Best Roughing Gouge of 2023 – [Top Picks & Reviews]

Woodturning!

What is the first thing that pops up in your mind when you hear it?

For me, it’s the gushing sound of roughing gouge cutting the woodblock. It is the first and foremost job to be done for woodturning. The perfection in this task will lead you to success in making your masterpiece.

Nevertheless, not just any roughing gouge can do the job. You need the right tool for your job. Quality, standard, and efficiency are important factors that cannot be ignored. It is hard to find a tool having all these criteria.

However, it’s not the case for you. Because you have this perfect roughing gouge review list ready for you to get yourself the best roughing gouge in no time.

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Our Top Picks

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Top 5 Best Roughing Gouge in 2022

Now read full-length reviews of the above-mentioned roughing gouge and finally pick the one that meets all of your needs.

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1. Crown 231W 1.25-Inch Roughing Out Gouge

Crown 231W 1.25-Inch Roughing Out Gouge

Woodturning requires sensitive tools. With each contact, the tool must have the efficiency of making successful cuts. And among all, the most important task is shaping the woodblock. It is the first task and has to be clean enough for carving out the perfect piece of work.

Considering all in mind, the renowned brand Crown has brought out this specialized cutting tool for woodturning. This roughing gouge is something you can count on to deliver effective results while on use.

The Beechwood handle is a sturdy one. It can give you the required grip and at the same time the swiftness in handling. The 14 inches long wooden handle is attached with the blade with a brass ferrule as a bridge. You can handle it in any way you desire without the tension of dislocating it.

Its 6 inches blade is something you should look for. It is high-quality ensured steel made that will give you a long-lasting service. You can be sure of not thinking about an alternative for a long time. If you need a 1” rough gouge, I would suggest you should give this one a try. Judging it from all dimensions, it is the best one.

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2. Hurricane Woodturning Roughing Gouge Set

Hurricane Woodturning Two Piece Roughing Gouge Set

The tool that lasts longer is better than the one that doesn’t. Hurricane woodturning tools ensure that all the equipment coming out of it lasts longer and gives longer service.

Its roughing gouge set is something to look forward to. It comes in a set with one 1” and one 2” roughing gouge. Both are standard maintaining gouges which give outstanding performance.

You will find vivid physical differences between the two. They are made to serve their particular purposes relatable to the right job. But both are highly capable of meeting all your shaping demands.

The material used for making the gouges are an important matter to talk about. This is what makes it last longer than others. Its high-speed steel-made blade is completely different than the normal carbon steel. This gives the gouge 8 times more strength for carving swiftly without any hindrance. You will feel like rubbing through butter.

Its sturdiness doesn’t limit to the blade only. Its well-designed handle made of solid ash also adds value to it.

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3. Hurricane Woodturning Roughing Gouge (1 Inch Flute)

Hurricane Turning Tools, Woodturning Roughing Gouge, High Speed Steel

If you are looking for a 1” roughing gouge, then look no more. This will be the absolute one for you. This is Hurricane turning tools’ 1” roughing gouge that can give you the best performance on every try.

The tool includes an ergonomic 14” handle. You can keep it in check and handle it in any way you require. It gives you total freedom. It is all about its strategical making and structuration that lets you do so. The solid ash construction material is what gives the handle the robustness it requires.

The length of the blade must be proportionate to its size. This lays an impact on the effectiveness of cuts you are going to make. And this roughing gouge is made with precision. You can accept it with no trust issues in line. As you push the gouge towards the woodblock, it offers equal pressure and cuts effectively.

You won’t be disappointed with this roughing gouge for sure. It can give you a whole new experience of shaping and cutting.

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4. Imotechom 2-Pieces HSS Roughing Gouge Lathe Chisel Set

IMOTECHOM 2-Pieces HSS Roughing Gouge Lathe Chisel Set

Buying in a set is a time-saving idea. You can use any one of them any time you require. They will be ready to use for you. Buying separately is hassling. If you are into work where you need different sizes of roughing gouges you should try this out.

This is the IMOTECHOM roughing gouge set that includes two roughing gouges of two different sizes. You get a 1” and a 2” roughing gouge in it.

Both come in a fancy wooden box with foam protection. They are placed fixed in one position to avoid unnecessary movement and friction. This keeps the gouges in good shape and saves them from unwanted abuses.

You can expect to see long gouges in the box. The two gouges have different sizes and lengths. They vary with the blade size. The 1” gouge has an 11.8” long handle with a 6.7” long blade. Whereas, the 2” gouge has a 13.3” long handle with a 5.1” long blade.

These roughing gouges are extremely swift to use. Their construction is done likewise to give you the ease of controlling and handling. It will be a total win-win state for you to buy the combo.

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5. Hurricane Turning Tools Woodturning Bowl Gouge (2 Inches Flute)

Hurricane Turning Tools Woodturning Bowl Gouge (2 Inches Flute)

A long handle is an important factor for a roughing gouge. The length of the handle gives higher control over the grip. As you hold the blade close to the woodblock and slightly push it, you can have a greater grasp of the tool.

This Hurricane turning tools’ 2” roughing gouge ensures such a long handle for greater control. It has the longest handle compared to others mentioned in this list. You get a massive 16 inches long handle to let you use the tool with utmost comfort.

Hurricane Turning Tools is not merely any brand. This is renowned for a cause. And the main cause for its popularity is for manufacturing tools with quality ensured materials. You can judge it yourself by using this 2” roughing gouge.

The handle of the tool is made of solid ash. It gives the handle toughness to work deliberately and tackle work abuse. You can use the gouge freely without the tension of breaking or damaging it.

The same goes for the blade of the gouge. It has been made using high-quality high-speed steel to cut through dense wood pieces. You can do so smoothly without any bumps or snugs.

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How to Use a Roughing Gouge for Woodturning

Using a Roughing Gouge for Woodturning

Using a roughing gouge is easy but technical. You can’t just take a roughing gouge and start turning wood. This will only lead you to damage your wood piece or the tool and in extreme cases may result in accidents.

They are not something too complex. Using it once or twice and through practice, it will become a piece of cake for you.

You need to follow certain rules and steps for using a roughing gouge.

Before starting to turn wood, you need to ensure proper safety. Make sure you wear a face shield and take proper precautions beforehand. Then you can go into the turning process.

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Step 1:

The first step is to fix the tool rest. You cannot turn wood using a roughing gouge without a tool rest. It is a constraint of using a roughing gouge to have a tool rest in the system.

So the first step is to fix it at the right location. It should not be too close to the lathe and again not too far from it. It must be placed at an appropriate distance.

The height of the tool rest is another important factor to consider. When you rest your gouge on the tool rest, the gouge must line approximately with the center of the wooden block.

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Step 2:

Now put your roughing gouge over the tool rest. It must be placed against the tool rest to tackle the thrust obtained from the fast-spinning wood block.

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Step 3:

Lay the gouge on the tool rest in such a way that the beveled section rests against the woodblock. For that, you need to raise the handle a little.

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Step 4:

In this step, the main cutting task will be accomplished. You need to raise the handle even higher. Start raising the handle little by little to touch the wood block with the cutting part of the gouge. The cutting part should be always in touch with the wooden block. Keeping the gouge in that position, you have to slide it from one corner of the block to another.

The direction of the gouge is something you can choose based on the type of cut you want to make. You can hold it straight or slanting it slightly or facing the flute in the direction of movement. But the main constraint is that you have to hold the gouge with the cutting part in contact with the wooden block.

Thus, you can turn wood successfully using a good roughing gouge.

Roughing Gouge for Woodturning

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FAQs about Roughing Gouge

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What is a roughing gouge used for?

A roughing gouge is a purposive tool. It is made to serve a particular purpose. This tool serves the first task of woodturning. Its sole job is to reshape a rough wood piece into a smooth one.

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Can’t I use any other tool instead of roughing gouge?

Woodturning is a sensitive job. All its equipment has specific functions. They are made purposefully to serve accordingly. The profile of each tool is different than others. The structure, design, and all are given to fulfill their own job effectively.

It’s hard for one tool to accomplish the task of the other. And so is true for a roughing gouge. It is created with such specific criteria that can serve best in its task. Here no other tool can serve as effectively as the spindle roughing gouge.

So, the answer would be no. Because another tool cannot give the same effectiveness in the task made for a roughing tool.

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Can a roughing gouge be used to make bowls?

No. A roughing gouge cannot be used for making bowls. They don’t have the features necessary for curving a bowl. For turning bowls there are specialized bowl gouges.

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Can a roughing gouge be sharpened when dull?

Yes. A roughing gouge can be sharpened when the blade becomes dull. The main part of a roughing gouge is its blade. The blade includes a flute, beveled, and a cutting part. The cutting part is the segment that does the principal work of cutting. This gets dull over time. So, you need to sharpen roughing gouge from time to time for obtaining better results.

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Final Words

Woodturning becomes smoother with the right tool in use. If you don’t want to mess up with your precious piece of wood, then never use just any roughing gouge. Take time to judge the quality and choose the right one for your work.

The best roughing gouges mentioned here have distinct features that make them stand out from others. You may choose any of them that suit your requirements and expect to get the best results for your woodturning projects.

But if you ask for the highlight of the list, the name would be Crown 231W 1.25-Inch Roughing Out Gouge. It is an all-rounder. You can get all the qualities in one place in this precious roughing gouge. Now the decision is yours.

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