Quina--Argentine Sandalwood--what is it good for?

[David Weaver]

Yeah, they like to say that in the book, but the reality is that hard stones that stand up well to hard irons all will release particles when the metal is soft. It only takes spring steel to do it, and anything softer will do it, too. I don't think that it's silica impurities pulling particles loose, I think it's the fact that the soft metal can be cut deep enough to pull the particles.

I've got some hard japanese stones and some oilstones, and the same thing is the case for both. A medium hard pocket knife will partially refresh the oilstone, which is a bit of a disappointment, and any japanese chisel or plane iron will do the same to the hardest japanese barber hone that I have (though with hard steel only, as it would see on most razors, it will not let go of any particles).

[Winton Applegate]

In the musical instrument maker's shop,we had all these beautiful instruments hanging froim the ceiling around the shop. We wanted to don animal skins,and throu straw all over the floor. When the tourists came in,we'd be beating a piece of wood between 2 rocks.

ha, ha, ha, aaah, ha, ha, ha,

Once in a while I work on "high end bicycles" meaning in the six to ten thousand dollar range (yah, each . . . two wheels one seat, some other stuff they are pretty proud of) . . . basically the same thing you could get in the 1970's for around $500 but made of pencil shavings and plastic . . . used to have all sorts of beautiful colors and fine jewelry quality metal work BACK IN THE 70'S but now it is any color you want as long as it's black and NO hand work of any note . . .

anyway . . .
before the said monstrosity, I mean, pro bicycle arrives I have always wanted to strip my tool board and put up ALL HAMMERS
Look over the bike and listen to the concerns of the bike owner . . .
then reach for a big zarker
just to see what they would say.

[Winton Applegate]

Captain, I can't believe my ears !
Frankly Spock Neither can I.

Yeah, they like to say that in the book

Oh well. What do I know ?
I use those dumb 'O generic blades (A2) that are way too hard (sorry . . . I mean abrasion resistant) to even use on the stones you mentioned and I clean my stones with the nagura instead of "what it's made for" . . .
I'm a lost cause from the start.
I sure enjoyed reading Toshio however and recommend his books.

[george wilson]

Those bikes are too fancy for me,Winton !

Years ago at a flea market,I could have bought a real old bike. It must have been very old because it had wooden wheel rims. I wish I had bought it. But,at the time,I had no where to keep it. It was in perfect mechanical condition,and had black japanning as a finish.

[Winton Applegate]

Those bikes are too fancy for me,Winton !

I don't know if I am buying that one George . . . I mean after seeing your work on the musical instruments and all. Obviously the bikes pale beside your work but it was fun to share some metal work I am interested in.

Unless I am mistaken , on that bike you described with the wooden rims, I believe you would have had to glue the "Tubular" tires on with a special contact cement that stays semi fluid enough to peal the tires back off when you need to put on another.

I glued a tire like that for some one this week. Back in the day when I used them (the tires I used then cost me $25 (in the 1970's) for the very best available then they went up to $75 or so in the 1990's now I can't touch a tire like that for less than $150) . . .
anyway back then it was like "packing your own parachute" you wouldn't consider PAYING some one to glue your tires on for you except maybe the ones that come with a brand new bike.

I says to the guy "I still think you should learn to do this yourself". He says "Why ? I only use them in races and never out on the highway where I don't have a following vehicle to give me a new wheel".
I charge him $25 to $30 each just to put his tire on the rim with the glue.
aaaaahhhhhhhdunnnn'O . . . that's what he wants.

It is tricky (they fit REALLY TIGHT and the first few times one winds up with one foot glued to the floor and one hand semi permannatly glued into your hair when you brush a fly out of the way or more likely sweat off your brow) (I once had my thumb stick to my lunch spoon while washing it in a brisk stream of water under a faucet AFTER LUNCH from a dot of the glue on my finger. Tenacious stuff tubular cement) but I was gluing all of my own tires by the time I was 12 years old.
aaaaahhhhhhhdunnnn'O

Thanks for looking at the bikes G.W.

[george wilson]

Sounds like I was better off not buying the bicycle if the tires had to be glued on.

[Matt Lau]

I'm still not sure what to do with this wood, but it sounds like it's nontoxic.

Maybe I'll give it to a friend's kid to chew on? jk.
I may inlay it into a cutting board that I'm making.

In any case, it's been really fascinating to read these posts.
I still have yet to use my ebay Japanese chisels!