Henry Taylor gouge

[eshelton]

For Christmas I got a Henry Taylor long notch gouge from Lee Valley. I wanted it specifically for heavy mallet use for my big bowls. Well, while using it today for the first time I fell in love with it. Incredible steel and edge retention and just feels better to me than my Phiels but then the handle just fell off and won't stay on. The first time I'm using it and it lets me down. Has anyone had experience with this? Is the handle supposed to come off? An $80 gouge should have a handle that stays put right?

[Brian T]

Re: Henry Taylor gouge

The handle fell off. The tang of the steel will not reseat into the wood?

Get a very coarse file, and rough up the tang. Do a really rough, messy job. The queen will never notice. Pour some epoxy like JBWeld into the hole of the handle, butter it on the tang. Ram the tang into that. Handle down, rap that on the bench 5X.
Go to bed.
Tomorrow, prune off the squeeze out.
HT tools shouldn't come apart, maybe a poor batch of adhesive, whatever it was.
I don't blink because I don't care. I fix it and move on.

What I described is the approximation of how I haft crooked knives, 7/9 and counting.
None of them have come apart and I am not the least bit forgiving with them in their use. I like the term: "bash-worthy." I can make that happen.

[Nomad]

Re: Henry Taylor gouge

Reminds me of a girlfriend I used to have. Cost me a lot more than 80 bucks too...

[eshelton]

Re: Henry Taylor gouge

The handle fell off. The tang of the steel will not reseat into the wood?

Get a very coarse file, and rough up the tang. Do a really rough, messy job. The queen will never notice. Pour some epoxy like JBWeld into the hole of the handle, butter it on the tang. Ram the tang into that. Handle down, rap that on the bench 5X.
Go to bed.
Tomorrow, prune off the squeeze out.
HT tools shouldn't come apart, maybe a poor batch of adhesive, whatever it was.
I don't blink because I don't care. I fix it and move on.

What I described is the approximation of how I haft crooked knives, 7/9 and counting.
None of them have come apart and I am not the least bit forgiving with them in their use. I like the term: "bash-worthy." I can make that happen.

That's exactly what I will do, thanks. I agree HT tools shouldn't come apart and because it did I was a little disappointed but oh man the control I have with it and the superb blade do make up for it. Thanks again.

[woodeneye]

Re: Henry Taylor gouge

I'm with Robson. I might add, though, that I favor JB Weld "Clear Weld." Tremendous strength and it is clear when dried. I use something similar for all my knives and not one has failed me. If cosmetics don't matter to you, then disregard this statement.

[eshelton]

Re: Henry Taylor gouge

Yes I do like my stuff to look nice so I will go. Pick some of that up, thanks eye

[riverwood-dan]

Re: Henry Taylor gouge

I have one only HT gouge it was a Christmas gift from my wife 3 years ago. I don't use it much as I find the edge won't hold in hardwood I . know how to sharpen and don't have problems with my Swiss made chisels. I can sharpen the HT to razor sharp and one or two swats with the mallet into maple and the edge is ragged looks like I hit metal or something . I won't buy HT because of this bad experience . The HT gouge is a large #2 sold by Lee Valley in their log building tools cost was around 75 bucks. Dan

[Brian T]

Re: Henry Taylor gouge

woodeneye: I use the JBWeld product that's a dark steel gray color. Explains my fondness for cord wrapping to cover the ugly workmanship!

riverwood-dan: A design bevel angle suggests the amount of steel needed to support the edge. You might try 25-28 degrees, particularly when you swat the beast with a mallet. That might work.
Also, I spent $50 on a Stanley #64(?) spokeshave. After a couple of really frustrating days, I convinced myself that they had forgotten to harden & temper the blade. Nope, can't return it because I worked on it. Stanley "Crapshave."

[Donsexton]

Re: Henry Taylor gouge

I use HT I am an old man and my tools are old I was pounding HT gouges in hard wood in 1976 with a mallet. I don’t know maybe they are made of pot metal now days I do have a forge and I do completely understand how to temper tool steel. Is 1976 old? John Rood used Henry Taylor and your boy Chris Pye was a HT guy before he got a sponsor. I have sold carvings made with a HT gouge for over $4K just so you know.

[Andrash]

Re: Henry Taylor gouge

The handle fell off. The tang of the steel will not reseat into the wood?

Get a very coarse file, and rough up the tang. Do a really rough, messy job. The queen will never notice. Pour some epoxy like JBWeld into the hole of the handle, butter it on the tang. Ram the tang into that. Handle down, rap that on the bench 5X.
Go to bed.
Tomorrow, prune off the squeeze out.
HT tools shouldn't come apart, maybe a poor batch of adhesive, whatever it was.
I don't blink because I don't care. I fix it and move on.

What I described is the approximation of how I haft crooked knives, 7/9 and counting.
None of them have come apart and I am not the least bit forgiving with them in their use. I like the term: "bash-worthy." I can make that happen.

Hello, So it seems I'm 9 years too late but just in case others might be reading this subject this decade; I don't know HT's other Gouges, but the Log Notch Gouge's handle (while shouldn't pop off that easily in my estimation) is not meant to be glued on as we pound it endlessly and eventually it may need to be replaced, that is why for example on Lee Valley Tools' site we can see replacement handles offered. I own one of these Gouges and replaced it's handle after 4 years. I've never attempted to take off a handle of anything that was epoxied on so if someone has had experience with such operation please let me know.