ALERT!

Captain_Bandaid · #1 04-29-2002, 07:18 PM

Just a reminder to all of us who plan to do carvings for Christmas gifts, Christmas is only eight months away! Gentlemen (and Ladies) start your Fordams!

mdallensr · #2 05-02-2002, 03:43 PM

I started on my love spoons while on spring break. Eight down, seven to go. I don't even want to think about Santa's right now.

Captain_Bandaid · #3 05-03-2002, 11:42 AM

??? MDallensr, do you carve both sided of your love spoons? I have carved 5 and did both sides but I have seen some that were uncarved on the back. Is there a tradition one way or the other?

mdallensr · #4 05-06-2002, 09:53 AM

Hi Cap'n. So far, I've only carved the front surface of the love spoons. I'm using the patterns in Adlers book, and they appear to be carved on one surface. I do carve them fairly thick and deep, so there's lot of texture. We carved letter openers using the same technique, and carved them on both surfaces since they were meant to really open letters. My wife put her spoons on the wall in the kitchen, and others say they're making display cases. I've got them do to about eight hours, start to finish, and a fair amount of that is laying out, band-sawing and scroll sawing the blank. I've been using basswood and butterntu so far, but tried cheery recently. Now that slowed upi the process a bunch.

I've read your posts on tool making, and I'm not surprised to hear your're a metallurgist. So am I, but it's been a while since I heard bainite, martensite and austenite. We have a tool room in our factory, and our machinists heat treat some of the tools we make. Maybe I'll get back into the wonderful world of metallurgy.

Captain_Bandaid · #5 05-06-2002, 11:46 AM

Well, making your own tools is good-news / bad-news. It has given me a real appreciation for my 'store-bought' tools. However, I find that as I am carving, in the back of my mind, I am thinking 'Hey, I could make a tool to do exactly this task'. If I tried to make a tool for every 'odd-job' I would never get any carving done! I did make one tool that I have not seen commercially available (except from Japan) and I don't know why. It is a bent smoothing chisel but the cutting end is flattened and shaped like a pointed leaf. I works extremely well in smoothing the grounded portions of a relief carving.

mdallensr · #6 05-08-2002, 09:37 AM

Hi Cap'n. Sign me up for one of those grounding tools! I bought a set of small/micro dog legs for that purpose. All have square ends and don't get into those tight corners. Seems like a great idea, making a pointed tool, so why haven't we seen them? I may take a grinder to one of my dog legs and make it a lot more useful. Great idea! BTW, I read you comment about toxic wood, and the others that were posted a few months ago. I haven't had any allergic reactions, but I got a hell of a sore throat after band and scroll sawing butternut. It took me a couple of days to realize it wasn't a cold coming on.

Captain_Bandaid · #7 05-09-2002, 03:50 PM

mdallensr, be careful when you put a point on the square chisel. You will discover that the two sides that make the point are now square edged and don't cut well. They must be bevelled to create the sharp cutting edge needed. Grinding on small tools can be frustratingly difficult because you can easily over-heat it and ruin the temper. Also, just trying to grind the bevels evenly is a chore. Try flattening a nail and grinding a few practice bevels before you tackle that micro-chisel. You may change your mind!

mdallensr · #8 05-09-2002, 09:07 PM

Roger that comment. I read one of Chris Pye's books last week, and a couple of others that teach the basics, and they say you're nobody until you can grind and hone parting tools. I bought a Tormek sharpening system last year, so at least I can grind without any chance of burning, but it still takes a steady hand (and better eyes than mine) to do a 1/16' V-tool properly. The Tormek is super with full size tools, and I learned how to do my palm tools after they brought out a new jig for those shorter tools.

Captain_Bandaid · #9 05-10-2002, 12:00 PM

:P I havn't found the need to regrind any of my tools, just honing and stropping keeps them sharp. However, a Tormek would be great to do the initial grinding on the tools I am making! I do most of the grinding and polishing before I harden the tool so if they get a bit hot, there will be no lasting damage. But doing the finish work requires a light touch on the belt and constant dipping in a can of water to keep the steel cool and that is a pain in the neck. Maybe if I ever get around to actually selling any of my stuff, I will buy a Tormek with the 'profits'.