Simply put … removing wood from a spindle (on the lathe). Did I mention, quickly? Well, yeah, removing wood QUICKLY!

This Crown roughing gouge is 1-1/4″ wide with a 14″ handle, and is 20″ long overall. As is the standard for Crown tools, this chisel is made very well with HSS (High Speed Steel) and a long, sturdy handle.

Brand new out of the packaging a chisel is not sharp enough to use typically — and this one was no different so it had to be sharpened. During the sharpening process I opted to make the bevel a bit steeper (personal preference) than the rather blunt bevel it ships with. The use of a sharpening jig (like the Penn State or OneWay Wolverine) make the job of sharpening much faster and accurate.

The first project for this new tool with a crisp edge was going to be a baseball bat made of white oak (yeah, that’s not a typical baseball bat wood … I know!). Several weeks ago I had assisted with the creation of a similar bat so I was familiar with the process and how a “standard” chisel would take to the task … so needless to say I was ready to put this one to work.

WOW! This bad boy took to the wood like a beaver (at least the cartoon kind) … chipping away decent size chips and quickly getting the stock down to a nice round blank. What took about an hour with the standard 3/4″ chisel (generic brand), I had accomplished in about 20 minutes using this large (better quality) tool. Not to mention the entire blank was roughed out without the need to resharpen mid-stream — another bonus!

If there would be a drawback to the larger chisel, the only thing I can think of is obvious … it doesn’t get into tight spaces as easily (or safely) as a smaller gouge — however, with that said a roughing gouge isn’t really designed for those tight space anyway.

Every turner needs a few essential tools and the roughing gouge is one of them. Considering the fair price and high quality of the Crown tools, I think this one would be a nice addition for anyone using a lathe for spindle work (meaning don’t use this on a bowl!). With proper care, occasional re-sharpening, and safe use this chisel would last a long time and serve to be a true workhorse in the shop.

Manufactured by Crown Tools, this gouge retails between $55-$65.