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Outsider
7th November 2005, 12:44 PM
While turning over the weekend I got annoyed with the Sharpness of my Gouge (I'm very green on this sharpening thing).

I have read with interest many sharpening threads.

I used the sanding disc on the lathe using the table as a rest and WALLA a much sharper gouge. It was easy for my old eyes to match the former angle. It may not be very technical but it is slower than the grinder and the vertical flat surface makes it easy to line up the profile.

Easy peasy.

Toasty
7th November 2005, 01:51 PM
The only problem with that is that you will evetually flatten out the bevel of the chisel. A $100 bench grinder and a grinding jig will give you even better results.

Makes a difference though for sure ;)

Skew ChiDAMN!!
7th November 2005, 01:57 PM
Yes, it's a good method provided you're aware of a couple of pitfalls.

Firstly, as with turning timber, be prepared for a catch! It doesn't take much for the chiusel tip to dig into the paper. Bad presentation of the tool or worn paper makes it more likely. Worse, a bad catch may do some serious gouging of the backing plate, rendering it more or less useless. Of course, pinched fingers & knocked noggins are always a possibility.

Secondly, it makes it easy to set the right angle but, on the other hand, it makes it harder to be sure you're holding the chisel square on. I used to set the toolrest so the centre of the chisel was level with the centre of the headstock and clamped a square along the toolrest to help align the chisel.

Finally, it flattens the bevel. A slightly concave bevel cuts better.

I much prefer a grinder now, there's less setting up and, with a bit of practice, it's easier to use. It's just that learning curve...

La truciolara
8th November 2005, 08:48 PM
....
Finally, it flattens the bevel. A slightly concave bevel cuts better.

I am surprised... I do every thing to have a flat bevel.
As the bevel should always tuch the wood, doesn,'t a concave bevel makes the operation more difficult? :eek:

Skew ChiDAMN!!
10th November 2005, 10:24 PM
No. :) If the bevel is flat it only contacts the wood in one small area. Don't forget, the wood is round. A concave bevel should give a slightly greater contact area. But I don't think it's that which makes the difference... except maybe when turning small items such as pens or trembleurs. I think it's because a concave bevel leaves a bit more steel behind the tip, reducing flex and improving heat dissipation. It's not much of a difference, but then again there's not really that much difference betwen a sharp tool and a blunt one. ;) I might be wrong, probably am, but I do find that a concave bevel cuts better. [shrug]