I'm new to turning myself, but haven't had the problems your experiencing. The bowl gouge may have a little higher ends due to the deep flute, but if you make sure you're rubbing the bevel, it shouldn't catch. I also use the toe of a skew to 'mark out' some rings approximately every half inch or so, so the gouge doesn't ride up. It has a place to stop. I've found these techniques in a great book that I bought by the author Kieth Rowley: Woodturning, a foundation course. I've read everything I could find, but this gentleman put it in a way that i could follow and understand. I would recommend it to anyone. I keep this book right next to my lathe at all times for reference. So far, first time out I made 2 lamps and am in the process of making a pot, which is coming out pretty good for my first time. Hope this helps :idea:

Night Owl

Forgot to tell you where I got the book, It was at 'Woodcraft'. They also have videos and just about everything you need for turning. Good luck and happy turning Night Owl (Tom)[/list]

The tips of the gouge are most certainly your problem and it realy is only helped with experience however, there are a few things you can try:

1. Make sure you have plently of light... I picked-up an old angle-poise lamp that I use to shine directly into the bowl almost along the gouge. This helps to see what part of the tool is cutting and where.

2. I ground a bowl gouge to a short-stubby profile that is part gouge, part scraper and this is ideal for the intersection between side and bottom.

3. Make sure your tool rest is well placed to supprt the tool. Sounds obvious but many, many people under-estimate the leverage that can be exerted by a gouge-end.

Hope it helps.

STH

STH mentions the tool rest.. don't forget that the height it is placed makes a big difference too. Set it so the gouge is presented to the workpiece at just above centre and tilt the gouge so that its almost on its side and the bevel is running parallel to the inner bowl surface.
Alternatively you can always use a scraper rather that a gouge... did someone just swear!?

Eeek!

There are already too many scrape 'n' sand merchants out there. He has already started on the right path by picking up a gouge; let's keep him on it

STH .. I want to make sure in understand what you mean by "grinding gouge to a short stubby profile" does this mean the "knife edge part" has very little angle to it? I take it to mean that a scaper is ground flush, so this would lead me to believe that thw short stubby grind would be nearly flush ... is this what you mean ?? (because I a currently grinding with quite a long "edge" (which isn't working)
Colin