A failed gouge

I tried to make a gouge from a masonry nail (supposedly hardened steel). After annealing, I used a Dremel and stone to cut the inside of the gouge, then hand filed the outside sweep and the bevel.

The handle is cut from some green wood from fallen branches I found near a creek during a lunchtime walk. A short length of copper pipe serves as a ferrule.

Unfortunately, after I sharpened the gouge, I tried it out, only to have the edge bend back on itself. A test with another masonry nail showed that I seemed to have heated it hot enough for heat treatment (a magnet no longer stuck), but the metal was still softer than a file after quenching. This is a good reminder to test unknown steel before you make your tools!

I found that the handle also fits 6-inch files, so all is not lost.