Mentor

Wow have you come to the right place. I can’t help you with this issue, but you will sure to find some to help. This is best forum on the web for good friendly advice and encouragement.

Welcome to LJs!

-- Betsy - GO BUCKS!

I’m still trying to figure out sharpening myself, but had to respond to the Sedalia reference. In some previous lives, I spent a lot of time on I-70 driving to school at UMC. I also lived in St. Louis for a period of time, followed by Olathe, KS. I currently live just north and a little east of Lynnwood in Lake Stevens. Welcome to the Pacific NW – 8 or 9 months of gray accompanied by partial cloudiness and a glorius August.

-- CutNRun - So much wood, so many trails, so little time

Hello, Sedalia…

I’ve spent a lot of time teaching hand tool sharpening and perhaps I can help.

What tools are you trying to sharpen; and, what sharpening gear do you have? I live pretty close to Lynwood, but let’s give this site a chance to see if we can get you going in the correct direction.

What tools to sharpen and what sharpening stuff do you have?

-- Bill, Oregon

Thank you for all the welcome folks. I haven’t figured out how to reply to emails yet so I’ll have to post here.
To: Bill
I’m trying to sharpen a Solby bowl gouge using the Wolverine system with the vari-grind jig. After several tries I’m getting a fair shape but not the shavings rather dust.

Hey Sedalia, have you watched the wolverine videos at the Oneway site? They explain that system very well. You can get them at http://www.oneway.ca/multi-media/wolverine_videos.htm Take a peak at those.

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

thank you Tom. Yes I have the videos and several others besides. I’m going by the one way vari-grind video and my results are close but not yet real good. I grind too much and get a hook or the wing breaks down. This last attempt looks the best but I get sawdust not angel hair shavings. This is all about getting rid of tear out for me. I can come close but I seem to be missing something…

Take a look at Bill Grumbine’s videos at http://wonderfulwood.com. Also, to help deal with tearout, you can take a quick view at the Lumberjocks Cyber Skill Share Turning a Bowl Series. This is a nice form and quite pleasing wood combinations!

thank you Tom I’ll certainly check them out.

What grit wheel are you using? Also, don’t press on it…just let the tool rest as your moving it through the arc of the vari-grind. You’ll get the hang of it. Remember, it’s more important to get a shape that you get used to, than to try and recreate someone elses shape. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Just try not to make your tools blue. Mostly doesn’t matter, but you’ll get teased incessantly.

Also, give yourself some room. putting the grind with the vari-grind will test your ability to tie your arms in knots. The outcome is unquestionable though. I can try and hook up the shop cam and walk you through some stuff if you are still having trouble. We can try and hookup on my Workshop Page sometime if you feel like.

Cheers!

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

To:Tom
I have two wheels mounted and trued but not balanced. The one way balancer is in the mail. One is white and I forget the grit I think it is a ‘fine’. the other is pink ‘extra fine”. I started out with the pink but these last two tries were with the white. I get a good shape but as I try to remove the remaining bit showing on the wings I seem to grind down the wing close to the nose, resulting in a hook shape. I stopped to test it on a blank. Using just the bit close to the nose I get mostly dust. ?

Yeah, don’t spend too much time on the wings.

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)