Members LeatherNerd Posted October 19, 2015 Members Report Posted October 19, 2015 Hi all, I have the "other" kind of V-gouge from Tandy, the all-metal one. The staff all recommended the other one with the wooden handle but it was out of stock and I needed to cut gouges in a product and ship it right away. I have this one: http://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/craftool-adjustable-v-gouge-2 And it sounds like everybody loves this one better: http://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/craftool-adjustable-v-gouge I see why this gouge is problematic. The blade has over 1/8" of play up and down, and with the blade sharpened on the outside, it naturally pushes itself up and out of the leather. With the blade adjusted far enough out to cut 5oz leather clean in half, I can depress the blade all the way back up into the handle. I spent about an hour fiddling with it, and found the design to be fundamentally flawed, but perhaps fixable. The adjustment knob has a keyed post that pushes the back of the blade up and down, and the blade has a notch to fit over the post. To make sure there's enough tolerance for the blade to swing at different angles, there's a huge gap between the top and the bottom. I'm away from my shop today but can post pictures tonight if it helps. For now what I've done is punch a hole in a piece of 5oz leather and wedge it onto the post inside the notch on the blade. This stiffens the play considerably, but also makes the knob difficult to turn. The blade still has enough play to pop up out of the leather sometimes so getting a clean gouge requires multiple passes. Does anybody else have this tool, and is there a trick to making it work well? Is it a well-known "take it back and get the other one" kind of thing? Thanks! Dave Quote Hi my name is Dave Brady. I'm new to leatherworking and eager to learn. I started making journals in the spring of 2015 and I've had the leather bug ever since. I have respect for traditional techniques, curiosity for heretical practices, and a deep and abiding love for pragmatism. Ideally I try to make things that work and are beautiful, but ugly things that work get used and loved while pretty things that don't work end up getting tossed in the "lessons learned" bin. Advice and critique on anything I post in any forum is always welcome, either in public or via PM. I'm having a great time here, don't be a stranger! :D
electrathon Posted October 19, 2015 Report Posted October 19, 2015 They have had she same problem as far back as I know. I agree, it is basically unusable. I was going to build an adjustment nut with the proper size of slot, but never did. I ended up buying one from Ron's tools instead. The other one you listed has the same problem, just not as bad. Both of them will cut very shallow, then dive in deep and ruin your leather. Quote
Moderator Art Posted October 19, 2015 Moderator Report Posted October 19, 2015 I'd like to say I don't, but I have three or more of these things dating back to the '60s. Seem like they always end up in tool collections for some reason. I have never got the block type to work at all, and the hand tool type is only a little better. It is not terribly hard to ruin a decent piece of leather with one of these things. I don't think anything short of redesigning a new cutting blade would work to correct the problem of how poorly it is made. There is hope from TLF. There new stitching groover is little better than worthless IMO, but it seems the problems are all in manufacture sloppiness and quality control. A recut with the Foredom can make-up for a lot of the functional problems, and then it will cut a respectable groove for stitching. Once that is accomplished, a French Edger can be used to widen the groove. Personally, Ron Edmonds (Ron's Tools) used to make three sizes of freehand stitch groovers that I was lucky enough to purchase in a moment of relative flushness. The largest of them will cut a groove that you could lay a piece of parachute cord in. This large size is the perfect groover, and if you need something wider, a French Edger will do the trick and if it needs to be deeper, run the groover through again. Art Quote For heaven's sakes pilgrim, make yourself a strop!
Members LeatherNerd Posted October 19, 2015 Author Members Report Posted October 19, 2015 Ouch. Thanks for the tips! I will save my pennies for a nice one like Ron's groover. Until then... I may try the wooden one but it sounds like either way I'm going to have trouble. I'll see if I can't fixate the blade a little better. My FIL is a retired machinist who may have some good advice on how to turn the post/slot into a continuous-contact surface, like single-toothed gear. Then again with the emphasis on "retired" he may say "Yep, that could be done... by somebody else. Go away." :D Thanks! Quote Hi my name is Dave Brady. I'm new to leatherworking and eager to learn. I started making journals in the spring of 2015 and I've had the leather bug ever since. I have respect for traditional techniques, curiosity for heretical practices, and a deep and abiding love for pragmatism. Ideally I try to make things that work and are beautiful, but ugly things that work get used and loved while pretty things that don't work end up getting tossed in the "lessons learned" bin. Advice and critique on anything I post in any forum is always welcome, either in public or via PM. I'm having a great time here, don't be a stranger! :D
Members TinkerTailor Posted October 19, 2015 Members Report Posted October 19, 2015 I have a hand type that is marked "rampart-tool-co" with made in usa stamped on the brass ferrule. I got it in an old tool collection. It is tight and smooth. No play in any direction. Holds an edge forever, even when i go off the edge of the leather and run it into the wood table...... I have a couple of rampart tools from the same collection. All are nice quality tools. All say "pat pend" on them as well as made in usa. Copys of most are now in tandys catalog. Dont know much about the company however. Quote "If nobody shares what they know, we will eventually all know nothing." "There is no adventure in letting fear and common sense be your guide"
Members LeatherNerd Posted October 19, 2015 Author Members Report Posted October 19, 2015 I have a hand type that is marked "rampart-tool-co" with made in usa stamped on the brass ferrule. I got it in an old tool collection. Nifty! I found a rampart gouge for about $14.00 in a vintage tool collection website. It's fixed 3/32" and I have no idea what condition the blade is in but for that price it's probably worth investigating. Thank you! Quote Hi my name is Dave Brady. I'm new to leatherworking and eager to learn. I started making journals in the spring of 2015 and I've had the leather bug ever since. I have respect for traditional techniques, curiosity for heretical practices, and a deep and abiding love for pragmatism. Ideally I try to make things that work and are beautiful, but ugly things that work get used and loved while pretty things that don't work end up getting tossed in the "lessons learned" bin. Advice and critique on anything I post in any forum is always welcome, either in public or via PM. I'm having a great time here, don't be a stranger! :D
Members TinkerTailor Posted October 19, 2015 Members Report Posted October 19, 2015 Nifty! I found a rampart gouge for about $14.00 in a vintage tool collection website. It's fixed 3/32" and I have no idea what condition the blade is in but for that price it's probably worth investigating. Thank you! Mine is a 3/32 as well. Quote "If nobody shares what they know, we will eventually all know nothing." "There is no adventure in letting fear and common sense be your guide"
Members LeatherNerd Posted October 19, 2015 Author Members Report Posted October 19, 2015 Thank you kindly, @TinkerTailor! I have this coming in the mail now: https://www.vintagetools.net/product/rampart-tool-co-332-inch-gouge-600ey I noticed there are two styles; one seems to adjust with a screw in the ferrule. The other (which I ordered) has a knurled knob to take up the slack. I realize that this is the same mechanism as the other Tandy gouge, but I'm counting on better machining and craftsmanship so there will be nearly zero play. It that's not the case I'll order one of the other style. I came home and took some pictures of the gubbins of my metal gouge; I wonder if I should publish my "fix" for taking up some of the slack in the tool? I can get semidecent cuts now and can even push the blade down into the surface of leather to start a gouge instead of needed to start the gouge at an edge. Quote Hi my name is Dave Brady. I'm new to leatherworking and eager to learn. I started making journals in the spring of 2015 and I've had the leather bug ever since. I have respect for traditional techniques, curiosity for heretical practices, and a deep and abiding love for pragmatism. Ideally I try to make things that work and are beautiful, but ugly things that work get used and loved while pretty things that don't work end up getting tossed in the "lessons learned" bin. Advice and critique on anything I post in any forum is always welcome, either in public or via PM. I'm having a great time here, don't be a stranger! :D
Members SovereignVS Posted October 20, 2015 Members Report Posted October 20, 2015 I was about to buy the metal V- gouge from Springfield Leather. I'm wondering if this gouge has the same issues as the one from Tandy. Quote
Members LeatherNerd Posted October 20, 2015 Author Members Report Posted October 20, 2015 (edited) I was about to buy the metal V- gouge from Springfield Leather. I'm wondering if this gouge has the same issues as the one from Tandy. I can't speak for anybody else, but I infer from Art's post: I have three or more of these things dating back to the '60s... I have never got the block type to work at all... that the design itself is fundamentally flawed. I've shimmed my tool and made it mostly workable, and I'm talking with my metalworking FIL about other ways to tighten up the play. I wonder if I should start a post about fixing my gouge or if I should just join in the chorus of "avoid this tool". :-/ Edited October 20, 2015 by LeatherNerd Quote Hi my name is Dave Brady. I'm new to leatherworking and eager to learn. I started making journals in the spring of 2015 and I've had the leather bug ever since. I have respect for traditional techniques, curiosity for heretical practices, and a deep and abiding love for pragmatism. Ideally I try to make things that work and are beautiful, but ugly things that work get used and loved while pretty things that don't work end up getting tossed in the "lessons learned" bin. Advice and critique on anything I post in any forum is always welcome, either in public or via PM. I'm having a great time here, don't be a stranger! :D
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