| u’re just starting out as a wood carver, | | | | chisel's edge is at a slanted angle, a skewed angle, and |
| you’ll quickly discover how wood chisels are | | | | joins the side of the chisel head at an acute angle of |
| used all the time. There are many kinds, many sizes. | | | | less than 90 degrees. |
| They’ll need periodic sharpening and it’s | | | | Sharpening a skewed chisel is done in just the same |
| good to be able to do them yourself. It isn’t | | | | way as sharpening a straight chisel. There is only one |
| very fitting to have to bring your tools to a professional | | | | difference. The skewed edge needs to be made |
| sharpener whenever they become dull. You lose | | | | parallel to the forward edge of the sharpening stone. |
| money, you lose time. And best of all, straight chisels | | | | Or the edge can be made perpendicular to the side |
| are the easiest wood carving tools to sharpen. | | | | edge of the sharpening stone. Either way works fine. |
| Straight chisels can be sharpened in two steps. The | | | | Just be consistent if there is a second bevel. |
| first is to get the tool's edge to sharpness, and the | | | | ◦ Chisel Stropping. Your well-sharpened chisel |
| second is to strop that edge to silky smoothness. | | | | now has burrs all along its edge. Well done. Stropping |
| ◦ Straight Chisel Sharpening. This is sharpening | | | | will remove those burrs and all other micro-bits still |
| for straight square chisels and it's very simple. Start | | | | clinging. |
| with a coarse grade sharpening (honing or whetting) | | | | You've got a couple of choices when it comes to |
| stone. Make the shaft vertical with the edge touching | | | | stropping. First choice: You can use a free strap of |
| the stone. Slowly lower the end facing up until the | | | | leather to strop your edge in one direction and then the |
| edge's surface touches the wood. Stop right there. | | | | other. Lay the beveled face of your chisel's edge flat |
| With the beveled face flush on the stone, you have | | | | on the strap and pull away from the edge, parallel to |
| achieved the correct sharpening angle. | | | | the length-wise surface of the strap. Near the end of |
| While holding the chisel's beveled face flush against the | | | | the strap, lift the chisel and turn it over. Place the |
| stone, place your index finger on the top of the | | | | opposite face of the chisel's edge flat on the strap. Pull |
| beveled surface for better control. Pull the stone | | | | in the opposite direction, away from the edge and |
| towards you, away from the edge. Do this 10-20 times | | | | parallel to the strap surface. Back and forth and back |
| and then check for the burr. A burr is a feather-like | | | | and forth until your edge is silky smooth. |
| sliver of wire that will come off the chisel's edge when | | | | The second choice for stropping your chisel edge is to |
| you have achieved absolute sharpness. You slide your | | | | use a stropping board, also referred to as a honing |
| finger across the edge (never lengthwise!) and a burr | | | | board. This could be in the form of a flat rectangular |
| will feel like sand or grit on your edge. If there isn't a | | | | board, a paddle, a wooden bench or it could be one |
| burr, do another set of strokes until you've correctly | | | | you make yourself. The technique for using a stropping |
| raised it. If the tool has a second bevel, sharpen it as | | | | board is just the same as the technique used on a |
| you have just done with the first bevel. Sharpen until | | | | free leather strap. |
| you've correctly raised the burr. | | | | Leather strops and stropping boards are usually |
| After sharpness has been achieved with a coarse | | | | combined with a polishing compound. It facilitates the |
| stone, move to a fine grade stone. You can do this | | | | stropping process and makes carving much easier. It |
| with just one fine grade stone or with a succession of | | | | may be in the form of a liquid, a paste, a powder or |
| increasingly fine grade stones. Perform the sharpening | | | | even a solid block that fits in the palm of your hand. |
| strokes in the same way until you get a burr. If you've | | | | Stropping is a very important step in sharpening and |
| got a second bevel, do the same until a burr is raised. | | | | shouldn’t be dismissed. Think of it as you using |
| Be very sure that you've raised a burr along the entire | | | | a chisel with a dirty edge. It surely doesn’t |
| length of the chisel's edge, and on both sides. If you | | | | perform as well as a clean edge. And because |
| won't make sure, just stop what you're doing and go | | | | it’s dirty, using it will cause you to have to |
| watch television. I'm not kidding. If you're going to | | | | sharpen it much quicker than you usually would. So |
| sharpen, do it well or not at all. It will affect how well | | | | strop, and strop well. Your carving will be better for it. |
| you're able to carve. (If that doesn't matter to you, | | | | Beginners need to be very careful when stropping. As |
| really, then what are you doing?) | | | | novices in this art, the edge is often rounded instead of |
| There are a couple of different stroke techniques that | | | | being polished smooth. That's because the edge isn't |
| are commonly used when sharpening straight chisels. | | | | truly flat during the stropping process. A secondary |
| With your index finger on the top of the beveled | | | | bevel will be produced that thickens with each |
| surface as you grip the shaft, place the fingers of your | | | | sharpening. Eventually, the only way to save the edge |
| other hand on top of the first. Instead of pulling the tool | | | | is to remake it. That would be a great loss in time and |
| towards you, you run it in circles. If not that, you can | | | | effort. Pay close attention. |
| also push the tool sideways in one direction and then | | | | When you’ve trained those hands to do a |
| sideways in the other. There is no one specific method. | | | | good job, you’ll be able to sharpen any straight |
| Experiment and see which technique is best for you. I | | | | chisel, any skewed chisel in your tool collection. |
| like the stroke that pulls away from the edge best. It's | | | | That’s a lot you already know about |
| the simplest way to raise a burr and then detect it. | | | | sharpening carving tools. Keep it up. Just be so careful |
| ◦ Skewed Chisel Sharpening. Skewed chisels | | | | and watch out for secondary bevels. |
| are just a bit different from straight chisels. A skewed | | | | |