Problems With Tandy's Metal V-Gouge

[LeatherNerd]

I must be missing something my V gouge hsa no play either sideways or up and down and cuts a clean groove which I then open with a french skive if needed

That's awesome. From the responses I'm getting it sounds like they're manufactured with very wide tolerances, which means that the occasional one may come off the line tuned just right. Did yours come from Tandy, or a different mfr?

Mine has zero play left/right, but without the shim it plays up and down over 1/8". The first time I dialed it way out to cut into some 12oz leather, I placed it on the leather and the blade vanished up into the case. The beveling on the blade is pretty variable as well. I reground mine to have a slight upward bias, so it always tries to float up out of the leather, never slip down into it. That way if the shim slips and the blade plays, I get a thinner cut rather than a ruined project. I do notice now that to operate my metal v-gouge I have to maintain firm downward pressure to keep the blade down in the groove. I actually like this as I can tell by firmness if I'm making a clean, even cut.

I bought the wooden-handle style of v-gouge and it arrived last week. I haven't tried anything other than test cuts yet, but so far it's about sixes compared to my well-ground and tuned metal gouge. If I am able to grind and tune the wooden-handled gouge it will be the clear winner, but the very first thing I noticed about the wooden-handled one is that the blade assembly is a force-fit into the handle with a ferrule. Taking it in and out every time I want to fiddle with it just isn't going to be an option. I'll just have to wait and see, I guess. They make square jeweler's files just for sharpening this type of tool in situ, so dunno. Too many variables, I guess.

Right now if I want to make a clean, predictable cut, I'll reach for my shimmed and reground metal v-gouge. Go figure, eh?

[howie696]

Mine have the word "Sturdy adjustable gouge" on the side, they don't seem as if they can be opened all I do is wind the blade down to the limit and polish the bottom on a rouge wheel. I have two and they have no play at all :-)

[LeatherNerd]

Mine have the word "Sturdy adjustable gouge" on the side, they don't seem as if they can be opened all I do is wind the blade down to the limit and polish the bottom on a rouge wheel. I have two and they have no play at all :-)

I'm sending you my shipping address. You only need one, right...?

[huffdad]

I have the same V-gouge and the same problem. Thanks for posting your "shim" solution. I had thought about doing that, and seems it was a good idea. For thin pieces, I think I'll stick to a freehand stitch groove so I don't cut right through the piece. Thank heavens I tested it on scrap first before putting it on my work piece.