Tried a different bevel angle on my gouge and it cut cleaner than ever

Been doing the same 25 degree grind for years on my chisels and gouges for boiler work. Last week I was fitting a curved patch on a tank and the metal kept grabbing. Swapped to a 20 degree bevel on the gouge just to see what happened. Smoothest cut I've gotten in 10 years of doing this. Anyone else mess with their tool angles for tight spots?

2 comments

2 Comments

hayden5871d agoMost Upvoted

Twenty degrees is the sweet spot for tight radius work. Tried it on a stubborn patch last month and the tool just grabbed and cut without any chatter. Twenty five degrees always felt too steep for that kind of thing, like the tool was fighting me. Twenty is worth the extra sharpening time since you have to touch it up more often. Most guys I know are too stubborn to change what works.

lily971d ago

Totally agree @hayden587, twenty is the magic number.