all metal wood gouge

[Yorkshire Sam]

Among a few tools I picked up recently was a rather large rusty all metal gouge ( around 1 1/4"). Never seen one before and have tried googling to get info on one with little success. Does anyone know what these were used for and why all metal?

 

[JimB]

Sam, don't know if this helps but - I remember many years ago (about 50) that an electrician working at a builders yard had a set of chisels (Marples i think) completely metal. He said they were so tradesmen could hit them with hammers.

 

[AndyT]

Axminster sell those all steel chisels
http://www.axminster.co.uk/ansells-forged-all-steel-wood-chisels

Their copy confirms that they are meant for rough use.

Sam, does your gouge look similar to those chisels?

I'm wondering if it's a socketed gouge without a handle. These have a conical hollow socket into which a tapered handle is a friction fit. More common in the US than over here. I've seen complaints on US forums that previous owners hammer on the metal socket and spoil it.

 

[Yorkshire Sam]

Axminster sell those all steel chisels
http://www.axminster.co.uk/ansells-forged-all-steel-wood-chisels

Their copy confirms that they are meant for rough use.

Sam, does your gouge look similar to those chisels?

I'm wondering if it's a socketed gouge without a handle. These have a conical hollow socket into which a tapered handle is a friction fit. More common in the US than over here. I've seen complaints on US forums that previous owners hammer on the metal socket and spoil it.

My gouge doesnt look like these, I will post a picture of it later as its in the electrolosis bath at the moment. Its definitely NOT a socket chisel (got one of those in the bath as well ) . I gathered it would be for rough use but this one has definitely been honed in the past and other than the all steel handle looks similar to a wood chisel. Guess they must have been for large construction use ( like lock gates etc). I am sure some one will have seen on in use somewhere.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

In the days before machinery was used for making large holes in wood for such things as railway wagon buffer shanks, wooden ship hawse pipes and the like, the technique of marking out, chain-drilling with a small bit in a brace, and chopping out the waste with a gouge was used. The gouges were usually of the socket variety, in-cannel or out-cannel, long and stout. (There's an excellent illustration of a couple in Ted Frost's excellent book 'From Tree to Sea' on page 103.) They occasionally crop up on Ebay, though they're not exactly 'common'. Here's an example from a dealer in the USA - 1 1/2" blade width, 18" long, and a snip at $169 plus postage - http://www.antique-used-tools.com/buck_bros.htm

I've not previously come across an all-metal version, but the idea does seem a sound one. Such work usually requires more force than finesse, and a tool that will stand up to hard pounding would be an advantage.

 

[heimlaga]

I have seen some heavily built all metal wood gouges. They were manufactured in the Soviet Union. I doubt the makers thought much of what their product would be used for or if it had any use at all. They were too busy filling the production quota in the 5 year plan.

I habve also heard about a tool closely reessembling an all metal wood gouge that reportedly was used at construction sites to cut out channels for electricity and plumbing in masonry walls back in the days before power tools became affordable.

 

[AndyT]

Really CC, I think it's time you invested £10 in a cheap digital camera!

I was looking at the very same book as you, so in the spirit of helpfulness, here's the illustration from page 103 of "From Tree to Sea" by Ted Frost.

But those aren't all metal.

However, on page 64 there's a tiny picture of something that is:

The text is a bit pale at this magnification - it says:

" A pick gouge would be made from a worn out pod auger. It would be sharpened from the inside by means of a rat tail file. Ordinary firmer gouges wouldn't stand the punishment if knots were encountered."

In the text, he describes using such a gouge to make recesses for washers under bolt heads. (The book is a wonderfully detailed account of how to hand build a wooden fishing boat, the way it was done in 1917.)

Sam, is this anything like your one?

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Really CC, I think it's time you invested £10 in a cheap digital camera!

What? Digital cameras cost as much as £10! :shock:

That would be ten quid I didn't have for tools or timber!

(Maybe sometime. Not yet though.)

 

[Yorkshire Sam]

here are the photos of the chisel fresh from the electrobath with just a light scrubbing .. looking at the handle there doesnt seem to be a lot of use, no mushrooming just a little marking.

 

[bugbear]

That looks suspiciously similar to the bits for a Pneumatic hammer.

http://www.jack-hammers.com/5730-purpos ... -p-46.html

BugBear

 

[AndyT]

That looks suspiciously similar to the bits for a Pneumatic hammer.

http://www.jack-hammers.com/5730-purpos ... -p-46.html

BugBear

Agreed. Not a hand tool!

 

[Yorkshire Sam]

That looks suspiciously similar to the bits for a Pneumatic hammer.

http://www.jack-hammers.com/5730-purpos ... -p-46.html

BugBear

Yes ... thanks guys. I knew that someone on here must be able to give me info on it. I thought it looked a little rough to be a hand tool.

 

[rafezetter]

Really CC, I think it's time you invested £10 in a cheap digital camera!

What? Digital cameras cost as much as £10! :shock:

That would be ten quid I didn't have for tools or timber!

(Maybe sometime. Not yet though.)

if it's any good to you I've recently upgraded to a better more reliable camera and my old one is going begging - camera works lovely, but the batteries just don't hold a charge for more than a few pictures anymore, and I've bought a replacement and have the same problem...I digress - it holds enough charge for a few pictures and picture quality is still good.

If you need a camera purely for a few pics now and again it's yours - just cover the postage.