[Cap Crutch]

Hello, all,

I had a small relief carving set as a kid, and I'm starting to get back into woodworking/cabinetmaking, and I recently purchased a set of Hirsch (same mfgr as Two Cherries) full-size carving tools that I want to start messing with.

Some of the gouges were pretty sharp when they arrived and only needed minor honing with some green Veritas honing rouge, but some of the others need more stone work before they'll be ready for honing.

I have a Norton 1000/4000 waterstone, and I bought a couple of Japanese water slip stones (1000 and 4000), and I've messed with tryiing to touch up the edges that need it, but I'm not making much headway.

Unfortunately, this has always been a stumbling block in my forays into carving.

My question is for carvers who hand-sharpen their gouges with waterstones: How long did it take you to get good enough that you were happy with the results?

There are no "carving clubs" around here, but I plan to take a lesson next week from a local professional bird carver, and I plan to focus exclusively on sharpening, so that I learn good habits rather than bad.

I'm just curious whether my frustration with this issue is common among other beginner carvers, and whether y'all have any advice on how to get past it so I can focus on the WOOD!

Until I can get these puppies sharp, there's really no point in even trying to cut wood.

Thanks for any replies.

[xsailer]

Really isn't any magic to learning sharpening. It just takes a some basic knowledge as to how then it's practice, practice and more practice. The more you practice the quicker you learn. Some find it easier to send tools out to be sharpened others suffer through the learning process. It took me a while but it comes after a bit. As to how long? Doing it by hand obviously takes longer than by mechanical means but for beginners that's a plus. You can't ruin the cutting edge as fast therefor you see your error before it's too late. I'm sure other posts will guide you to sites for info. I'm sure also you could find info thru the "Search" function this site. Good luck and don't despair.

[FK]

Gouges and carving tool sharpening is fairly well covered in the books and video by Rick Buttz (spelling?).

It is the concept of holding an angle steady and moving the tool over the stone. Comfortable position and not too much pressure will help tremendously.

I believe the 1000 grit stone is too fine for initial sharpening,,,it takes too long to form an edge and raise a burr,,,,many get discouraged quickly. Try the Norton 220 or another 400-500grit waterstone initally, then the 1000 which goes much faster, then final 4000 and lastly leather with CrO stropping.

I personally use the Norton waterstone and really like the fast cutting action, waterstones will dish out fairly quickly and they require flattening with the Norton flatening plate or on a diamond stone.

Regards,
FK

[R-OLDS]

Evert Ellenwood has a DVD out on hand sharpening and it should be a good one as I saw him do a one hour seminar in Dayton, OH a abt 6 months ago.
I sharpen and hone with power 99% of the time, I just hone with a leather strop when power is not available. Once your tools are sharp you can just hone for a long long time before a stone is needed..

Randal

[aulddiy]

How long? This falls into 2 categories ;

• A round a year to get an acceptable level of sharpness

• After that I'm still learning.

One thing I have learned is the importance of stropping. Picked up a piece of sole leather and added some of that yellow stuff or jeweler's rouge. I strop frequently and the need to sharpen is then reduced .

A piece of thinner leather I roll up an make the surface similar to the gouge I'm stropping.

As others have said - the angle must be constant and practice.
You'll get it, keep at it.

[Dan S]

Learning how to sharpen tools from someone who knows how is a good idea. It will save you a lot of trial and error. My trial and error took a year or so.
Just out of curiosity, how do you feel about power sharpening?

Dan

[Plain_Ol_Ed]

I wouldn't even think about power sharpening unless you are going to be doing a lot of tools frequently. As FK said you should start with a courser stone to get the initial profile then go to progressively finer stones. I'm not sure of the grits I am using, but think they are something like 200, 400, 1000, and whatever transluscent Arkansas is and then stropping. I've also got a small Viking whet stone which I believe is Jasper that works almost like a strop that I use occassionaly. Everybody has their favorites, so I don't think the material matters too much. They all seem to work.

As to how long it takes to learn? I really can't help you there. I grew up in an old logging camp over 60 years ago and have been sharpening things since before I started school, so have forgotten, but if a 4 or 5 year old can learn, anybody can. It will probably differ from individual to individual. I think the key is having the patience to initially raise the wire edge. If you don't do that, you're never going to get the tool sharp. Patience and the willingness to experiment. Having a really sharp tool to use as comparison may help too.

[AlArchie]

Sharpening by hand is a "Eureka" type of activity. You'll blunder through a lot and then one time, it just hit's you and you've got it! That said, here's a tip I give to people I try to teach. You have to train your HANDS to hold the stone and blade at the same relative angles EVERY time. Each type of tool will take a slightly different grip, but eventually your hands will "know" how to hold the tools as you guide them over your abrasive surface. It has to transfer from your head to your hands before you'll ever get good at it! Sort of like carving; it becomes second nature as you progress; not the design factor, but the dexterity to manipulate the tool!

Al

[Cap Crutch]

Thank you all for the replies.

I spent yesterday afternoon researching power sharpeners (Delta, Makita, Tormek, etc.) but fortunately, I couldn't find one that looked good at a price I thought was acceptable, so I think I'm going to add another Norton combo waterstone to the stable and muddle my way though. At least that way it'll take me a little longer to ruin my gouges!

[squbrigg]

You already have what you need to sharpen your set properly, with one exception..... I would suggest an 8,000 gold stone to finish prior to stropping.

Sharpening is the first and most important skill that a carver needs to master, (in my opinion) as it is the foundation for all of his/her carving tools. We know that nothing will turn off a carver like trying to work with tools that are less than sharp.

I think that practice and consistancy are key to sharpening. Like many of you, I learned to sharpen by myself and with only books to aid me, so I made lots of errors. There are some great sources of learning tools available now, the DVD's being probably the best. They show you the way, not just talk about it, and we all learn faster from being shown. I'd invest in a good DVD on sharpening, if I were starting over again. As for time, it really depends on how much time you devote to practice and the quality of your learning tools.....books, DVD, or instructor.

Bob