Sharpening Carving Tools for Beginners E-Book

Lora S. Irish

• Herausgeber: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 39

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

Learn everything you need to know to keep all your woodcarving tools and knives sharp and in tip top shape! This condensed guide offers clear, step-by-step guidance to walk beginners through the basics of sharpening knives, gouges, V-tools, and chisels. Also included are informative sections on safety, basic sharpening techniques, what to keep in your sharpening kit, tool storage and cleanup tips, protecting sharp edges, cleaning stops, and sharpening stones. Learn essential tips and tricks from expert artist and best-selling author Lora Irish in this must-have guide that belongs in every woodcarver's library!

Leseprobe

© 2022 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc.,

903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552.

Sharpening Carving Tools for Beginners is an original work, first published in 2022 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc. The contents herein are copyrighted by the author. Readers may copy the contents for personal use. The patterns themselves, however, are not to be duplicated for resale or distribution under any circumstances. Any such copying is a violation of copyright law.

Print ISBN 978-1-4971-0312-2

ISBN 978-1-6374-1149-0

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Acknowledgements

I wish to extend my deepest thanks to Hannah Carroll, Jon Deck, Kaylee Schofield, and Kelly Umenhofer for their excellent work in the creation, development, and refinement of this manuscript. As an author, it is a wonderful experience to be working with such a well-skilled team.

About the Author

Lora S. Irish is an author, artist, carver, and pattern designer residing in Mount Airy, Md. She has written Landscape Pyrography: Techniques and Projects, Crafting with Gourds, Finishing Techniques for Woodcrafters, and many other Fox Chapel Publishing books. For more of her work, visit lsirish.com.

Contents

Introduction

Why Sharpen Your Tools?

Building Your Kit

Types of Sharpening Stones

Stone Shapes

Lubricants

Sharpening: A Basic Overview

Sharpening a Knife

Sharpening a Gouge

Sharpening a V-Tool

Sharpening a Chisel

Storage & Cleanup

Glossary

Bevel: The angled cutting surface that allows a tool to slice through wood.

Chisel: A flat-bladed tool with a single beveled edge.

Double-Edged Blades: These blades have a bevel on both sides; the bevels meet to form a sharp point in the center. Classic bench knives, chip carving knives, and some whittling knives are double-edged blades.

Emery Cloth: Extremely fine-grit metal sandpaper used for sharpening gouges and V-tools.

Gouge: A carving tool with a single-bevel, curved cutting edge. Gouges come in many sizes and sweeps; the lower the number, the flatter the blade (a #3 is flatter than a #7).

Honing: To refine the cutting edge after sharpening. Not to be confused with sharpening itself.

Knife: A carving tool with a doublebeveled blade. Knives come in many sizes and shapes.

Secondary Bevel or Micro Bevel: An additional bevel included on some carving tools at the very edge of the blade. Some carvers prefer to maintain this secondary bevel during sharpening, while others prefer to remove it.

Sharpening: To set the bevel on a cutting edge that has worn down over time (or was only minimally sharpened at the factory). The sharpening stage always precedes the honing stage.

Sharpening Stones: Made with a variety of materials, both natural and synthetic, these tools come in different grits and are used to set the bevel on a cutting edge.

Single-Edged Blades: These blades have a bevel on one side. Gouges, V-tools, and chisels are single-edged blades.

Slip Strops: Sharpening stones that are pre-profiled to fit chisels, round gouges, and V-tools.

Strop: A flexible strip of leather used to hone and refine the edge of a tool. Most strops have two sides: a raw leather side and a tanned leather side. The raw leather side uses stropping compound, and the tanned side (meant to be used afterward) does not.

V-Tool: A carving tool with a single-beveled cutting edge consisting of two flat surfaces that meet to form a V. These tools come in various sizes and degrees.

Introduction

Just like any other skill or technique in woodcarving, sharpening is simply a matter of consistently using one process. There is no magic, no mystery, and no secret formula—just practice, practice, and more practice.

We will look at basic techniques, what supplies you’ll need for your sharpening kit, how to sharpen double-edged and single-edged blades, and how to care for your sharpening tools.

I’ve provided illustrations from a sharpening session so you can easily follow along to create a pristine, sharp, and bright cutting edge.

About This Booklet

Nearly 25 years ago, my dad taught me woodcarving. It was one of his favorite hobbies, and he enjoyed years of carving rifle stocks and pistol grips. The first lesson he insisted I learn—before I ever set a knife to wood—was sharpening. As he often reminded me, “Woodcarving is a dangerous hobby, and the most dangerous tool is the dullest knife in your kit!”