Hi, and thanks for the information. Rick can you explain about making one out of basswood?? And Bob, what is MDF. I've been asking a lot of questions about sharpening, and touring the sharpening sites gathering information. Lots to learn about seemingly a simple subject. I've learned in my old age, to look carefully before I leap. :

[mikeg]

Hey, here's a question I can answer!

MDF is Medium Density Fiberboard.

mikeg

[BobD]

Mikeg is right. MDF, Medium Density Fiberboard, is related to particleboard and chipboard. It doesn't carve with a <ahem> crap, but it's useful for sharpening. You see MDF all the time in the new pre-fab furniture. Because of it's small grain size, it's used for moldings that are veneered over.

Before I went into writing, I worked in an MDF plant...

Bob

Hello again, to get this straight in my old grey head. You make a wheel out of this MDF, and turn it on a drill or whatever to sharpen tools?? :-[

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

I just looked through my favorites and just about every woodcarving supply has some kind of wheels, either paper, leather, felt etc....but I picked three at random to give you an idea http://www.texaswoodcarvers.com http://www.qualitycarvingsupply.com or this Canadian company http://www.woodcarvingbiz.com I believe the last one has the small arbor you put in your drill with a wheel to hone....Dave If thats not enough or what you are looking for, holler....'deys mo wher dat come from!'

[BobD]

What I was told is to cut a circle of the MDF, drill a hole in the center and put it on a bench griner. I guess you could put in on the grinder arbors that companies sell as well. With mine, I had an old bench grinder, so I took off the wheel, traced it, drilled a hole in the center and attached it to the grinder. I didn't get the hole perfectly centered and it shook pretty bad, so I took my flexshaft tool with an aggressive burr on it, turned on both and shaved the MDF down until it stopped shaking.

I suppose if you have a lathe, it would be easier to chuck it in the lathe and turn it until it's round, but since I don't have a lathe...

I haven't tried it yet, but my goal is to make another disk and shape it to do gouges and V-tools, but I just checked out the shop we have here at the office, and there is a Tormex and several other shaped wood electric strops, so I might just bring my tools to work and sharpen them here...

Bob

probobally, a little off topic, but still dealing with abrasives and bench grinders..

anybody know anything about a glue wheel,
i believe its called.

an old man told me about this years ago.

basically, as i was told,
you need a new clothe buffer wheel
powder type abrasive grit.
and glue...

take the musulin clothe buffing wheel for a bench grinder, roll it on edege through a puddle of glue then, roll it in the powder grit. like that 3m sells.

the glue adheres the grit to the wheel,
when dry you mount it on the bench grinder,
and you can grind polish different contours or flat surfaces ...

Im thinking this method could be applied to dremel buffing wheels for those hard to get at places..

i dont remember what glue the old feller said to use, but im thinking hide glue?

any thoughts?

thanks thomp

[AlArchie]

If you try that Thomp, let us know how it works......sounds like it might, but I'd be sure to wear eye protection. All that abrasive glued to a cotton wheel, with an unknown adhesive whirling around at 3700 or better RPM sounds like a sandstorm waiting to happen!

Al

Shure nuff, AlArchie

just got some of them little 1/2 felt buffing wheels tonight from wallie world.

for a test I used elmers professional yellow carpenders glue the grit covered the wheel well.

it will be a couple days till its dry enough for me to try, the humidity is pretty high currently..

ill let you know the results from this experiment by monday///

thomp

Hugh, sorry so long in the reply, but the idea for basswood is the same as for the MDF. I think the basswood would be better to turn for vee tools and gouges but thats not the voice of experiance. Have you ever carved grooves in a scrap of wood and stropped your tools in that? It's the same idea only round.
Hope that helps
Rick