essentÊrving°25

T O O L S AND EQUIPMENT

(12^o-20°) and maximum control (Fig 1.42). Frcqucncly inspect the edgc and the bevel to make surÄ™ that you arc grinding evenly all ovcr. The under hevel should reach the inside of the tool evenly. When the white linÄ™ is no longer visible you will probably cause a slight burr on the top, as thc metal is so thin that it folds over (Fig 1.43). Use the fine slip stone at thc original angle to polish the inside bevel, chus chasing the burr to the undersidc.

IFyou have not ground an inside bevcl you still need to use a Fine slip to remove the inside burr. This you do by laying the slip fiat in the flute of the chisel and rubbing it baekwards and forwards without tilting it. On thc medium bench stone polish away thc scratch marks from the last stone. Follow cxactly the same angle and motion. Periodically wipe thc burr back to the underside with the fine slip. When the burr is very smali and the coarse scratch marks are removed, Pinish on the Fine bench stone, still working the burr back and forth between it and the slip until the burr has virtually vanished. Finally strop, always keeping the tool as you draw it along towards you at the same angle as on the stone, rocking it from corncr to corner (Fig 1.44). With a spccially shaped leather slip or a folded strop, polish the inside of the chisel by pushing thc strop along the flute and across the edge. Strop alternatcly several times. The edge is tested lightly against thc skin on a finger to see if it just curs the surface, or by cutting across the grain of a soft piece of pine. Stropping about every ten minutes when working with the tools means you seldom use the Stones.

V tools are especially difficult to sharpen. Treat them as rwo separate straight-edged chisels. Thcre is no inside bcvcl. Do not buy a V tool of which the inside surfaces are not true. The groovc at the bottom should be very narrow but neverthclcss is bound to be slightly radiused. If you flatten the

end you will see a smali white trianglc on thc edge at the bottom. This is removed by rocking the bottom of the tool until the outside shape meets the inside. Trying to make the bottom of thc keel sharp crcates a prong or beak, and carving with this is like cutting with a needle.

First attempts at sharpening usually leave the edge wavy or rounded (Fig 1.45). Keeping thc end straight is less important than making the edge sharp righi across.

Grinding Wheels

Because therc is somc ‘give’ in both strops and bufFing wheels, eventually the angle ar the chisel edge becomes inefficiently steep. It is nor always

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