[Bang] If you want to know how to get a gouge like this sharp again and what you can then do with it watch the video to the end. [Heartbeat] I have inherited a set of woodworking tools that needs some major workover.
[Music: Backwater Route 66 by TeknoAXE] This gouge got a very bad "sharpening" from the previous owner. The angle is off and the sharpening stone was too rough. Compared to another tool from the same set it's a lot shorter. This can indicate that it has been sharpened beyond its hard steel but I'll try to fix it anyway. Note that even if gouges for wood turning are usually narrower and have longer handles the same principles for restoration apply. I started to remove the rust from the blade. The method that works best for me is to use a brush bit with a drill.
Most people will find a way to sharpen the outer side but struggle to take care of the hollow part. You can use dedicated round sharpening stones but I know a different trick. Take a piece of scrap wood that is nearly as wide as your blade. I only had plywood but a solid piece of softwood like pine will work a lot better.
Cut off four pieces that are at least 5 cm / 2" long. Fasten one of them in a vice. Carve the top part of the wood until it fits your gouge's shape. Glue a piece of double sided tape to the top of three of the wood pieces. You could also use adhesive spray but it doesn't work as well for me. Then put 400 grit sanding paper on the first piece and 1000 and 3000 grit on the other ones. You will see how to use them later on but I corrected the blade angle on a belt sander first. How steep it is depends on your needs but 35° is fine for general purpose. You could also use a file but this may take ages. I let the belt pull away from me so that the tool can't flip back and hit me. Tilt the blade left and right to grind it evenly. Marking the tip with a sharpy or pencil helps to keep track.
Double check if you get the blade evenly straight. Now you are going to see how to use the blocks I prepared. As a blade can only be as sharp as its back I took care of its inside. I started on 400 grit sanding paper and then went over 1000 to 3000 grit. It can be a bit tedious to get the tip really shiny but it has to be done only once in a tool's lifetime. I started with 240 grit diamond stones and used soap water as lubrication. If your tool is in better shape than mine you can skip this stone and probably even the next one.
You can feel when you hit the correct angle by tilting the gouge up and down. Some people like to do a figure eight but this is not what works best for me. For the method that I use you need to lock your elbow on your hip. Then you swing left and right. Note that this works best when your work bench is a bit lower than mine. Depending on the shape of your gouge you may also need to twist you wrist a bit. This method sharpens the whole blade evenly. Stop when you can feel a burr on the back and switch to the next finer stone which is 400 grit for me. Don't hesitate to control the angle as often as you like. Give the blade just enough pulls on the 400 grit block to remove the burr. I then continued on a 1000 grit stone. This is a water stone that needs to be soaked in water for ten minutes before you can use it.
The motion is the same as for the coarser stones. As soon as you can feel a burr again break it on the 1000 grit block and switch to a 3000 grit stone. Follow the same procedure again. Although this is not necessary I like to polish my blade. For that reason I rubbed some abrasive material on a strob which is just a piece of leather glued to a board. I then pulled the gouge firmly back on it twisting it a bit more after each stroke to treat the whole blade. For the inside I did the same with the remaining block of wood that I prepared. As the varnish on the handle had cracks and I didn't like it anyway I started to give it a makeover. The easiest way to get the clear coat off is to use a scraper.
I used a knife to clear the thin slots. Then I sanded the wood with 80, 120 and 240 grit sanding paper. I wiped off the dust with a soaking wet cloth and let the handle dry for an hour. If you try this method you will find that the wood now feels rough from loose fibre ends. I used 400 grit sanding paper to get rid of them. The handle got a good coating with kettle boiled linseed oil. Wipe off all excess and always put used cloths into water to prevent them from self-ignition.
I let the oil harden over night and gave the handle yet another sanding with 600 grit. Then it was time to apply a second coat and let it dry over the day. It was then time for the final coat. To prevent the blade from rusting I treated it with Ballistol oil. When you store the used rag in an airproof container you can use it for many other tools. The gouge worked flawless after the restoration and even the control when I carved just by hand was great. If you want to know what you can do with a gouge watch this video by Willem Kossen and tell him T³ sent you. He also has other cool projects on his channel. Have you restored a family tool or are you planning to do so? Tell others about it down in the comment section so that we can all learn from each other.
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