Started carving a little

[mike40]

I haven't used my Tormek much since I bought it except for sharpening chisels and plane blades, but I found it really handy when I did my first figure carving recently. I used the small knife jig to sharpen my chip carving knife and also a small sløyd knife I used. I messed up a bit with the sløyd knife a bit, but finally got it right. I decided to take up figure carving so that I would have something to do while sitting with the wife on the terrace in the summer. I get bored pretty fast when my hands aren't busy, so I thought I could have a little fun while cooking in the sun. Here's my first little figure carving.



I also bought the turners kit. This is also great for keeping my carving gouges sharp, though I don't use them much as I don't do relief carving and I prefer just the knives for figure carving. I haven't sharpened any turning tools with it yet, but I'm sure it will do a great job on them.

Sorry I haven't participated much here on the forum for some time, but I've been building shop benches, a marquetry sawing machine and also doing some marquetry work, none of which has anything to do with the Tormek. I will review as many old posts here as I find time for, so don't be surprised if I come with a lot of questions.

[Ken S]

Welcome back, Mike!  I'm so pleased you are posting again.

Best wishes,

Ken

[mike40]

Thanks Ken, I hope I can stay a little more active  here and have some fun at the same time. I hope it's ok to post a lot of photos here  as I think the visual adds a lot to the experience and also helps explain sharpening problems and such, besides showing others what we are up to. Looking forward to a continuing dialog.

[Kiwi]

Mike you mentioned you use your turners kit for your gouges is that the SVD 185? and are those gouges straight gouges?  Why as I am having trouble sharpening my pfeil gouges especially the large sweeps

Thanks Kiwi

[mike40]

Kiwi, the Tormek handbook recommends the SVS-32 for gouges to 3.2mm at the edge  (slightly more than 1/8") for gouges and the SVS-50 for gouges over 3.2mm up to 50mm width (2") at the cutting edge. I hope this helps. I also suggest you read the Tormek manual where it gives general info about sharpening gouges. The main point there is that you have to keep your gouge rolling evenly and not stopping the roll because the actual contact point of a gouge is so small that it is easy to make a flat spot on the edge. They also recommend not putting too much pressure on the gouge against the stone wheel. It also is necessary to make sure your stone is very smooth by grading it fine before you start.

[Kiwi]

Thanks Mike for your advice I will carry out those necessary checks.  At the end of the day go slowly and take off little metal at a time.

[mike40]

Kiwi, The SVS-50 and SVS-32 are for all the straight carving gouges only  while the SVD-185 is for bent carving gouges. This is a little confusing as straight turning gouges are done in the SVD-185.

[Kiwi]

Thanks Mike I will persevere and try out the SVS-50 and read over the manual again

[Ken S]

Kiwi,

I am pleased you have decided to persevere. I am not a woodcarver. I do know with the Tormek that the longer you persevere, the more satisfying your sharpening results are. I only recently discovered what an improvement working with a lower table is. My hands just seemed to fall into place for much more control with the knife jig.

You just keep sharpening, and eventually, you notice your edges are more keen and that you have more control over the process. As with so many areas in life, mastering the skill takes time and effort.

One of my most treasured possessions is a chair that my grandfather made for my father. Dad was a Naval Aviator in World War II. Grandpop had a gift for making chairs. In this chair he carved Dad's wings in relief. Grandpop made that chair almost seventy years ago. His carving is still treasured. Carving has much power.

Ken

[Kiwi]

Thanks Ken I suppose I was getting a bit frustrated so those words are very well received.  Not that I thought for a moment it was going to be easier but with the amount of money I have spent initially on theT7 I suppose I was a bit presumptuous to think everything would fall into place

Kiwi

[mike40]

Kiwi, so true what Ken says. At first it all seems so time consuming to use the Tormek, but once you get used to how the various jigs it doesn't take any time at all.I am still learning about my Tormek. I haven't used it much since I bought it as my projects over the last year or so have mainly only required sharp chisels and plane blades and not even much of that.

After I started carving I have really begun to appreciate the Tormek as it is so easy to hone my knives and chisels on the leather wheel. I had quite a few carving chisels that were sharpened properly, but not honed well enough. Instead of going to the sharpening stone I chose to try the leather honing wheel first and that turned out to be a great success for me. Afterward, I read in the Tormek manual that they recommend going to the honing wheel first and only resharpen when the blade is chipped or needs reshaping. The leather wheels are very effective on the carving tools because they have such soft steel.

I don't use the jigs for the honing wheel as I feel that I get great results without the bother. That works for me, but some have complained that the honing wheel is not giving them the final edge desired, so the jigs would be an advantage for them. I don't use the diamond paste every time I hone either, as I have found that the dried paste on the wheel lasts through several honings.  I haven't even used up my first tube of paste yet.

[Ken S]

Kiwi, Mike has shared two of the best sources of Tormek information. I learn something new each time I refer to the handbook. My copy has much underlining. I also keep the latest version on my ipad. You can download it from the Tormek website once your Tormek is registered.

Most of our questions have been discussed over the years. You can search by key word or member. You could  also read through all the wood carving posts. I have not found the search function very quick or thorough. The information is there, it is just a matter of persevering. I like to study it with a cup of coffee. Patience is rewarded.

Make sure to check out the friends videos Tormek has produced and put on the website. You might especially enjoy the carver who carves ice! She really knows  how to use her Tormeks. The friends videos add a human dimension to technique. I especially enjoy the fishing video, and I am not a fisherman. It has such warm humor. I think you will enjoy all the videos.

Mike, have you watched these videos?

Ken

[mike40]

No Ken, I haven't, but I will surely take a look at them. Thanks for the tip.

[mike40]

Hi Ken,

I did take a look at those 'friends' film on the Tormek.com site and then I realized that I had actually seen them all before except for the ice sculpting by Tjåsa Gusfors. Very enjoyable I especially found the bit about the Japanese stone to be very interesting. She got quite a smooth bevel on that chisel she sharpened with it. I was also surprised that I could understand her Swedish so well. We here in Norway can understand most of the Swedish spoken language depending on their local dialect, but the written is a bit more of a challenge. My youngest son is married to a Swedish girl and he lives in the North of Sweden where we visit them in the summer. My Tormek manual is in Swedish, which makes it a little more uncomfortable to read, but it's not so bad that I can't understand it well enough. I did download the English version too, but I haven't used it so far. I guess I should have a look at it. Whenever I start on sharpening something new I always read the relevant part in the manual first. It really pays off.

This summer my DIL's Swedish parents are coming to visit us and I will be teaching him how to turn and whatever other woodworking he might be interested in. My Tormek should make him feel right at home. I already know them pretty well from our Sweden trips and I'm really looking forward to their visit. I just hope he will fit into my small shop as he is about 6'5" and built like a bear! He has no room for a workshop at home, but I have outfitted my son with a workshop in his basement with a lot of power tools including a new midi lathe and my old 12" bandsaw, so he can use that when he is visiting at my son's place. I'm not sure, but I think world piece is dependent on more people getting into woodworking. Woodworkers seem to be more happy and less aggressive than most others.

[SharpenADullWitt]

I'm not sure, but I think world piece is dependent on more people getting into woodworking. Woodworkers seem to be more happy and less aggressive than most others.

Then the new wars over "exotic" woods as countries invade each other to get some.

I made a post about a video some time ago, where I noticed something that longer time posters didn't, and that was a keyword for me on how to better obtain results.  Understanding the language, whenever your watching the video's or reading a book is a must.  Language can make it easy or hard to spot the details, that can be layered like onions.