Thread: A sharp weekend.

I gotta get to one of those meets... Would have learnt to sharpen my chisels properly..
Jim

Originally Posted by powderpost

I gotta get to one of those meets... Would have learnt to sharpen my chisels properly..

If you have - or intend to buy - a Tormek.

Somehow, they stole the day...

PowderPost said "Would have learnt to sharpen my chisels properly"

Heheh ... well there were differences between and Ken on sharpening technique, another indicator if one were needed that there's more than one way to skin a cat*. Though they concurred on 45 degrees as their general bevel angle.

* mine's a 60 degree included angle, wet ground edge & ceramic stone hone ;-}

Originally Posted by powderpost

I gotta get to one of those meets... Would have learnt to sharpen my chisels properly..
Jim

An 'in' joke....

Here are a few shots of my P&N scraper. I spoke to and Ken about it and they decided the angle was wrong (mind you, they couldn't agree on the "right" angle ). They also suggested cleaning up the top of the scraper to improve the edge. This was a task I had been meaning to do for a while.

Anyway, when I got home I changed the angle then started to work on the back. First thing I noticed was the back had pits and voids but otherwise was reasonably flat. I put it to a lapping plate with 90 grit and began to work it down. You can see the void at the tip of the scraper, that is what I wanted to reduce to almost nothing.

The last shot on the bench shows it finished and a mirror finish at the cutting edge. There are still a few light scratches just behind the edge but they will be ground away or lapped down during future sharpenings. I haven't got to test it yet but I am certain it is going to perform a lot better, thanks guys!

Is that really needed with a scraper?

I've just spent the rest of my weekend modifying my home made grinding jig.

One of the points made on the day that I thought made a lot of sense was that the majority of the same tools in use (eg spindle gouges) have the same grind angle, so that the jig setup for a quick resharpen will be quick and simple and the tools can mostly be used in a predictable way.

Although the wet & slow grind was lauded on the day, when I compared the tools prepared on my 3K rpm or thereabouts dry grinder with the ones prepared on Ken's superfine wet stone, I struggled to see the difference. (Sorry Ken!), but then an experienced operator would likely feel the difference.

It is interesting though that different jig systems give different grind profiles, and yet they all seem to perform the function of cutting or scraping timber pretty well.

Thanks again for an educational day!

Cheers,

FrankG

Thanks to for his hospitality and guidance. I've always ground freehand but if has moved to jigs for sharpening then I might too. Well worth the trip down to 's for anyone considering it in the future.

The argument for wetstone sharpening and honing Frank is that it leaves an edge that lasts longer and cuts cleaner.

Alan Lacer has done a couple of articles that confirm the cleaner cuts and Farrance did a test with a spindle gouge that confirmed the durability of the edge. Microscopic images of both the tool edge and end-grain poplar in one case provided some of the evidence.

But another issue here is efficiency: what's the output of a given input. Clearly with a wetstone system the inputs in terms of time and cost are far greater than with a dry grinder so you'd want the effects to be greater too, but are they disproportionately greater?

For hobby turners a few more licks of the dry grinder, more time spent sanding and more rapid loss of HSS are on one side of the equation and a grand or more of hardware on the other side.

Edit: course with Ken's fine work where you can't sand you need the best finish you can get off the tool. Honing is still an option there though either manually or with a wheel mounted on the lathe.

I would like to thank everybody that attended but there a few that deserve special attention.

Ken Wraight for helping to fill in the gaps that I left and for demonstrating his unique turning abilities.

Calm (David) for bringing the snags and chops and slaving over a hot barby cooking them.

Grumpy John and Tea Lady for helping me get the the workshop organised so that there was space to get every one in.

If you had seen it Thursday it would have been a non event.

It was a great day with good company. What more could you wish for?

Originally Posted by Sawdust Maker

Is that really needed with a scraper?

As said on the weekend, an edge is the intersection of two faces. If either is rough the edge will be uneven.

Ken also noted that burr bits can break off embedding in the wood. When the tool edge collides with them, apart from damaging the wood surface, it is dulled more quickly so you go back to the grinder more often so ... vicious cycle.

Edit: however, on a spindle gouge Farrance found the burr remarkably durable - so it could be a matter of angles and wheel grit as to what kind of burr is thrown up.

But maybe Nick you were referring to the extent of Groggy's lapping. I wouldn't have thought a scraper top needed to be absolutely flat the way a bench chisel or plane blade should be.

Originally Posted by

It was a great day with good company. What more could you wish for?

What more could you wish for?

Well, some things , including some forewarning on what to expect at Ken's place today. I am still gob-smacked and reeling. The Saturday and Sunday were a severe reality check, but the Monday was a killer.

Of course, many had already seen the pieces in this year's exhibition (and previously no doubt). But I truly had no idea about the extremes of turning.

I scurried home ASAP with my tail between my legs!

Thanks to all for the company and particularly , Julie, Ken and Helen for welcoming Anne and I into their workshop / homes.

And , real woodworking in the next few weeks with Calm and Skew hopefully.

Jeff

Sounds like everyone learn something and had a great time, shame I couldn't make it.

Also sounds like I need to get lessons on my Tormek. I only use it for planes and wood chisels as I have not had any luck with the turnings chisels (although I did manage to grove my wheel ).

Did anyone demo honing with cutting paste on a spining disk, or on buffing wheel?

Ken briefly covered honing after sharpening on the Tormek.

(After mentioned honing before sharpening. )