Sunday, April 5, 2009
This is my first wood cut, look at it and feel very good about yourselves all you people who cut wood and sharpen tools succesfully! because this was a unhappy experience for me. The good thing is that wood prints better than lino. Much better and very easily. The bad thing is that I have probably brought the wrong sharpening stone for the wrong tool. I have destroyed in one sitting that poor little tool tool can see in the photo. I was (under advice of nice man at the shop) told to buy that arkensas stone that you can also see, and to sharpen very carefully. Well I obviously did not sharpen carefully! I also did not pay attention to wise advice on the barenforum ! This tool now cannot even cut lino and upon inspection I can see that the tool was to fine for the stone edge , any suggestions about restoring this tool to a workable edge would be welcome.
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Hi Georgina,
ReplyDeleteI can't help you much with sharpening, but my tip as a person who hates to sharpen is this. As much as possible try to keep a sharp edge by using a honing pad (leather) with honing paste. You can hone constantly as you work so that you only have to use a stone when the edge stops taking a hone or becomes nicked or broken.
I suggest you buy a set of Japanese water stones; 320 extra course, used only for reshaping geometry or restoring badly damaged edges, 800, 1200, 4000, and either an 6000 or 8000 grit polishing stone. as well as some high density chromium oxide compound; C.O. content can vary greatly.
ReplyDeleteThe 8000 grit is the same particle size as the chromium oxide but the C.O. is easer to use for touch-ups as you sharpen and for hones both out and inside of tools such as gouges.
Also a must is the book "The Complete Guide to Sharpening" by L. Lee of Lee Valley tools/Veritas,
This one book will tell you all you'll ever need to know about bring an edge to a tool and explores many methods as well as tool types, including Japanese laminated metals.
You will also want one of those little pocket microscopes, with a light, to check your progress as you remove the scratches of the previously used stone before going to the next step up.
If you can't get all your stones at once, you can make do nicely with quality automotive wet/dry paper stuck on top of plate glass but make sure you only drag the tool edges, never push them. A little honey as a thin glue should do fine for a easy to remove sheet, just be sure the paper is flat before setting a tool to it.
Keep in mind though, any time you buy a grit, the Japanese system of sizing grit is different than the Western system.
Like my daddy said to me, one bright blue Carolina morning, "Better know your grits boy, and don't hog the butter,,,";-)
There are also sheets designed for sharping that have an adhesive back and go from course to extra fine .05 micron or better.
One advantage to using paper sharpening is that wood forms can be made to accommodate all your gouges and 'V' tools cheaply. You can also use wood forms to carry honing compound as well as paper, which can be very useful for small inside areas like your little 'V tool'.
I will suggest that you use a clear pine or mahogany (or other firm 'soft' wood, or a sheet of smooth finished paper married to a plate of glass as a honing bed, rather than a leather strop, at least for your 'V' and straight edged tools. Leather strops, even when mounted on a firm surface can give a convex edge to blades. This is ok for 'C' and "U' gouges but knives and ' V' tools are better served by a sharp angle with no convex curve at all.
There are a lot of ways to get a sharp tool, even a heavy brown paper bag can be used in a pinch.
Good luck
thank you for your advice, I really appreciate it
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