Sharpening tiny gouge

[David Ragan]

I just finished a weeklong carving class with Mary May. she mentioned that if you damage a small #11 you might as will go shopping since they are such a pain to try and sharpen.

After I had read a few replies, The oilstones were great @ creating a 90* perpendicular edge across the end of the tool-from which one could attempt to grind/hone a ~30* bevel.

However, it was too hard to (freehand on oil stone) create a consistent bevel on both sides of the tool. There is no sense of registration on the bevel w such a tiny tool when freehand sharpening.

So, I fired up the Tormek and everything worked out fine. The edge is good nuff for me; magnification showed decent geometry attained w the Tormek following basic prep using oil stones. And you'd be hard pressed to judge whether there was a hollow grind on such a small tool.

[george wilson]

The best way to sharpen a tiny carving tool,which I have done many,many times,is this: Grind off the end of the gouge square if a chunk has been broken off of it. Then,take the small India(the orange one) slip stone and hold it vertically,moving it straight up and down. Apply the gouge at a suitable angle to the stone and press it against the stone while rotating it in your fingers. I wear 4X drug store reading glasses while doing very small work. The highest magnification you can generally fine is 3.50 or 3.75 X. Probably can find 4X on Amazon. There is one pharmacy here that carries them. Called Professional Pharmacy. THE POINT IS: you need to be able to SEE what you're doing in small work. The 4X will greatly aid you. Optivisors don't magnify up to 4X as far as I know,and they bother me any way.

After you have stoned the bevel,until there is only a THIN edge of "light" to be seen all around the cutting edge,take your Arkansas stone,and repeat the process until that thin band of light,left by grinding the edge flat,is eliminated. Take a cut in wood every now and then,to eliminate burrs on the edge. Last,you may strop the edge.

[David Ragan]

The best way to sharpen a tiny carving tool,which I have done many,many times,is this: Grind off the end of the gouge square if a chunk has been broken off of it. Then,take the small India(the orange one) slip stone and hold it vertically,moving it straight up and down. Apply the gouge at a suitable angle to the stone and press it against the stone while rotating it in your fingers. I wear 4X drug store reading glasses while doing very small work. The highest magnification you can generally fine is 3.50 or 3.75 X. Probably can find 4X on Amazon. There is one pharmacy here that carries them. Called Professional Pharmacy. THE POINT IS: you need to be able to SEE what you're doing in small work. The 4X will greatly aid you. Optivisors don't magnify up to 4X as far as I know,and they bother me any way.

After you have stoned the bevel,until there is only a THIN edge of "light" to be seen all around the cutting edge,take your Arkansas stone,and repeat the process until that thin band of light,left by grinding the edge flat,is eliminated. Take a cut in wood every now and then,to eliminate burrs on the edge. Last,you may strop the edge.

Thank you George; this new enlightened method shall be tried tomorrow