Carvers....Advice on sharpening strops please. - Tiki Carving

B Benzart Member Port Saint Lucie, Florida Joined: Jan 09, 2004 Posts: 10397	B Benzart Posted posted on Tue, Feb 15, 2005 1:55 PM How often to sharpen tools? The Age old question with a simple answer: When they need it. Some people sharpen their chisels every day before they start carving. Some do it once a week. I Personally don't care for the power strops too much as they leave a "Rounded over" edgd and Not a straight one. They are good for quick sharpening but if you look at a tool that has been power stropped for awhile, the edge is not straight, Plus it is rounded. The tool edge shouldbe a straight 90 degree angle from the length of the chisel and the Bevel should be a Straight line from the tip to the beginning of the bevel and not rounded. All sharpening methods CAN produce these curved and rounded edges but the power buff does it more often and quicker. The rounded edge needs a Hugher angle of attack so that instead of holding your chisel at, say, a 30 degree angle, you are holding it at a 45 or more degree angle and it won't cut evenly. You will notice as you are using a tool that it will start leaving Lines on the surface of the wood. That is from small nicks usually caused by sand or silica embedded in the wood. If the tool is a Roughing-out tool you can let it go longer or until the nick gets bigger (and it will). If it is a detail or finishing tool, you will want to take care of it right away. the longer you let it go, the longer it takes to get it sharp again because it takes more time to grind out the nicks. With the Clipboard of sandpaper. it takes only a few minutes to go thru each grit and end up with a polushed edge. I finish the process with the cardboard sheet that has been coated withhi grit paste as in the DVD. I find it works very well for me. SoIf you don't mind the "Nick lines" in your work, and want to grind your tools down to nubbs prematurely, don't sharpen too often. Otherwise, remove the small nicks as they develop. More later

How often to sharpen tools? The Age old question with a simple answer: When they need it. Some people sharpen their chisels every day before they start carving. Some do it once a week.
I Personally don't care for the power strops too much as they leave a "Rounded over" edgd and Not a straight one. They are good for quick sharpening but if you look at a tool that has been power stropped for awhile, the edge is not straight, Plus it is rounded. The tool edge shouldbe a straight 90 degree angle from the length of the chisel and the Bevel should be a Straight line from the tip to the beginning of the bevel and not rounded.
All sharpening methods CAN produce these curved and rounded edges but the power buff does it more often and quicker. The rounded edge needs a Hugher angle of attack so that instead of holding your chisel at, say, a 30 degree angle, you are holding it at a 45 or more degree angle and it won't cut evenly.
You will notice as you are using a tool that it will start leaving Lines on the surface of the wood. That is from small nicks usually caused by sand or silica embedded in the wood. If the tool is a Roughing-out tool you can let it go longer or until the nick gets bigger (and it will). If it is a detail or finishing tool, you will want to take care of it right away. the longer you let it go, the longer it takes to get it sharp again because it takes more time to grind out the nicks. With the Clipboard of sandpaper. it takes only a few minutes to go thru each grit and end up with a polushed edge. I finish the process with the cardboard sheet that has been coated withhi grit paste as in the DVD. I find it works very well for me.
SoIf you don't mind the "Nick lines" in your work, and want to grind your tools down to nubbs prematurely, don't sharpen too often. Otherwise, remove the small nicks as they develop.
More later

Post #141329 by Benzart on Tue, Feb 15, 2005 1:55 PM