I am completely new to carving and I have been told over and over again how sharp they need to be and I have discovered quite quickly that this is true. I am just wondering now how I can sharpen my gouges that I have. I have a set of palm gouges and 1 intermediate gouge. Is this something that I can do myself or is it something I need to take to a shop? What sort of stones should I get? I have a strop is this o.k. for gouges? Or should I find an alternate honing method. I have gone through all the begining carving messages and I could not find anything particular to gouges. I am a college student studying in England and all the people I know who carve are back home in America. That being said, a college student has little money to replace broken EXPENSIVE gouges by not sharpening them corectly and then breaking them. I love it though, I can not wait to solve this problem so I can get working again!!!

Thanks a lot,
Kyle

p.s. I also am really bad at computers and spelling. Therefore if there are any spelling errores in here it is because I can't work spell check. Thanks a lot.

[Colin_Partridge]

Kyle,
Firstly if your a college student and want to get good marks you had better know how to spell.LOL . As for sharpening I think this has been discussed and discussed over and over again. Firstly are you positive that the gouges dont just need stropped? Sharpening is only really needed if you have damaged the cutting edge most of the time the edge can be put back on by just stropping. You can do it either by machine or by hand the latter of course taking you a lot more time. If you dont have a machine just take the gouge and find your angle strop it on a piece of leather(the thinner the better) put some stropping compound on the leather. Now take your gouge and draw it in the same angle of the gouge from tip to tip on the cutting surface making sure that you maintain the same angle all the way through your stroke. You may have to repeat this 30 or 40 times depending on how dull your edge is. The compound will turn a dark grey that is ok it is the metal being extracted from the gouge. Dont scrape it off let it build up I personally find that my strop works better the darker it gets. As for honing compound I prefer yellow and green but there are some who prefer the red its a matter of preference.
You will know when the gouge is sharp enough when you can take a piece of bass wood and draw the gouge across the end grain and get a nice even cut. If it is hard to push or chatters then more stropping is needed. I have tried to talk you through what works for me others may not agree and have other methods. One thing I have learned for every woodcarver you meet there are that many sharpening methods. If your tools need to be repaired it is better to take them to a shop because if you dont know what you are doing with a stone or wheel you can ruin a gouge or chisel.
Hope this has helped I am sure you will recieve a thousand different ways to maintain your tools on this thread.
Colin

[jamesfa]

I have been told as Colin has mentioned carving tools only need sharpining if you damage the cutting edge.while carving i will strop every 15-20 minutes of use(using green).although others on the board will use yellow or red i'm sure they will comment on which they find works best.
some one told me for gouges &V tools to take a piece of soft wood and cut grooves in the wood to match each individual tool and rub compound in the groove then draw the tool back thru the groove maintaining the angle to hone up the edge.when at home i have a strop the fits on a small hobby belt sander that i will use if a particular tool needs a lot of work.

[Donna_T]

Hi Kyle Grant,
Just this past week a woodcarving magazine showed a cheap/quick/easy way to strop tools by using the heavy cardboard back from a writing tablet and placing it on a flat surface...sprinkling a spot of stropping compound on it....and using this to strop your tools. From what I know about stropping, there are as many ways to do it as there are to sharpen tools and I'm pretty sure this would work well in a pinch. I think the secret is the stropping compound on a porous surface--the cardboard--that's on a firm, flat surface so that you aren't so apt to roll your edges--and then use the stropping compound of your choice.
Donna T

Thanks everyone, exactly what I was looking for! However I have one more question that may sound like a no-brainer but will make the world of difference: Do I need to be worried about the inside of the gouge? How do I sharpen/hone that part of it? Thanks a lot.

Your Friend,
kyle

[Colin_Partridge]

Kyle,
There is no stupid question it is a legitimate question. When you strop your tools you will notice a small burr on the cutting edge when the tool is sharp. All you need to do is run the edge of the gouge or chisel across the leather or a piece of wood and remove that burr. The inside of the gouge doesnt require any sharpening at all as the angle of the cutting edge is the one that does the cutting. Having said that there are skews that are sharpened on both edges but it doesnt sound like you have any of those. Good luck be sure to let us know how these idea's work for you.
Colin

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

at one time I was doing quite a bit of layout for a print shop and used an exacto knife all day practically, I used a small block of white compound (hard stuff!) and a piece of regular bond paper....amazing how it will maintain and sharpen a knife edge! I just rub the white compound on the paper and strop as I normally would on leather....worked for me! : 8)

[santagibbs]

Hello K Grant, Curtis said the best money he ever spent, was when he bought a four sided strop block with a handle. He paid nineteen ninty five for it. It has three different grains of leather on it and one side is made of a canvas type material. He has white, green and black compond that he puts one color on each side. The smooth leather is left without anything... for the finished strop. He can put his gouges on the edges of the strop and sharpen them on it. Maybe this will also give you some ideas... Curtis Gibbs

[Callynne]

Hi Kyle, Welcome!! I agree with Colin completely, stropping is all you need to do if the edge hasn't been damaged.
A leather strop and stropping compound is definitely needed. With the gouges just do a little 'sliding rock' back and forth, following the exact shape of the gouge. When I'm done (only takes about ten 'rocks' or so), I pull the inside down the edge of my strop a couple times, it has one edge that is curved, great for gouges the other side is straight, perfect for V tools.
Another important part of my 'sharpening system' (and an inexpensive one!) is the 2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper that they sell in automotive departments of stores. It really works well! I use it dry and find it perfect for knives and all my tools.
Charlotte and Curtis, that sounds like a pretty impressive strop, I'll be on the lookout for one. Callynne

[santagibbs]

Hi Deborah, Cutis said to tell you he bought his at the Smokey Mountain Woodcarving Show in DollyWood, at Pigeon Forge, Tenn. That was way back in the early ninties.. it still works well. You might locate one by getting in touch with ' Smokey Mountain Wood Carvers.' It was a homemade strop. Believe it or not, I have even used it...lol Curtis and Charlotte