Messages

I think I know the answer: I'm not rotating the tool evenly against the stone.
What techniques do you all have for ensuring an even edge? Is it just the obvious, swing slowly back and forth as if it were a metronome in slow motion?

Thanks, guys and gals,

~TH

Three pieces of black walnut, laminated with a sliver of ash.
First try...second one needs to be bigger to hold balls of thicker yarn.

Grepper, liked your drip pan solution.  Found a retired cake pan at the local thrift store for $2.99 that fits perfectly.

Also spent an hour dipped nostalgia looking through a 1960 issue of Pop Mech.  The ads were a hoot, but also a great reminder of a simpler time. 

Count me among the turners, Ken.  Making the transition from beginner to intermediate. 

Had hoped to upload a picture of a walnut yarn bowl I did for my wife (pre-Tormek).  If anyone can help me upload a picture, I'd be happy to share.

Am currently making a shallow bowl out of maple.  Love the way my gouges cut with a fresh grind and hone.  You should see the piles of loooong, curly shavings.  That tells me there's an edge on the gouge.

Ken and everyone,

  Thanks for the encouragement.  First, a little full disclosure...I've only done two pair of scissors, but both turned out well.
  My "path" was two-fold:  Step one was reading the manual about five times, so that I was super-clear on both the philosophical approach to wet grinding, and then the technical approach.
Step two was watching anything I could find on YouTube, and agree that I found the Jeff Farris videos were very complete and helpful.  It's always great when you get information that isn't in the manual (which this forum has also provided in abundance).
  As far as technique, I didn't "plunge" in.  I took things slowly, much like in my wood turning, a little at a time, trying to be patient.  This is where the reliance on the marker, and not the WM-200.  I'll take grepper's advice and re-watch the Farris video and pay special attention to the section on the WM-200.
  Again, thanks to everyone.  I'm going to have my wife look for a smallish cookie sheet or shallow baking pan on her next trip to the thrift store.
~Tom

Thanks, everyone, for all the great info.  It will greatly help my approach in the future.  My wife loved the newly sharpened scissors, by the way, so all the screeching was worth it.  I did a standard pair of Fiskars, and it rocked...even on my first try. 

One thing I've found, that the ergonomic handles on Fiskars and many other knock-offs catch on the platform, so I just take them apart.  A nuisance, but reduces errors.

Experiencing frustrations with the scissors-sharpening jig:
1.  At anything greater than a 65-degree bevel, I get a lot of vibration and noise.  The T4 is nearly new, so can it be a problem with the stone this soon?
2.  I try to keep the water even across the blade as I grind.  In doing so, water pours off the inside edge of the scissors onto the top of the unit, then runs down between the side of the unit and the water tray, onto the benchtop and creates a big mess.  Am I doing something wrong, or is this simply (really) bad design?
3.  Any hints for using the WM-200 jig?  The little back edge on the degree dial is so small, and so little of that edge contacts the plate or the clamping plate when I use that), that it's essentially worthless.  I've resorted to trial and error using a permanent marker...but that seems like a pretty poor solution to bad design, as well.

Plenty frustrated with this very expensive jig for a very expensive tool.  Would appreciate any help.