Sharpen by carving?

[mark yundt]

Re: Sharpen by carving?

I don't even like to carve a piece of wood that has been previously sanded. I can feel the tools getting dull quickly with just that little bit of abrasive there.

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

Re: Sharpen by carving?

Sean, I think you will see a huge difference after stropping.

Dave

[seangrady]

Re: Sharpen by carving?

Not pulling anyone's legs, honest. I've got some stropping compound on order, and will give it a try. I'm guessing now that perhaps my tools are getting dull and I'm just not realizing it. I don't know though.

[Greyhair]

Re: Sharpen by carving?

Sean
I feel like my leg is being pulled really hard.
I carve a lot, strop a lot, sharpen occassionly. Small micro tools need sharpening more often. The bigger the tool the less it needs stropping or sharpening in my experience.

[rickm]

Re: Sharpen by carving?

newspaper or cigarette paper? Hold it with one hand, slice it wityh weight of blade, and then try and take just a little sliver off.

[seangrady]

Re: Sharpen by carving?

I don't have any basswood, yet. Not sure what I have that would compare.

[Nomad]

Re: Sharpen by carving?

Alright, I was just wondering if perhaps I was missing out on something. I'll look into stropping further and try it to see if it makes a difference for me. Thanks!

Do you have any tests that you use? Most common one I know of for carvers is cutting across the end grain of a stick of basswood. Clean, shiny cuts with no scratches. Is this what you are getting?

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

Re: Sharpen by carving?

I find when I carve Cottonwood, my tools dull even quicker. I strop more often with more strokes per side.

Dave

[Donsexton]

Re: Sharpen by carving?

Sounds reasonable to me but I will look for any reason not to stop and sharpen I will just pick up a heaver mallet.

[rick-in-seattle]

Re: Sharpen by carving?

Sean,
If you can keep your tools carving sharp without stropping and sharpening; you're doing better than I ever have.
Wood found in a river bed, Burls, or cottonwood bark from my experience will all dull sharp tools.
I carve logs found along the saltwater beaches, but I use one set of tools to carve most of it and finish up with another set.

If your tools never need to be sharpened, I wouldn't change a thing in the maintenance of them; you shouldn't waste money on strops or stones.

Nice pictures, Rick

[seangrady]

Re: Sharpen by carving?

The driftwood has been mostly black spruce, cottonwood and birch, particularly burls. Lot's of cottonwood bark as well.

[mateo]

Re: Sharpen by carving?

My theory is that the glacial silt almost acts like the stropping compounds you folks are talking about. It's a very fine abrasive, and has settled/soaked into the outer layers of all the wood I use.

The problem with the theory is that stropping involves pulling the edge of the blade away from the abrasive while carving of course has the blade slicing into the silt. I think if anything the silt should dull the edge. What kind of wood are you carving.

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

Re: Sharpen by carving?

Dave, I think I'll try that White Gold. I like the Flexcut Gold bar, but I'm tired of having to scrape the waxy base off of my strop. Does the powder eliminate the need for this? Also how do you grind it?

Dave, I never scrape anything off, I just add more when there is more black then white on the strop. I bought a couple cheese graters at the dollar store, I grate enough to fill 1/4 to 1/2 of the salt shaker, that amount last for a couple months or more. Quality carving supply sells at the Fl. carving shows, I think I bought mine from them last year at The Sarasota show, real nice people.

Dave

[carver33]

Re: Sharpen by carving?

Once I have an edge on a tool, it only requires sharpening when abused (mostly by dropping). The edge seems to hold a pretty good edge when carving Basswood, but hardwoods, like Cherry, will take the edge off fairly quickly. Though the tools still cut fairly well, stropping induces a small but noticeable difference in the cutting ability of the tool, especially in cross-grain cuts.

[seangrady]

Re: Sharpen by carving?

Wow, that is unusual. I sharpen my knives a couple time during a weekend carving session, every few hours or so. I can really tell the difference afterwards. My gouges and v-tools get buffed if used hard during a sitting, otherwise every other use or so. I can always tell the difference between a freshly stropped knife or sharpened up gouge etc.

Do your tools leave a nice shiney surface behind the cut?

Corey

Shiny surface, very smooth. I just went and made a few cuts to check. They definitely slice the wood as opposed to tearing it. I'll give stropping a try, but looking at and feeling the edges, I don't think I could get them any sharper.

My theory is that the glacial silt almost acts like the stropping compounds you folks are talking about. It's a very fine abrasive, and has settled/soaked into the outer layers of all the wood I use.