[Tom H]

I have spent the past hour going back over 50 pages of tool and sharpening posts. Quite a few on sharpening. Even some of buffing a knife blade with a cloth wheel. Lots on speeds and buffing compounds.

Here's my question: Can someone take and post a photo(s) of the proper position to place the blade to the buffing wheel. And if you can do that can you do the same for the leather or wood wheel? OR! post a link to where this is shown.

Thank you, Thank you, !

Tom H

[Thomp]

tom,
i've never had much use for a clothe wheel other than polishing something like rings or things like that, if your talking bout muslin clothe wheels they catch the tools to easily, and fling them....

ive had success with mdf wheels medium density fiber board, if you want ill fix ya a couple i got a ton of that stuff waiting fer a purpose...

another choice for a good power hone wheel is compressed felt or cardboard like on the back of a tablet (not corrugated cardboard boxes)

check <here> for some other wheels...

[cats pa]

Originally Posted by Thomp

ive had success with mdf wheels medium density fiber board, if you want ill fix ya a couple i got a ton of that stuff waiting fer a purpose...

I just made Mike Hilliard a few, and he sent me back some venison pepperoni.

Mmmmm, good.

Parker

[btree50]

Use old cereal boxes and cut them to the proper size. Glue up whatever you need for the proper thickness. Once on the grinder, make sure they are sanded to a perfect circle before attempting any sharpening.

[mdallensr]

I have and use a cloth wheel to buff some of my tools. Cloth wheels get a bad rap because some people think they round the cutting edge, but they actually can do a good job if you take the time to learn how to use them. They need to be high speed, meaning 3600 RPM, and the bigger in diameter the better; at least 8". You want to wheel to spin so rapidly, it presents a lot of resistance to compression. They can be dangerous since you're usually free-handing and moving back and forth; if your tool gets caught, let it go!
My wheel spins away from me at the top, which seems to be the safest way to use it. I charge mine with a bar of white compound (alumina) while the wheel is spinning.

I buff my tools after I hone them on my Tormek leather wheel. They're pretty sharp at that point, and the cloth-wheel buffing puts the final touch on the tool surface. It is possible to overdo buffing, and on small tools you can eat up more metal than you'd expect. I ruined a 1/16" V-tool as part of my learning curve many years ago. The key is to press hard but briefly, keeping the same angle that your tool was ground to. I turn my gouges, veiners and V-tools over and polish the inside surface as well, and that really seems to make a big difference in the sharpness and the tools ability to hold an edge. Knives are trickier, since you have to hold them to the side of the wheel to keep the cutting edge across the buffing surface. Bigger knives are easier than small ones, since you can grab the back of the blade near the tip with one hand while your other hand holds the the knife by the handle. I successfully buffed a couple of folding knives that weren't lock-back blades, but scared myself to the point I don't try anymore. Put a big piece of cardboard behind your wheel, and be ready to let go of anything that the wheel grabs.

I don't see a big difference between the buffing a cloth wheeel can do vs. a regular hand-held leather strop, other than the ease of buffing the inside surface. It sure is faster though. I don't recommned trying to buff out deep scratches from grinding. Most of my new tools have been ready to use, but some came needing " a little honing". You're not going to buff out 80 grit scratches with a cloth wheel without doing some serious rounding. But if you do some scary-sharp sandpaper sharpening down to 600 or 1000 grit, you could finish them up to a mirror finish very quickly. Good luck. Mike

[Tom H]

Thanks Mike! You put a lot of good information in your answer. I am about half way to trying it out. I have a variable speed buffing motor that will really "fly". Lets hope that just the wheel flies. But I do need to get some bigger wheels. Thanks again.

Tom H

[R-OLDS]

Mike knows what he is talking about, I make tools and use home made cardboard wheels, and cotton wheels with LOTS of compound to polish and sharpen all the tools, knives, gouges and vee tools at 3600 rpm.
After the tools are sharpened properly, I keep them sharp by honing on a cardboard wheel using red rouge, I put the blade on the wheel flat on one side then over to the other side it only takes abt a second on each side at 3600 rpm UNLESS your tool is very dull then it may require more pressure and compound. If your tool is a gouge or Vee tool then do the same as the knife blade except the inside of the tool polish it a LOOSE cotton wheel this should also take only seconds unless the tool is VERY dull. Pratice makes perfect and good eyesight helps.
I have read everything I could find about sharpening online and every back issue of every woodcarving magazine and or book I could get my hands on
doing all this and making tools in the summer helped me..

Randal

[cats pa]

Randal, could we see some tools that you made? (I've really got a thing for handmade tools...)

Parker

[mark yundt]

I think Mike is on the right track,,,at least the track I follow. All I have ever used really is a cloth wheel,,I think they work great,,don't care for most other methods.Don't even bother with a strop and I get alot of work done cleanly.

[R-OLDS]

Cats Pa

I posted a few months ago a few of the tools I made in summer 07 along with my main sharpening system I use this and a wet grinder for 98% of my sharpening..

Tools and Honing System


Randal