A little confused...

[MrDantastic]

I have just recently purchased a set of tools, but I am hesitant to use them until I know I have at least a basic idea on how to sharpen them. I have come to understand the key to keeping a tool sharp is stroping, and if this is done at the correct times, you should never have to stone your tools. My strop is attached to a wooden board. Is it possible to sharpen tools like gouges on this flat surface? If someone could explain the process to me, or give me a link to somewhere that does, I would appreciate it. Thanks!

-Dan

[Irish]

Dan,

There is an excellent thread going right now in the Beginner's section called Sharpening for Dummies. It has stuffed full with some great ideas and advice. Why don't you go browse that thread and join in.

Susan

[AlArchie]

I'm going to assume your "stop attached to a wooden board" isn't glued or bolted down to your bench.

If you are right handed, take your gouge, or chisle in your left hand. Strop in your right. Aim the cutting edge of the chisel AWAY from you with the bevel UP, and take the strop and push it away from the cutting edge, at the same angle as the bevel. You can strop a straight chisle just straight ahead. For a gouge with a rounded sweep, just rotate the strop along the edge as you go.

Lefty

For stropping the flat side of the chisel, put the strop back on the bench, put the chisel back FLAT on the strop and pull it toward you, cutting edge AWAY from you. If you want to strop the inside of the sweep on a gouge, youwill have to make a strop with an outside radius that will fit inside the sweep. It won't have to be exact, just tight enough to fin inside whatever sweep you are dealing with. I've made several to fit almost anygouge I have. Stropping the inside of the sweep will be done with almost NO angle aded to the flat inside .

Hope that makes sense.......

Al

[MrDantastic]

Thanks for the replies. I wasn't aware of the thread in the beginners forum. Thanks for the help and the heads up.

-Dan