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Thumbnail Filmstrip of Robust Unhandled Spindle Roughing Gouge - 1-1/4" Images
Robust 1-1/4" Spindle Roughing Gouge - Unhandled
Robust's 1-1/4″ diameter spindle roughing gouge has a 45 degree grind and polished flute. This gouge is milled from solid High Speed Steel and given Robust's proprietary Nitriding treatment. The shank is turned to 5/8″ diameter. Spindle roughing gouges are for turning spindles with the grain running parallel to the lathe axis. They are normally used to turn the wood from square stock to round and make long straight or curved shapes.
These tools are all offered unhandled. We offer Robust Collet Handles in 16” and 20” lengths. Alternatively, you may use the Oneway, Hosaluk, Sorby handles or make one yourself.
This tool is not to be used turning face grain bowls.
- These feature a shallow curved flute equal to the diameter of the gouge. For instance, the 1/2″ diameter spindle gouges has a flute with a 1/4″ radius.
- All have a radius flute that matches the diameter of the stock, and they are also made from premium high speed steel with Robust's proprietary Nitriding treatment.
What’s special about Nitriding? All of the carbide and HSS cutting tools Robust uses to machine these tools are Nitrided. Nitriding is not a coating or plating, but a diffusion wherein extra carbon and nitrogen are added to the base metal. This zone is up to .002″ deep. The result: significantly improved edge holding and reduced sharpening.
To make these tools, Robust starts with premium HSS sourced here in the US. After machining the tools to shape, they are heat treated 62-64 Rockwell C. The hardened tools then go through the Nitriding process, increasing surface hardness up to 75 Rockwell C. Because the treatment is diffused into the metal itself, it will not flake, peel or chip. The tools are just as easy to grind as regular HSS, and sharpen well on conventional and CBN wheels.
But isn’t the Nitriding Removed during Sharpening? Gouges are sharpened on the end, and the cutting edge is defined by the intersection of the portion ground away and the flute. Since the flute is Nitrided, the cutting edge is also Nitrided. For scrapers, just grind the bottom bevel. This leaves the Nitriding on the top surface, so the burr is Nitrided. You’ll also like the radius on the corners of Robust's skews and scrapers, as this makes them more versatile for a number of different cuts.
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