TA Gouging Machines are normally supplied to a "standard" specification. Alternatively, users may specify their own choice of bed and blade, the sole of the plane being made to suit. Bed sizes for canes from 9.5 to 32mm diameter are available and a range of blades is made for all these choices. Help can obtained in choosing the best specification to suit particular needs.

Once the tube-cane has been split, both ends of each length are first cut on the pre-set guillotine. The prepared piece should then be pre-gouged and placed on the bed between the two specially designed end-stops which permit all but the most severely distorted canes to be secure for gouging. The cane is held and released at the touch of a lever. Fine control over cane thickness is by micrometer thimble moving in units of .01mm. Blades are normally resharpened and reset by the user but a regrinding service is also available.

Machines in the 400 Series give the user very high levels of inherent accuracy. Being fitted with linear guides for both horizontal and vertical movement (removing many geometric errors), they produce canes of predictable cross-section and accuracy, yet they are amongst the easiest gouging machines to use.

"Combi" versions of these machines enable more than one closely-linked type of cane to be gouged on only one machine. Although there is an element of compromise with the "Combi" [the smaller of the two chosen diameters being cut with greater accuracy than the larger] they can be very cost-effective for some players.

All TA gouging machines are supplied ready for use and with detailed instruction-sheets.