I was looking at pictures of different tools, thinking of trying the different grinds on the shop tools, and I came accross a david ellsworth ground gouge, it seems to have such a steep grind that I cant see how it would be usefull in a deep bowl, as it would not be able to go very far(used with the flute pointing like a C.
Reyd, If you're talking about the blunt angle at the tip, that's exactly what's useful at the bottom of the bowl. You can keep the bevel rubbing at the bottom without the handle touching the sides. To traverse down the side of the bowl you bring the flute up more vertically and cut with the left wing, then roll it over when you reach the bottom. I have a gouge like this which I use mainly for the inside bottom, and another swept back grind where the tip bevel angle is about 45 degrees that I use for everything but the inside bottom when turning bowls.
-Jim Gott- San Jose, CA
You're right, but not all bowl cuts are finishing cuts, and not all bowls are oriented or patterned the same.
Bowl gouges work where you haven't the room for a long-beveled gouge, or where you can't get a toolrest in close, even though you know you should. Justifies their existence, if nothing else does. I often use the wing to cut with the point of the gouge down to provide a skew angle for entry and sides, transitioning to the point and lifting it around into the bottom. The method works, even in tall deep confines, but there is a tendency to burnish in at the transition between side and bottom as the heel of the bevel presses the wood. That's one of the reasons why I like to go with the flatter gouges for the final trim.
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