Mechanick exercises, or, The doctrine of handy-works by Joseph Moxon.

§ II. Of Gouges.

GOuges are marked BB in Plate 15. They do the Office of Fore-Plains in Joynery, and the Jack-plains in Carpentry, and serve only to take off the Ir∣regularities the Hatchet, or sometimes the Draw-knife leaves, after the work is hewed or drawn pretty near a Round with either of them: And therefore as the Fore-plain is made with a Corner-edge, only to take off the Irregularities of a Board, so the Gouge that it may also take off the Irregularities or Extuberancies that lie far∣thest from the Axis of the Work, and also frame pretty near the hollow Moldings required in the Work, pre∣cede the Smoothing-Chissels. And that the Gouge may the more commodiously and effectually do it, the Blade of this Tool is formed about half round to an edge, and the two extream ends of this half round a little sloped off towards the middle of it, that a small part about the middle may the easier cut off the prominen∣cies that are not concentrick to the Axis, and so bring the Work into a Method of Formation.

The hollow edge is ground upon the Corner of a Grind-stone, which in short time wears the out-side of that Corner to comply and form with the hollow of the Gouge. It is afterwards Set upon a round Whet-stone, that fits the hollow of the edge, or is somewhat less.

But they do not Set their Gouges or Chissels as (I told you in Numb. 4. § 10.) the Joyners do; for Turners Tools being somewhat unweldy, by reason of their size, and long Handles, they lay the Blade of the Gouge with its convex side upon the Rest of the Lathe; and so with the Whet-stone in their right hand they rub upon the Basil the Grind-stone made, and as they rub, they often turn another part of the hollow of the edge to bear upon the round of the Whet-stone, till they have with the Whet-stone taken off the roughness of the Grind-stone.

Of these Gouges there are several sizes, viz. from a quarter of an Inch, to an whole Inch and sometimes, for very large Work, two Inches over.

The Handles to these Gouges (and indeed to all other Turning Tools) are not made as the Handles of Joyners or Carpenters Tools are, but tapering towards the end, and so long that the Handle may reach (when they use it) under the Arm-pit of the Workman, that he may have more stay and steddy management of the Tool.