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Thread: Is a gouge the right tool here?

  1. #16
    Thanks John!
    Fred

  2. #17
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    This thread came to mind while working out in the shop. When using dowels to hold things together one end will be rounded over if it is going to show. A friend convinced me it is better to leave them proud so it looks like it was meant to be instead of having them flush and looking like a patch.

    One of my ways of quickly rounding one end is to make a flute on a piece of scrap to hold a piece of sandpaper in the round hollow. Tried it out and it works to round over a square edge.

    Before having planes to cut a flute my way of doing this was to drill a hole through a piece and then cut down the axis of the hole.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  3. #18
    Thanks Jim!
    Fred

  4. #19
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    Without pictures they say it didn't happen. So here is a picture:

    Dowel & Edge Rounder.jpg

    The piece on the right is alder. (actually both pieces are alder) The sandpaper holder is on the left. It has side flutes and the top is rounded to make it more comfortable in use rounding dowels.

    On the alder 80 grit paper was used followed by 320 grit and then wiped with my furniture wax rag.

    The holder is also handy for holding a soft piece of leather charged with green stropping compound to strop gouges.

    jtk
    Last edited by Jim Koepke; 06-25-2017 at 8:44 PM. Reason: The holder is also handy...
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  5. #20
    Thanks again Jim. Say, are you sanding with the grain, or across it with that tool? I could see using it either way, but I'm wondering whether if I would see any scratches if going across the grain? What do you think?

    Fred

  6. #21
    My hand plane cuts always look better (after stain or paint is applied) than my sanding efforts (but that just be an indicator of how impatient and incompetent I am with sandpaper). For me, it's easier getting blades sharp to leave amazing surface finishes than it is to use sand paper to attempt the same degree of finish. Typically I don't see my mistakes until after I've applied the finish.

  7. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frederick Skelly View Post
    Thanks again Jim. Say, are you sanding with the grain, or across it with that tool? I could see using it either way, but I'm wondering whether if I would see any scratches if going across the grain? What do you think?

    Fred
    You are welcome Fred. Often when a question like this comes up it makes for some good cogitation and thought process while in the shop.

    The piece in my picture was sanded across the grain. You might want to try it on a piece of scrap from the wood in your project to see how it comes out.

    As Archie mentioned about the finishing, you may want to give it a bit of whatever stain and finish you will be using to see how it looks.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  8. #23
    I also think a block plane and sanding will get you there.

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