mentioned it can be found on eBay earlier.

 

 

 

Kallie, Hardware Centre in Breë Street (Cape Town) has it all.

 

http://www.hardwarecentre.co.za/web/

Thank you for that info Jacob. I will see if perhaps I can go to Cape-Town some time. Think that store might be just the place I need.

[nathan slobodkin]

Nathan, I respect your work, and know you are well poised to give advice. But the incannell I use works beautifully, needs no hammer, is well sweeped, not flat, and roughs like a dream. I was addressing the OP's assertion that the gouge he didn't like required a lift in his arm to find the cutting edge, which he found inconvenient.

Definitely more than one way to skin the cat but for beginners I  suggest they try the most common methods first. When you use your in cannel roughing gouge are you working from the edges up toward the center or from the center down? Just curious.