How to Sharpen a Bowl Gouge
Wood turners use bowl gouges to shape the inside of wooden bowls or any similar hollow contours. You can sharpen a bowl gouge using a jig to hold it at the correct angle against the sharpening wheel or, if you're careful and attentive, you can sharpen it freehand. Wood turners have their own preferences for how they like their bowl gouges shaped, but the simplest shape to sharpen freehand is a square-ground tip with about a 40-degree angle.
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Instructions
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Lay the gouge against the grinding wheel's rest, angling it upward toward the wheel as if you were using it on the lathe.
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Bring the back of the gouge's edge into contact with the spinning wheel and gradually raise the handle until the whole bevel touches flat against the wheel in the center of the gouge. You should see sparks at the edge of the tool when the bevel is fully flat against the wheel.
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Roll the handle to the left to bring the left side of the bevel into contact with the wheel. Keep the handle at the same angle otherwise.
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Roll the handle to the right and sharpen the right side of the bevel the same way.
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Tips & Warnings
To sharpen the gouge with a fingernail profile, so the edges are tapered back slightly from the center, swing the handle to the right as you roll the blade to the right and swing it to the left as you roll the blade to the left. A fingernail profile means the edges are less apt to catch in the wood when you use the gouge on the lathe.
Wear safety goggle and hold the gouge securely while sharpening it.
Apply the lightest grinding pressure at the center of the gouge, so you don't take too much off the nose. If you grind off more at the nose than the sides, the gouge will be hard to start in the wood because the side bevel will start cutting before nose, according to Ernie Conovor, author of several books on wood turning.
References
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