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Type: Posts; User: Robson Valley
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11th December 2022, 08:50 AM
Thread: A couple of spokeshaves
by Robson Valley- Replies
- 5
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- 407
What a joy those 'shaves will be to use! I have...
What a joy those 'shaves will be to use! I have 2 Samona (SKorea) with one set to cut thick and the other to cut thin.
I have found no reason to adjust them in years. In use, I often hold the... -
21st September 2022, 03:08 PM
Thread: Uses for my hand held belt sander?
by Robson Valley- Replies
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- 636
"Hand held" belt sanders. Fantastic tool for...
"Hand held" belt sanders. Fantastic tool for sizing recoil pads on rifles and shotguns.
Three wraps of masking tape and a garbage bin bag to protect the action.
You cut until you nick the tape... -
28th August 2022, 09:58 AM
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I read that the objective here is to get the guy...
I read that the objective here is to get the guy turning. If there's a Guild or a club nearby, surely somebody can step up and do the sharpening? It would be a pleasure to help out.
I was... -
23rd August 2022, 04:51 AM
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My legs have very poor circulation and my sense...
My legs have very poor circulation and my sense of balance was wrecked from a concussion. A cane is OK if there are things to hold onto otherwise,
I zoom around the house with a walker. Yeah,... -
22nd August 2022, 09:11 AM
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I have done a modest amount of custom sharpening...
I have done a modest amount of custom sharpening of both full size and mini lathe tools.
The first accessory to buy is a digital protractor. I learned that the various tools have different bevel... -
19th August 2022, 09:04 AM
Thread: Tang size for new carving knives
by Robson Valley- Replies
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Depends upon the function and craving style that...
Depends upon the function and craving style that the knife will be used for.
Conventional European/American carving design puts the narrow tang down the middle of the handle.
Most, but not all,... -
26th July 2022, 11:40 AM
Thread: Vinegar and steel wool solution.
by Robson Valley- Replies
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It's a mineral salt, iron acetate, which...
It's a mineral salt, iron acetate, which complexes with the organic tannins in the woods.
A presoak in very strong tea will add tannins to weak wood for a deeper stain color.
I made some, tried... -
15th July 2022, 08:56 AM
Thread: Vinegar and steel wool solution.
by Robson Valley- Replies
- 16
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I made up the iron acetate brew with steel wool...
I made up the iron acetate brew with steel wool and vinegar (5% acetic acid). Took a month for the wad of wool to dissolve.
Looked reddish brown, got my hopes up.
Birch (Betula papyrifera) is a... -
3rd July 2022, 09:00 AM
Thread: Fractal wood burning.
by Robson Valley- Replies
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Right from the start, I have always considered HV...
Right from the start, I have always considered HV burning to be a novelty and not very trendy at that.
The user has no practical control over the design, the outcome, so I refuse to call it the... -
8th March 2022, 06:07 AM
Thread: Oozing, seeping sap
by Robson Valley- Replies
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Can you add a non-resinous wood to the tops of...
Can you add a non-resinous wood to the tops of each tread?
Here at 53N we usually staple gritted asphalt shingles to each step tread with a staple gun.
Fully intending to replace them in 5 years... -
31st January 2022, 01:19 PM
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I did moonlight FX theatrical special...
I did moonlight FX theatrical special effects/props/masks etc for 20 years.
I had to work silently back stage or below my babies' bedrooms at home.
Lots and lots of airbrush work, even fantasy... -
9th January 2022, 02:57 PM
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You do not want a lubricant. You want friction. ...
You do not want a lubricant. You want friction. You want a carrier to wash away the swarf so that your abrasive continues to cut as predicted.
I don't need a puddle of smashed abrasive particle of... -
18th December 2021, 05:13 PM
Thread: Advice needed
by Robson Valley- Replies
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Welcome, Rick. As you know, the tools vary...
Welcome, Rick.
As you know, the tools vary with the job.
Each style of wood carving has a fairly well defined set of starting tools.
Probably best to pick one (relief carving?), buy some... -
13th December 2021, 10:23 AM
Thread: Beginner
by Robson Valley- Replies
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- 736
Welcome Nick. 1. Search the archives in this...
Welcome Nick.
1. Search the archives in this forum. There were some big active threads a few years ago.
2. Can you find a local group of like-minded carvers to exchange info with?
3. You can't... -
5th December 2021, 06:44 AM
Thread: Don't Judge a Book by its Cover
by Robson Valley- Replies
- 18
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Those kinds of old things ( and worse) are prime...
Those kinds of old things ( and worse) are prime candidates for building elbow or D adzes for wood carving.
Very common tools here among the First Nations of the Pacific Northwest.
Lots of times, I... -
1st November 2021, 09:49 AM
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Hi Chris: You certainly work with big dishes. I...
Hi Chris:
You certainly work with big dishes. I wanted ones to be convenient on my table.
One thing I did learn was that I must almost finish the entire outside of the dish before I do the easy... -
1st November 2021, 07:05 AM
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I'm here. I've carved several bowls of different...
I'm here.
I've carved several bowls of different shapes and sizes. I have run across several different techniques.
In none of them does anybody ever use a bent gouge. That's a new one for me.
... -
26th October 2021, 05:20 AM
Thread: Wood screw recommendations
by Robson Valley- Replies
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- 1,589
I try to do everything indoors and some outdoors...
I try to do everything indoors and some outdoors with #8 Robertson in various lengths.
#8 x 1.5" come in 1 kg cans, I don't know the count but it's lots until I started working on a long fence.... -
19th October 2021, 05:36 AM
Thread: The Unicorn method
by Robson Valley- Replies
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Every steel is very plastic when very thin. ...
Every steel is very plastic when very thin. There is simple proof of that fact. I decided not to ignore that.
The deal with any sharpening technique is to get an edge adequate for the intended... -
18th October 2021, 04:12 AM
Thread: The Unicorn method
by Robson Valley- Replies
- 168
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- 23,678
Excellent news. Rather than how the edges feel,...
Excellent news. Rather than how the edges feel, always test them in the woods that you intend to work with. That's where it really matters.
I have good sized pieces of every wood that I like to... -
7th October 2021, 01:18 PM
Thread: The Unicorn method
by Robson Valley- Replies
- 168
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- 23,678
Seeing is believing, so my vision-challenged...
Seeing is believing, so my vision-challenged friend tells me.
There's 2 pages of these SEM electron micrographs that put poo-poo to many myths regarding the soft plastic nature of steel edges.... -
3rd October 2021, 07:08 AM
Thread: Dual axle fuel tanker.
by Robson Valley- Replies
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- 331
Had one of those in front of my house just...
Had one of those in front of my house just yesterday. I think the frame in front of the rear wheels was 1m-2m longer.
To accommodate the hose reels, pumps and so on. Otherwise, just like the one... -
29th September 2021, 10:21 AM
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Good friend is a manufacturing jeweler. I like...
Good friend is a manufacturing jeweler. I like to use stones, metals and shell inlay in my wood carvings.
She uses a Knew Concepts fret saw, the one with the rotating blade. I bought one.
They... -
25th September 2021, 11:12 AM
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I sympathize with your challenges. I was taught...
I sympathize with your challenges.
I was taught freehand sharpening by a full-time, professional wood carver.
I learned a whole bunch of things that I did incorrectly.
I learned a whole bunch... -
24th September 2021, 04:26 AM
Thread: Whetstone selection
by Robson Valley- Replies
- 18
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According to Lee Valley and 3M Products, 1200...
According to Lee Valley and 3M Products,
1200 grit has a nominal particle size of 6.5 microns
1500 grit has a nominal particle size of 3 microns
2000 grit has a nominal Particle size of1 micron.... -
21st August 2021, 01:10 PM
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I'd begin with dust control and never feel safe...
I'd begin with dust control and never feel safe with a mask on for just 60 minutes.
The P2.5 crap will still be hanging around.
Don't forget that some of that dust, a large fraction, will be... -
21st August 2021, 01:01 PM
Thread: Halloween calendar
by Robson Valley- Replies
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My inventory would include a cemetery with...
My inventory would include a cemetery with headstones and grassy weeds and ghosts rising up.
Must have bats and a witch flying on a broom.
A sliver of a moon in the sky.
Bunch of spooky carved... -
18th August 2021, 10:25 AM
Thread: Price for timber to drop?
by Robson Valley- Replies
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I bought my first house new, very nice. Wooden...
I bought my first house new, very nice. Wooden deck 6' x30'on the back. Ten years and it was too rotten to walk on.
Had it redone in steel with catwalk mesh and indoor/outdoor carpet. Much cheaper... -
18th August 2021, 07:33 AM
Thread: Price for timber to drop?
by Robson Valley- Replies
- 48
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- 3,900
I do not believe that wood prices for...
I do not believe that wood prices for spruce/fir/pine coming from British Columbia will be dropping any time soon.
Even the tourists are being warned to go home, stay home and stay off the water... -
17th August 2021, 04:04 PM
Thread: Sharpening using a Wetstone
by Robson Valley- Replies
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The principles are the same. Kitchen prep knife,...
The principles are the same. Kitchen prep knife, cleaver, $100 adze blade, 9/15 gouge, they are all the same.
Maybe the tool moves, maybe the abrasive moves, all the same.
I roll a 5/35 gouge on... -
17th August 2021, 12:31 PM
Thread: Sharpening using a Wetstone
by Robson Valley- Replies
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"Carving knives" are very specifically meant for...
"Carving knives" are very specifically meant for particular styles of wood carving.
About 1/2 of my tools are the usual western style of gouges with mallets and so forth.
The other half are... -
7th August 2021, 01:22 PM
Thread: Is this adequate for sharpening
by Robson Valley- Replies
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There's no good reason to need to use leather for...
There's no good reason to need to use leather for a strop.
A thousand years ago, it was the only smooth and flat surface there was.
Now, an offcut of float glass or a bit of polished stone... -
7th August 2021, 04:44 AM
Thread: Anyone know what this item is?
by Robson Valley- Replies
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- 909
I'll say that it's a high pressure mercury...
I'll say that it's a high pressure mercury lightbulb. The kind in the roof of a basketball court.
The glassy part is fused quartz and the cage is to catch the big chunks if/when the bulb explodes.... -
31st July 2021, 08:36 AM
Thread: Sharpening using a Wetstone
by Robson Valley- Replies
- 11
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- 884
1,000 might not get you far enough, fast enough. ...
1,000 might not get you far enough, fast enough.
If the edge is at all banged up, you will need to somehow grind behind that then restore the carving edge.
I use a 10X magnifier and look for... -
30th July 2021, 09:23 AM
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I seriously doubt that you will find another wood...
I seriously doubt that you will find another wood as dark as ebony. Core heartwoods from many species, even things like apple,
are very pleasing shades of medium to dark brown and that's about it.... -
29th July 2021, 03:07 AM
Thread: Sharpening using a Wetstone
by Robson Valley- Replies
- 11
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- 884
Paint the bevel with black felt marker so you can...
Paint the bevel with black felt marker so you can watch what's happening.
Sharpen from your knees, not your elbows.
Pull strokes only, no scrubbing. Gentle pressure.
Pull stroke then stop. ... -
26th July 2021, 03:41 AM
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Find something quite flat, such as a piece of...
Find something quite flat, such as a piece of "float" glass. Called "salvage glass" in the window shops.
I'll bind the entire edge with heavy tape so I don't cut myself.
Stick down a length of... -
20th July 2021, 04:57 AM
Thread: Suppliers of Knife Blanks?
by Robson Valley- Replies
- 4
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- 536
Ha! No problem. Everybody does it. Of my 5...
Ha! No problem. Everybody does it.
Of my 5 cleavers, the oldest is about 1970/Melbourne ( Little Collins St?).
I use 3 which are just 15cm/6" that cost me $15.00 each.
The two big ones... -
20th July 2021, 02:45 AM
Thread: Suppliers of Knife Blanks?
by Robson Valley- Replies
- 4
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- 536
What sort of a wood carving knife do you intend...
What sort of a wood carving knife do you intend to make?
I have repurposed 2 dozen worn down farrier's hoof trimming knives as entirely satisfactory wood carvers.
Otherwise, I have found it most... -
15th July 2021, 03:06 PM
Thread: Cleaning pleated filter
by Robson Valley- Replies
- 14
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- 1,033
Try low (40psi) air pressure to blow it out...
Try low (40psi) air pressure to blow it out backwards while you brush the outer surface to dislodge the crud.
What's your time worth? If you don't own even a little compressor air source, you can... -
12th July 2021, 03:54 PM
Thread: Card Scraper Question
by Robson Valley- Replies
- 10
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- 462
I always knock off the corners of my home made...
I always knock off the corners of my home made card scrapers. A gouge from a corner is really hard to repair.
Think about the geometry of a bent scraper being pulled along the wood.
The edge... -
12th July 2021, 12:32 PM
Thread: What a find!
by Robson Valley- Replies
- 5
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- 651
What an outstanding, mysterious back story. I do...
What an outstanding, mysterious back story. I do hope there's some closure, some day.
My guess on the carving subject might not be too far off. The sizes and shapes of carving tools, as you... -
12th July 2021, 10:46 AM
Thread: What a find!
by Robson Valley- Replies
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- 651
Ace find. You must be blessed by the carving...
Ace find. You must be blessed by the carving gods.
With those sizes and shapes, what do you suppose he carved?
Fine relief on furniture? -
9th July 2021, 08:23 AM
Thread: Canadian Greyhound
by Robson Valley- Replies
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That's just right. Next, do one of a Greyhound...
That's just right. Next, do one of a Greyhound sleeping = on their back with all 4 legs in the air.
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6th July 2021, 02:54 PM
Thread: Tragedy and the shattered Shapton
by Robson Valley- Replies
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- 685
RTV silicone. It is both waterproof and a little...
RTV silicone. It is both waterproof and a little bit elastic.
Talk to wood carvers, those stone pieces are plenty big enough to put the finishing edge on palm tools and also gravers. -
28th June 2021, 06:13 AM
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Like your legs, huh? Like to walk around,...
Like your legs, huh? Like to walk around, unassisted? Like the look of your face in the mirror?
Buy the best chainsaw safety equipment that you can afford and then some.
Chainsaw chaps are... -
27th June 2021, 02:12 PM
Thread: advice on workshop lighting
by Robson Valley- Replies
- 14
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There are architectural lighting design standards...
There are architectural lighting design standards made for safety if nothing else, for biology and chemistry laboratories.
I don't recall what the light intensities had to be at bench-top level. I... -
27th June 2021, 04:53 AM
Thread: 24V drill doctor
by Robson Valley- Replies
- 12
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Then, you go to a store that sells suitcases. ...
Then, you go to a store that sells suitcases. They have all sorts of accessories for travel.
Including an absolutely crazy range of adapter electrical plugs for every system on earth.
Think of... -
24th June 2021, 03:29 PM
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Probably some finish formulated for wooden boats....
Probably some finish formulated for wooden boats. Sikkens Cetol is popular with the bigger more expensive ($50,000,000) log homes.
Personally, I don't like Cetol for the UV screen gives a strong... -
24th June 2021, 09:28 AM
Thread: Difficult piece
by Robson Valley- Replies
- 1
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- 1,447
My very first reaction is that nothing more needs...
My very first reaction is that nothing more needs doing to this picture. It's finished. You did do your best here.
"Essence of dog."