Gouges for stockmaking?

[Tenn Hills Guy]

I wondering if someone can suggest a couple of gouges, specifically useful in carving the cheekpiece?  My mind reels at the multitude of gouges out there and I doubt I need more than a couple.  There are straight, and fishtail, and bent, and any number of 'numbers'.  I have a small set of palm carving tools which I do fine with but are rather slow going.  I notice the cost varies a signifigant amount from brand to brand......another factor, I mean $22-$32 per gouge!

[Stophel]

I don't really use a gouge much for cheekpieces.  In fact, I don't use gouges much at all for stocking.  Carving, yes.  Stocking, not so much.

[Acer Saccharum]

I use gouges for stockmaking. For hogging off material, I like a 1" wide #3 or #5 curve, and cut across the grain. For this heavy work, a nice hooped handle for durability would be the cat's meow, especially attractive if the blade was a fishtail.

Acer, Sack O Rum

[J. Talbert]

The only time I'm likely to use a gouge on the cheek piece is on the final detail, and then only if the shape calls for it.  If there is a little cove on the edge, such as on the Edward Marshall gun, a No 7 or 8 gouge,  7-10mm wide might do the trick.
The shaping I do with planes & Nicholson 49 & 50.  I might add, I have done it all with just the Nicholson's and other files, before I had the planes.

[Roger Fisher]

The only time I'm likely to use a gouge on the cheek piece is on the final detail, and then only if the shape calls for it.  If there is a little cove on the edge, such as on the Edward Marshall gun, a No 7 or 8 gouge,  7-10mm wide might do the trick.
The shaping I do with planes & Nicholson 49 & 50.  I might add, I have done it all with just the Nicholson's and other files, before I had the planes.

A rat tail file proper size properly handled does that job pretty slick and less chance of pulling out a 'chunk'!! Different ways to do the same job of course!

I suppose many folks use a gouge around the lock mouldings... I find that a broken off rat tail with a 'lip' left at the break and various sizes of rat tails work pretty fine around the nose and tail of that mortice.  The gouge does it's work on top of the mortice just forward of the vent area!

[Jim Filipski]

a nice hooped handle for durability would be the cat's meow, especially attractive if the blade was a fishtail.

Acer, Sack O Rum

Are those gouges especially attractive to Cats? Any special flavor? Tuna Salmon? 

[rich pierce]

I prefer flea market/junk shop gouges most of the time (because they have character and old steel gouges are usually very good).  I use them to mold the curves at the front and rear of the cheekpiece, and sometimes to hollow the cheekpiece or comb a little, very cautiously.  Smaller ones with shallow curvature are best.  Unless you get used to chasing gouges toward you, it's easy to lose sight of how it's cutting when you're doing fine work.  I don't use them for hogging like Acer does- I am not that confident of my eye.  I hog with drawknife, plane and spokeshave.

[P.W.Berkuta]

I like to use gouges like Acer for the rough cuts from the butt up to the front of the lock then planes and spokeshaves forward of the lock. I have yet found a drawknife that works for me. In the past I have had a lot of tear-out and damaged fibers with the Sure-form and rasps. I like the way a SHARP cutting instrument works on wood just a pleasure to use and it leaves the surface just as smooth as a baby's butt !

[Jim Filipski]

Man, I must be way off here but I use a saw... Sometimes a small axe. I only use gouges for shaping.... But who knows.... Acer thought me how to use a vee tool so maybe I'm learning sometin again!
Jim
P.S. Love the old stuff I find on the flea mkt tables  The steel just looks nicer

[Paddlefoot]

I use a lot of cabinet scrapers after the drawknife gets the bulk off.

[Tenn Hills Guy]

Each tool has its place in the process I suppose.  It just seems that it would be easier to use a gouge to get the curvature of the cheekpiece.  I, too, have used rat tail files, and even chainsaw small round, as well as a drawknife on the cheekpiece but find it hard to do.  Much use of the scrapers, too.  But, man, those are labor intensive.  I'm kind of surprised gouges don't seem as widely used as I would have thought.  My preference, too, is for the flea market 'junk'.  If I were rich, I might try the $40 gouge just to see if it really holds an edge that much better.  Maybe 'Swiss made' just looks more professional lying on the bench.  Guess I'll continue to look for a shallow 'vintage' gouge on eBay!

[Stophel]

I do most of my real stock shaping with chisels and rasps.

[Paddlefoot]

If you want a gouge or carving tools that will knock your socks off try the laminated Japanese tools.  Japan Woodworker Catalog is the best source I know of but some of the carving tools can be found at Rocklers. Not cheap though.