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macca2
24th March 2003, 12:03 PM
I have been turning for about 6 months and am finding it a very enjoyable passtime in my retirement. However I am having great difficulty sharpening gouges. I have been to demos, seen videos and bought a cheap $49.00 jig.

All to no avail. I can't get the same grind twice and seem to always end up with a point on the end of the gouge.

Is there an easy way to learn. i.e. books jigs etc or is just a matter of keep trying.

ps. is there a "right" shape or is it personel choice

q9
24th March 2003, 04:31 PM
I bought "Woodturning - A Foundation Course" by Keith Rowley. Everyone under the sun recommended it, and it even got a mention on the Sorbey website. Good enough for me.

He dovotes a fair few pages to sharpening, and if you haven't already got this book, I suggest it would be a good starting point. About $49 from nearly every place that sells turning stuff.

Jean Michel
25th March 2003, 11:54 AM
Hi Macca2,

It is easy, with the videos you watched and the books you have read only the practice is missing now...

You may want to visit my site as soon as it is back online as there was a hacker attack in my server that succeeded. I am using home made jigs and repeatability is very easy after you decided what profile you want...

HTH,
Jean.
Jean Michel (http://www.jeanmichel.org)

splinter
25th March 2003, 05:14 PM
Hi There,
Could someone pleaseadvise me what would be a good set of tools to buy as a beginner. Also what sharpening things will I need and is Huen Pine a good wood to start with as I have a large stack of it which one of my ex-boyfriends left behind.
Thanks, Beryl

q9
25th March 2003, 08:46 PM
Being in the same position as yourself about a year ago, I contacted thewoodsmith.com.au and asked what tools they'd recommend.

They suggested a 3/4" Roughing gouge, 3/8" Spindle gouge, 3/4" Skew, 1/4" Parting tool. This has been about spot on. I have managed to make everything I have wanted to so far. I decided to buy Robert Sorby tools, which are one of the dearer brands.

For sharpening you will need a grinder with an appropriate grade wheel, and a jig of some sort.

splinter
25th March 2003, 09:20 PM
Thank you Q, Robert Sorby, are they Australian made? I really only like to buy Australian if possible. And what sort of Grinder? I suppose you do mean a bench grinder? Or would a Tormek thing be OK? My brother has one of them that he sharpens my scissors with or could I just use an oilstone?

John Saxton
25th March 2003, 09:52 PM
HI Macca, I note that you're from Perth where there is a dearth of Woodturners willing to help in many a club in the Metro area.
May I suggest you gain access to one of these woodturners who'll most likely offer the pointers to sharpening your chisels,Gouges and probably in a hand held manner that offers the age old reasoning of achieving it without necessitating the use of jigs which can be a rip off to the inexperienced.

If the idea of sharpening by hand doe's not appeal to you without the use of guides/jigs then that need not be a disconcerting thing for you BUT given that you are interested enough to warrant questioning the profiles without facets on your tools then the only real way for the long term is to learn how to do your sharpening freehand.

Notably this can be an ordeal, however with perserverance it may be overcome providing you have a set of angled profiles as an angle guide.
I have a set of angle guides cut from 3 ply hanging on a nail next to my grinder,but only as a guide to use whenever I need to check that the profiles are within keeping of thier designs.
Just some thoughts.
Cheers :)

Splinter
Robert Sorby,Henry Taylor, are a couple of quality English brands offered up in the woodturners applications but try P&N an Australian company with a good reputation in most types of tools/tooling.

Cheers:)

macca2
26th March 2003, 11:48 AM
Thanks to all for your advice.

John, I have just joined a group within WAWA and went to a meeting at which they had a very talented chap giving a demo on sharpening. Very good.

I went home thinking.......I can do that...........well maybe in the future but got some very good pointers and advice.

Would it be true to say that all turners have their own preferrence for grind profiles.

Back to the grind stone.


Thanks
Macca

splinter
26th March 2003, 03:05 PM
Q, thank you for your nice message.
John, P&N sounds Ok, I do like my Aussie "stuff".
Now what about this Huen Pine? I have a stack of it about 3' high, 3' wide and about 6' long here, the sizes vary from lumps about 18" square to pieces about 8" wide, 2" thick and nearly 6' long. My neighbour from up the street, a lovely English man, has offered to swap me for the same in radiater pine and camphor laurel because he says that they would be better for a beginner like me, is he right?

Wayne Davy
26th March 2003, 04:06 PM
Swap Huon (o not e) Pine for radiata pine?!?!?!?! Tell the Pommy to 'Sod Off'. Just go and buys some radiata pine from Bunnies to practice on and let the lovely Huon age some more until you feel confident at turning.

You should read up on Huon Pine. Try this link or search the Web

http://www.tastimber.tas.gov.au/

http://www.tastimber.tas.gov.au/species/pdfs/huon_pine.pdf

fxst
26th March 2003, 04:07 PM
is his name ned kelly??
if not tell him to go away
Huon Pine is a very desirable timber for a variety of uses from boat building cabinet making turnin etc check out the mention in the timber forum mention that u might sell him some at market prices and watch the reaction lol
radiata pine is ok I guess and camphor laurel is not risk free but check first as it can affect u to some degree
Pete
I guess I could give u some pinus as well and take that terrible huon pine of ur hands tho

q9
26th March 2003, 04:40 PM
Just checking the pm thing, good to see it worked.

DO NOT swap that pine!!! (send it my way instead :D )

Keep it until you find something suitably decent to make out of it, you would regret practising or learning on it.

Look after that wood pile!

splinter
26th March 2003, 11:39 PM
Thank you gentlemen, it would seem that my nice English neighbour might be a bit of a Pommy "B". I shall certainly refer your thoughts to him!
:rolleyes:

quandong
28th March 2003, 04:35 PM
He certainly is and you definately should :p