Messages

The blunting question seems to be something of a Rorschach.  My guess would be it's to keep the edge from getting too hot.

Anyway, with your encouragement, I finally reshaped my skew chisel.  My original aim was to put a curve on the skew as suggested in the T manual.  So, more questions:

1) Is this a good idea as suggested in the manual?  Any down side?
2) Will this take a long time?
3) I assume I should continue to use the fastest grinding technique (frequent use of the truing tool, universal support in the upright position), right?
4) Then switch to finer grinding surfaces and finally to honing?

Thanks.

Has anyone used the BMG-100 that enables the use of the universal support on a regular bench grinder that Rob mentions?  How difficult is it not to burn the edge of the tool, in this case a skew chisel?

Thanks Rob--

I think your post saved my sanity.  I was beginning to imagine that there was some inherent flaw in my character that was preventing me from shaping this skew in a timely manner.  I'm putting myself on some kind of regimen--100 passes over the stone and then rest for a while.  You aren't kidding about this taking a couple of weekends.  I will certainly think long and hard before I embark on any reshaping of turning tools again.  I will heed your advice about frequently using the truing tool.  Other than don't ever do this again, I have learned that it is vital to have the stone at the right height so I don't have to use my shoulder joints too much for the downward pressure.  I have also learned that a little oil on the universal support helps the jig move smoothly while moving the tool across the stone.

Many thanks, will do.

I'm having more problems.  I'm trying to reshape my oval skew chisel, ultimately to give it a curve, but it is taking forever!  I've spent about 45 minutes on just one bevel so far and I have a ways to go.  I'm getting filings as noted when I change the water.  I use the grading stone frequently but progress is painstakingly slow.  I have the universal support in the vertical position with the wheel turning toward the edge and I press down quite hard.  The grinding wheel itself looks a little strange. One side of the wheel is peppered with brown flecks that remain (or reappear) even after using the grading stone.  Any thoughts?

Thanks Herman.  That's helpful.  If I follow you, on a turning gouge the bevel angle and the edge angle would be the same.  On a chisel, the bevel angle would be half the edge angle.

As a new person here (and a novice turner) I don't know if a question constitutes a "topic" but I'll ask it as see what happens.

I want to reshape an oval skew chisel so that it has a curved edge as suggested in "Sharpening Woodturning Tools the Tormek way," page23 and described starting on page 27.  As a point of information, I discovered that this manual has an error on page 28.  The right hand diagram at the top of the page indicates placing the universal support in hole A on the SVS-50 jig while the text says use hole B.  Apparently the text is correct.

My question is: from where will the material be removed on the chisel during this procedure, the heel, the point or both?  Knowing this would help me know what to expect before putting an expensive tool on the grinder.

A second question is whether or not there is a consistent definition of the angle in this manual that is referred to as alpha.  My guess is that for a skew chisel it is the angle between the two planes that form the edge.  If this is correct it would appear to be different from the angle labeled alpha in the top diagram on page 8.  In this case the angle appears to be the angle between the plane of the grinding surface and the center line of the tool shaft.  I find this confusing.