I was going through some of my Grandfathers tools I brought home from my mom's. I found his box of Chisels and Gouges. Name on them is Bouk. About 30 in all, Chisels from 1/8-1.5". Chisels with raise from 1/16 to almost flat. The majority are Paring?(bevel in the inside) About 1/3 are Firmer?(bevel on the outside). Couple spoon and offset handles.

Couple questions. If I remember anything he said 50 years ago about them he said the paring worked best with an open groove? Any help would be greatly appreciated as to which to use when.

Second while they have been in a box for at least 30 years since his passing most will still cut paper. I can handle the outside bevel for mantaining an edge. What about the inside bevel? Is it a "slip" that I need to maintain the edge? If so what is a good one? Grit etc? Or other suggestions?

If I had such a set, I "would" take some "wood", and experiment with each one to see what they do. I don't think there is a set rule of which chisel or gouge should be used and when, I think given some time to study and try them, you will find what works best and when. I've sharpened pieces of gun barrel to use as a gouch or scraper when a particular tool wouldn't otherwise work. It would be nice to have a fine set.

Look here: http://www.answers.com/topic/gouge and do an internet search maybe of some sites involving "carving".

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It would be nice to have a fine set

Yep a great set and a fantastic set knowing my grandfather used them back in the 1920-1930s as a "patternmaker". I know he was proud of them. Can't even imagine what it would be to replace them now. I had done some searching but most of the carving sights I had found were more on the palm tools and knife like carving.

Excellent idea as to just experimenting. I hate to admit my feeble mind hadn't come up with that one. Guess I'm getting more like my younger kids just looking for an answer and not learning for myself. Even though I tell them all the time they will remember it better if they dig out the answer themselves.

I would agree that perhaps the best bet is to simply go to work with them. Don't try anything special right off, just experimenting. Try to get some different types of wood - hard, soft, open and tight grained - and try different directions as well.

Sure people can be taught most anything to a degree but artistry comes from within. Either you have it or you don't. Sometimes its surprising to see who "has it" especially for the carver himself. There's a feel to it that takes some development but can't be taught to just anyone. You have half the battle already, a very fine set of tools. Make sure you learn to sharpen them CORRECTLY before you get too far into the "experiment." Remember, a dull knife (chisel, gouge, etc.) will cut you faster than a sharp one because of the force you exert on it.

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Remember, a dull knife (chisel, gouge, etc.) will cut you faster than a sharp one because of the force you exert on it

LOL I have an 1.5" long scar in my left thumb to remind me.

Any thoughts on what to use on the inside bevel?

take a loop, or magnfying glass and see if the tools are buck? Am i correct in assuming you want to make a strait groove? i would start,Havnt done this but am a carver, with a sharp knive and strait edge and cut strait down in the line you want.. then with a parting tool (v groove) widen the line amply. then use a narrow gouge to round it out. take note where it tears against the grain, then slowly widen the groove with a stepped up handled parring gouge that follows the smaller groove. dont remember the name but they look like a bricklayer trowel but are a gouge.. the grain will want to split wider and deeper here and there so you will reverse the tool at those points.. use on cheap wood for practice.. Do not attemp to cut knots as it will chip a good edge.. almost all carving was done on walnut, clear sugar pine and soft woods like basswood.. the exception would be maple stocks which would be a nightmare with handtools.. Get some files, that are shaped and curved (Riflers/rasps) for tough spots. files work best on real knarly spots.. Im not a stockmaker, and you should talk to them if your going to do a stock.. dave

Gouges with the bevel on the outside are "out cant." With bevel inside, it's an "in cant." You will need rounds (dowel shaped stones ) to sharpen the in cant gouges. Keep on top of the edge- don't let it get too dull for they can be a pain to bring back to razor sharpness if too far gone. When I work relatively hard wood I spend almost as much time honing as I do cutting. Leather glued to wooden dowels and impregnated with oil and fine valve grinding compound make pretty fair strops for in cant gouges.

To sharpen the inside bevel I'd use a slip gouge. This has a picture. Norton makes them. I got mine from Brownells or Midway.

http://www.fine-tools.com/G-kegelstein.html

"slips", usually arkansas, are available with radiused surfaces to be used on the inside of gouges. some are tapered and you use the area of the slip that best fits your gouge. for outside just use a flat stone and rotate the gouge as you swip it across the stone. mineral spirits or kerosine sre the best lubricants... i prefer kerosine. keep the stone very wet. the inside bevels are for finish cuts, hand pushed and with the back of the gouge held as close to parallel to the cut as posible, leaving a nice smooth pare...waiste should come off in small curls. the outsides are for roughing, driven with a malet and giving short thicker chips, held so that the gouge's bevel is about parallel to the cut.
Gnoahhh has it right about the edges, ....a few cuts and touch the edge up, especially with the finish gouges, they should have a finer edge, bevel angle laid back more than the outsides making thier edge a little delicate so care needs to be taken to work slow and easily with them. the key is to try and keep the bevels as flat as possible, when they are radiused, even just a little, they don't stay in the cut as well, and you loose control. one way to know that the bevel is getting radiused is that when cutting, it seems like you can't find an angle of hold that keeps you cutting consistantly..., then it's time to shape up the bevel as they do get rounded from being constantly touched up. one way to avoid this is to take a little extra material off of the heel of the bevel every once in a while. that keeps the corner low so it doesn't push the slip up, rounding the bevel right about the edge.

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To sharpen the inside bevel I'd use a slip gouge

That is what I had come up with in my searching. Grandpa had what looks like a ceramic wedge with rounded ends stored with them. I hit the gouges a couple times and it really put a razor on them. They will shave. Cut fingers as well. Don't ask. Merlinron thanks for the heads up. Doing another search I would assume it is a hard Arkansa slip

ffffg you are correct looking closer it is buck. Did a search on them. I had no clue as the value. But priceless to me. Looks like I have 9 of what would be a 12 piece set of chisels. Need to look in the other two boxes to see if the others are in there. Total of 36 tools all together.

Most have a good patina what would be the best way to keep them that way.

Other thing I found interesting was a set of yard sticks labeled for what the finish product would be steel, cast iron, brass etc. Allowing for size change after cooling. So I have yard sticks that aren't 36" long by normal measure.

Yes ; Federal Government comes to mind ! ,especially the new incoming administration .

if you like the patina other than sharpening don't polish them. it should remain.

If you're searching for more info. out-cannal are all the standard ones with the bevel on the outside of the curves/v's. in-cannal are the other ones. you are right I believe a slip is the right thing to sharpen, there is also a guy I bought some gouges from that will sharpen them for you, can't remember his name off hand but am guessing others will as well.

Red

keep the patina, on use, it will "soften" with use/age

call Billy on gouges...

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keep the patina, on use, it will "soften" with use/age

I plan on keeping the patina. Just curious if I need to put something else on them to keep them from rusting. Wax? I use a spray coating on my table saw. Then again they have been unopened in the wooden box for 30+ year. Just don't want them to rust like my cheap chisels.