Have a look at this Jacob!

[Corneel]

Used it for some tool handles and a live edge dining table. Fun tool but difficult to use.

 

[Jacob]

Used it for some tool handles and a live edge dining table. Fun tool but difficult to use.

Perhaps at it's best with green wood and a shave horse.

 

[Cottonwood]

I use a draw knife to roughly dimension wood before planing for finish...seems quicker than rip sawing or using a scrub plane to me

Amen to that. I sometimes use a brades axe for similar purposes, whups waste away in no time. The fantastic thing about a draw knife is it can go from rizla thin slivers to 1/4 inch or more chips, and back again, (and any thickness in between) in a split second, so versatiile, no need to constantly fiddle with adjustment knobs or even wedges as on a plane....but admittedly that sculptural style of woodwork isnt for everyone, some people are more fastidious, and that of course is fine...

 

[mark w]

I think you do pretend Jacob, you were caught out in another thread when you made some reference to guitars, a person who really new the subject tried to put you right.

FFS I knew nothing about Fenders and was quoting something I'd read and somebody who knew more than me put me right. So what? Is that it then? What on odd and uninteresting little thing to remember. Do you have link? we could all go back for a second look and get really excited. Here it is post798586.html?hilit=fender#p798586

In bugbears text it says this "An undulating motion must be avoided,as this will produce a "round edge", necessitating frequent regrinding". what is he grinding on if not a stone? Yes I can read.

Oh I see. By "grindstone" I meant wheel. There's no mention of "grindstones" or "grind wheels" or hollow grinding etc etc.which is the obvious but trivial point I was making, which you have chosen to misunderstand .

The chisel you are most likely to push into a piece of wood is the paring chisel, you are far more likely to strike a mortice chisel with a hammer.....

:roll: What chisel would you use for splitting hairs?

I won`t bother responding to your first comments, basically you agree with me that you get things wrong a good deal of the time, but your question about a chisel for splitting hairs, well, I would use a Blue Spruce bevel edged chisel, hollow ground, sharpened to perfection using the David Charlesworth method, I`m sure I could split a hair with it, you did mean hair not hare didn`t you?

 

[RossJarvis]

I must admit that I was most surprised to see about 6 pages added to this thread since I last looked, which didn't seem to be that long ago :shock: ! Also that there was a mix of very good and positive comment along-side what appears to be bitter and negative invective. As a relative newcomer I find the whole thing a bit bizarre as I'm used to forums where moderators are a bit more active at intercepting such feuding. (not a complaint at this site's moderators, just an observation).

My two-penneth worth is that there is actually a market for "sharpening devices", otherwise they wouldn't sell and that this market is actually a good thing. The reason it's a good thing is that it helps people work with wood, whether in a commercial setting or purely for their own pleasure. I must say that someone who works with cutting tools a lot, particularly if they're intelligent and thoughtful, who has the time, will probably be able to develop the hand-skill of sharpening free-hand to a very high degree, particularly if they are the type of person who has the capacity and is able to develop their own hand-brain co-ordination to a good or high level. However this is not the world of many people who wish to work with wood. It is also not the position most modern workers-in-wood exist in.

Yes, being able to sharpen free-hand is a very useful skill. It is not essential for everyone, nor is it possible for everyone. There are people who don't have the time to learn, or the physical or mental capacity. Due to the many ridiculous constraints on those who teach wood-skills to modern students, it is highly unlikely much time will be given over to the current generation of "wood-workers" on sharpening, particularly by hand, so the market for sharpening "gee-gaws" is not going to diminish. In fact, the ability to hand sharpen will only diminish. To complain about the rise in sharpening aids is therefore elitist, excluding and flying in the face of the reality of modern life.

By all means encourage and inform people about developing hand skills, including those about sharpening. But trying to make out that this is the "best" or "only proper" way is frankly denying the reality of the circumstances that other people find themselves in.

I would also add that for those of us who do wish to maintain our tools in as usable a state as we can, that any way of doing this, which we are able to do is valid. In fact, experimenting free-hand may be a revelation and save time, particularly when we have the time to trial and make mistakes.

I would just like to add that after opening our mouths, maybe we need to look at what we've said and see if what we said was helpful and positive, or just hurtful, self aggrandising, mistaken or just plain stupid. I know I say stupid things fairly often, I can't un-say these things, but I can apologise afterwards.

 

[Jacob]

I must admit that I was most surprised to see about 6 pages added to this thread since I last looked, which didn't seem to be that long ago :shock: ! Also that there was a mix of very good and positive comment along-side what appears to be bitter and negative invective. As a relative newcomer I find the whole thing a bit bizarre as I'm used to forums where moderators are a bit more active at intercepting such feuding. (not a complaint at this site's moderators, just an observation).

My two-penneth worth is that there is actually a market for "sharpening devices", otherwise they wouldn't sell and that this market is actually a good thing. The reason it's a good thing is that it helps people work with wood, whether in a commercial setting or purely for their own pleasure. I must say that someone who works with cutting tools a lot, particularly if they're intelligent and thoughtful, who has the time, will probably be able to develop the hand-skill of sharpening free-hand to a very high degree, particularly if they are the type of person who has the capacity and is able to develop their own hand-brain co-ordination to a good or high level. However this is not the world of many people who wish to work with wood. It is also not the position most modern workers-in-wood exist in.

Yes, being able to sharpen free-hand is a very useful skill. It is not essential for everyone, nor is it possible for everyone. There are people who don't have the time to learn, or the physical or mental capacity. Due to the many ridiculous constraints on those who teach wood-skills to modern students, it is highly unlikely much time will be given over to the current generation of "wood-workers" on sharpening, particularly by hand, so the market for sharpening "gee-gaws" is not going to diminish. In fact, the ability to hand sharpen will only diminish. To complain about the rise in sharpening aids is therefore elitist, excluding and flying in the face of the reality of modern life.

By all means encourage and inform people about developing hand skills, including those about sharpening. But trying to make out that this is the "best" or "only proper" way is frankly denying the reality of the circumstances that other people find themselves in.

I would also add that for those of us who do wish to maintain our tools in as usable a state as we can, that any way of doing this, which we are able to do is valid. In fact, experimenting free-hand may be a revelation and save time, particularly when we have the time to trial and make mistakes.

I would just like to add that after opening our mouths, maybe we need to look at what we've said and see if what we said was helpful and positive, or just hurtful, self aggrandising, mistaken or just plain stupid. I know I say stupid things fairly often, I can't un-say these things, but I can apologise afterwards.

Sorry mate that's too long could you do a precis say 50 words?

 

[RossJarvis]

Sorry mate that's too long could you do a precis say 50 words?

No.

If you have any friends who can read English, see if they'll do it for you :lol:

love and kisses

Ross

Thinking about it maybe that's unkind.

Trying to cut it short (which I do find difficult) is that there are many, equally valid ways to sharpen tools, some tools need specialised methods. It is probably very beneficial to be able to do it by hand, and the convex bevel method seems very sound and a good technique to master. However, for many people, using jigs or whatever "new" method is available is probably just as good, if not better.

I just feel that belittling others due to their particular choice is cruel and unfair.

 

[woodbrains]

Any way, originally this thread was about a device to sharpen drawknives, why we have diversified into turning tools etc gawd knows alone. :roll:
Just out of interest,how many people own and more importantly use, a draw knife? (I did ask WoodBrains but got no reply).

Hello,

Yes I have and use a drawknife. Funnily enough, I said in some previous thread about how handy they were for taking the wane etc from the edge of rough sawn boards ( as suggested by another here) but got, yes you've guessed it, contradicted. Though funnily the idea seems to have got some favour here, but not when I suggested it. Are we spotting a trend of some sort.

Mike.

 

[Jacob]

Any way, originally this thread was about a device to sharpen drawknives, why we have diversified into turning tools etc gawd knows alone. :roll:
Just out of interest,how many people own and more importantly use, a draw knife? (I did ask WoodBrains but got no reply).

Hello,

Yes I have and use a drawknife. Funnily enough, I said in some previous thread about how handy they were for taking the wane etc from the edge of rough sawn boards ( as suggested by another here) but got, yes you've guessed it, contradicted. Though funnily the idea seems to have got some favour here, but not when I suggested it. Are we spotting a trend of some sort.

Mike.

Congrats on having a draw knife, well done lad. It wasn't me being rude about it was it? Probably p|ssed. Sometimes is best to have a thick skin and live to fight another day.

 

[Racers]

I have a couple that get used for all sorts of stuff, knocking corners, spoon carving, tool handles.

Pete

 

[Corneel]

Now you do it again Ross! Making it sound all very difficult. :wink: In fact it isn't.

I also thought sharpening was very difficult and used a jig for years. When I finally got rid of it I was prepared for a lengthy learning curve, but it was no bother at all.

 

[Racers]

Now you do it again Ross! Making it sound all very difficult. :wink: In fact it isn't.

I also thought sharpening was very difficult and used a jig for years. When I finally got rid of it I was prepared for a lengthy learning curve, but it was no bother at all.

You can only say you found it easy, not everybody is the same!

Pete

 

[Corneel]

Did you see the video from Larry Williams? Did you see the tremors in his hands? Looks a bit like parkinson (but i really don't know what ails him). Anyway, if he can do it, everyone can. BTW, kudo's to Larry to do these video's with his ailment. I am stuttering, so I prefer to keep my mouth shut when I make a youtube vid :lol: .

 

[Jacob]

If you read Nicholson, Ellis etc any of the old books they make it sound easy. That's because it is easy.

If you read much of the new sharpeners stuff they make it sound difficult. They say it often. That's because if you do it their way it is difficult!

.

 

[Racers]

I could say "I find talking easy why don't you?"

I would never coerce you to do anything you would find difficult, or even imply that you are a lesser person for not doing something my way.

We are all different and should be allowed to do what ever we find comfortable and works for us.

Pete

 

[Tony Spear]

Used it for some tool handles and a live edge dining table. Fun tool but difficult to use.

Perhaps at it's best with green wood and a shave horse.

That's just about the most sensible suggestion you've made on thia thread.

A lot of the old "bodgers" in the Chilters used draw knives and a shave horse to "rough out" stuff before bunging it on the old pole lathe. (seen it, dunnit!)

My friend Ralph, who I mentioned earlier on, used to work with riven green willow for "gate" hurdles.

Froe and Mallet (or Beetle and Wedge if you prefer!) shave horse, draw knife, hand brace, mortice chisel, hammer and a bag of cut nails was all he needed! He was still making hurdles as decorative garden furniture until near on his death. I've even seen hedges that grew from old green willow hurdles that he made 30 or 40 years ago!
In his later years, he had quite a productive sideline making miniature hurdles for indoor decoration in the tarted up old cottages which proliferate around here!

 

[Corneel]

Oh, I am talking a lot. On the phone, in meetings, with patients etc. It's just when you post a video which everybody on the planet can see, it takes an extra psychological step. It is very courageous of Larry Williams to take that step.

 

[Corneel]

If you have the dexterity to use the tools, you also have the dexterity to sharpen them.

 

[Eric The Viking]

@ Corneel: Not everyone does. I can grip some tools and others are impossible (my hands are deformed).

I've finally got the sticking plaster off one finger after a rather nasty cut from a kitchen knife (probably should've got it stitched, but hey). I know how to use knives; I was careless for a split second; it was done by the very point of the knife.

I have a small-ish industrial guillotine, from the printing industry. It's got a very scary knife (two actually - I have a spare), about 18" long, incredibly sharp, 1/4" thick and 3" edge-to-back. I get it (them) professionally done and they have wooden keepers, but even so they're really scary to fit and remove. My biggest worry when doing it is dropping it at some point in the process.

We need tools to be sharp, but sharp=dangerous, too. Sharpening shouldn't be an expression of bravado.

Obviously that drawknife tool is expensive, but it's also a cleverly designed thing that should make a difficult sharpening job both safer and more consistent. Nobody's forced to use anything like that, but whilst I do wonder about some plane iron jigs, that jig is something I'd consider to keep in a pocket if I needed to use a drawknife regularly.

It wouldn't slip easily from my hands, and I'd be less likely to make a silly (and bloody) mistake using it.

Your mileage, etc.

E.

 

[Corneel]

@ Corneel: Not everyone does. I can grip some tools and others are impossible (my hands are deformed).



E.

Eric, that's a completely different situation. I feel for you and apologise if my posting was in any way confrontational for you.