Ed

@DFSIXSTRING1968 try the scraper on some hardwood like oak and see how it does. Scrapers sometimes don’t work well on softwoods. Construction 2×4 can be almost impossible to cut cleanly. I’ve had some in which the growth rings are hard and the intervening material is so soft and spongy that it just tears under the pressure of a blade.

One thing…[Read more]

@sailor Ah, I was really asking about your arrangement for her to sell some of you furniture. Maybe I’m misunderstanding…I was assuming you’ve found someone to sell things that you build.

@sailor How did you work out the deal with the antiques dealer? Did you need to ask very many or was it fairly easy to get their interest? I’m interested in learning as many details as you’re willing to share.

The cited article describes a system for “chemical manufacturers and importers provide hazard information to users, such as foodservice workers.” Foodservice workers don’t just prepare food, they clean work areas and do other tasks that require chemicals like detergents, bleaches, and surfactants. I believe the page you are citing is explaining…[Read more]

@etmo no apologies needed. Interesting stuff. I need to find a skinny book with a name like “Metallurgy for Physicists,” or better yet, “Metallurgy for Physicists that don’t know diddly about materials or condensed matter.”

For chisels, I’m still of the opinions that for A2, just say no. That said, I’m glad you like them, because I can then…[Read more]

@etmo I found more reasons to hate A2 for chisels : – ). Ron Hock, in a discussion of O1 vs A2, explains that while the A2 is more durable against what I’ll call shaving wear, it is more likely to crumble. So, for chopping, you need a steeper bevel angle, maybe 35 degrees rather than the 30 you’d need for O1. The finer structure of O1 leads to a…[Read more]

Also, if anyone’s interested, maybe for food-contact projects, of the 3 Titebond versions, both the original and III have clean Safety Data Sheets, II has 1 ingredient the others don’t have, and that seems to make it slightly more hazardous.

I’m not an expert on this, but I’m not so sure that the absence of hazards in the MSDS equates to food safe.

Very nice!

I fear that I’d be wearing away the middle of the chisel otherwise.

@prbayliss That’s exactly what I was thinking and why I asked. Also, if your stone isn’t flat, you’ll change the hollow, for better or for worse.

By the way, that’s a beautiful bit of walnut you showed and some beautiful dovetailing!

I was deliberating between the AI butt c…[Read more]

@prbayliss Dumb question: With the hollow running as in your drawing, do you put as much of the back of the blade as possible on the stone when working the back, or do you just put the last, say, 1/2″ on?

@etmo I think you’re seeing that first posts in a thread show up differently for some reason. If you click on the poster’s name, though, it will tunnel back to show the @whatever name.

Thanks for the suggestions. When I freehand something that’s been hollow ground, it obtains a convex bevel in about a minute. I don’t do the “balance on the two…[Read more]

@prbayliss Thanks! If they can survive hickory, they’re durable.

@etmo The reason I dislike A2 for chisels is that they are too hard to sharpen. I sharpen chisels frequently and seem to adjust the bevel angle or adjust the squareness of the edge. In the A2, this takes forever unless you go down to a coarse grit, but if you do that, it then takes…[Read more]

This all sounds promising.

Just to confirm- When you say you’ve used a mallet, this has been in hardwoods such as oak and maple?

Did you find the hollowed backs to be okay? Some companies over polish their backs and end up rounding over backs. Did they avoid that error? Does the hollow in the back go so close to the working edge that the chisel…[Read more]

@etmo I contacted Sigma to make sure I’m not doing something wrong with my stones. It turns out, they should not be stored in water for extended periods. The #1000 should soak 20 to 30 minutes before use, The #6000 and #10000 for 5 minutes. However, they said it is fine to toss the #1000 into the water and leave it there during the day while you…[Read more]

@etmo I think we’re using different stones after all. Mine are not the Select II, but are the Sigma Power Ceramic. See, http://www.toolsfromjapan.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=335_404_403 . It doesn’t look like Stu sells the 6000 anymore, although he sells a set that includes it. So, I don’t know about soaking all the time or not for…[Read more]

The larger hassle is having to soak some of them, even if it’s just for a few minutes, so I can’t sharpen right *now*, I have to wait for 3 minutes for a few of the stones, and then re-flattening them regularly.

@etmo I keep forgetting to ask, can’t these stones be stored in water so that they are always ready? That’s what I do, when I’m usi…[Read more]

@etmo If you ever find the opportunity, perhaps you could ask something for me? I have always wondered whether the Japanese craftsman 100 or 200 years ago fussed over flatness so much. They wouldn’t have had these goofy, machined, ‘flat to 0.0005″‘ diamond plates. So, what did they do? I’m guessing there are ways to sharpen with these soft…[Read more]