sharp tools some one help me plz

[nz_carver]

ok its time to get my tools sharpend now i know it sounds bad but its some think i can't do to save my life

now i wana know is there any one in sydney who can do this(for a price)??
look i hope there is some one out there that can help me

[funkychicken]

Paying to get your tools sharpened??? Madness!

Get some lessons from a forumites or buy or tormek or something

[Artesano]

.i know it sounds bad but its some think i can't do to save my life......

....now i wana know is there any one in sydney who can do this(for a price)??

Nobody is born knowing how to do it mate, but I don't believe you are going to look for help for the rest of your life, are you? So, if you are going to learn sooner or later, why not do it sooner? In my time I nad nobody to ask ( it would be great if you know somebody there, who may show you ), so the woodcarving books were a BIG help, the chisels and the flat gouges were easiest, not so the V-tools....anyway, if you wanna give it a try, read this

[SPIRIT]

leather mat to polish them up should be done often every hour or so

[Frank&Earnest]

Get the best of both worlds. Pay or bribe an expert sharpener (they might be harder to find these days) to sharpen your chisels properly while s/he teaches you how to do it. A badly sharpened blade can be just about ruined and you do not want to do that while learning.

Different people swear by different methods, so before getting a sharpener/teacher decide what sharpening tools you would prefer to use yourself. For me, it is felt wheels and abrasive pastes, more traditional people prefer grinders and slipstones.

[underfoot]

Pay or bribe an expert sharpener (they might be harder to find these days) to sharpen your chisels properly while s/he teaches you how to do it.

Different people swear by different methods, .

good call Frank,
theres lots of info on sharpening out there, but nothing beats being shown by an experienced person.
NZ, there's bound to be a woodwork group in your area, chase them up ,
and if you find anyone who can get a V gouge consistently right let me know.

oh yeah, I bought a cheap ( GMC?) wet wheel years ago $85, (couldn't afford a Tormek) , pulled it apart and straightened and tweaked a few bits, couldn't live without it now

[Frank&Earnest]

oh yeah, I bought a cheap ( GMC?) wet wheel years ago $85, (couldn't afford a Tormek) , pulled it apart and straightened and tweaked a few bits, couldn't live without it now

Interesting. Many years ago I got a Bosch (cheap?) wet wheel for around $300, the going price at the time, and after a couple of attempts I gave up. The wheel is soft as soap and the gouges just sink into it. The machine otherwise works (it turns, what else?) don't know what I could tweak besides replacing the wheel. Was I doing something wrong? I could try again if it is worthwhile.

PS. What's your take on the internal bisel? Never had it on my tools, and Pfeil tools do not have it either, but many seem to believe that carving chisels and gouges are better with one.

[nz_carver]

yeah i know Vs are gr8 but a pain in the bum to sharpen
look im a chef my trade so this time of yr im doing around 50hr+ so my time i do have of i wana spend carving
i know i will try to do it my self
(man once say more carving tool u have more u have to sharpen me thinks not so smart now)
i can sharpen on a beench stone sweet but with over 80 tools now its a days work
was thinking of geting a eletric wet stone this weeek to save time
i

[underfoot]

) don't know what I could tweak besides replacing the wheel. Was I doing something wrong? I could try again if it is worthwhile.

PS. What's your take on the internal bisel? Never had it on my tools, and Pfeil tools do not have it either, but many seem to believe that carving chisels and gouges are better with one.

As you say Frank, it's a wet wheel, it needs to turn (run true) and be wet,,,,, not really rocket science, thats why I could never figure out the expense of the tormek
IMO its definitely worth getting a new wheel.

I've tried chisels with an internal bevel a couple of times, (I never really gave them enough time) once after buying a bunch of old patternmakers chisels at a garage sale,
and I had a set of 40 chisels made for me in Indonesia on my last surfing trip ,rough as guts, no handles and all internal bevels, (but jeez these guys can use em)

I'm just used to my pfeils and addis tools, (all external)
if it's sharp it'll carve,
it's just personal preference,

[Artesano]

It's true the tools don't have the inner bevel when we buy them- (I haven't seen one with it), but it's very important (IMO).There's an angle of the bevel of any carving tool when it's comfortable to use -the tool will bite at the wood, I don't know the exact angle, if it's 20º, 25º or 30º....it doesn't matter, what matters is that the "good" angle also makes the gouge weak-the inner bevel makes it stronger, as it increases the angle of the blade.I'm just great trying to explain it, ain't I?Anyway, you don't need it if you work with very soft timber; and for big tools and mallet working you could just make the outer bevel steeper.The other thing that makes the inner bevel so important is working with the tool upside down, which is very handy in some carvings - of course, you can do it with a backbent gouge, but they don't come in so much sizes , and then, who wants a dozen of them?

[Frank&Earnest]

Thanks guys, I'll follow your advice. (And I might also try making an awesome bicycle powered sharpening machine based on those I saw as a little child... I love making machines at least as much as carving)

Ivan, you confirm everything I had worked out by reading numerous sources, including the one you linked:

1- the thin single bisel is best for most not very hard wood carving
2- a shorter bisel is required for harder wood
3- an internal bisel is required for reversing the cut.

My personal preference then would be to keep my tools as 1 and grind them for 2 and 3 if and when needed for the job (which also explains why new ones are not ground both sides). To grind an internal bisel on all tools means accepting a compromise between 1 and 2 for the convenience of having 3 always ready when you need it, which probably is the best solution for professional carvers like you who need to cater for continuous varied work and want to minimise the risk of chipping.