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Oh my goodness. During the tv show Wednesday while carving braces I realized my chisel needed help. Well, needing to shape the braces on two tops, I got out my supplies.

Slicing a four inch by 12 inch slab of leather from the cowhide, I clamped it to my workbench via a Klemmsia. Then I pulled out the Dico White Rouge picked up at my local Ace Hardware. You have to peel back the paper and it is similar to a big one inch crayon in a tube, about six inches long.

I rubbed the rouge on the leather, just kind of smeared it on two inches wide and about six inches long on the smooth side of the leather. Strokes of the chisel must be along it's length toward the cutting edge. Flat side first, then flip and do the angled bevel of the chisel.

In only a few minutes it was perfect and would shave hairs from your arm. All you had to do is touch it with your fingertip and you knew it was sharp. It easily sliced into the leather if you happened to slip sideways.

So this is a followup on the recent activity. Since I never heard anything from anyone else, I wanted to post this for you guys who've always struggled to get a sharp chisel. This is the bee's knees.

I love white rouge and leather. My chisels will never be the same.

I got a cranked chisel from Lee Valley and also recently two Chech chisels from Highland and they all are wonderful chisels now, thanks to the suggestion and finally the outworking of what I learned on the OLF.

Pics coming up in a few minutes.











This picture clearly shows the sharp by the shine. Notice the two Narex Chech chisels on the left. One reflects, one does not. The second from the left is the unsharpened one, the other three all show degrees of shine indicating their sharpeness. You would not believe the difference.

Plane blades are next up, this will make them sing!Dickey38438.8286458333

Hi Bruce!!
Funny... I was just thinking about how the leather theory of sharpening was working out since I mentioned it some time ago.
I know it works well because that was how I sharpened my leather tools for years.
I'm happy it worked out for you!!

Say thank you Walter!!!

[QUOTE=Dickey] ...thanks to the suggestion and finally the outworking of what I learned on the OLF.......
[/QUOTE]

Yep, it was you Walter, and Dave supplied the cow... thanks.

Bruce,
Thanks for the pictures. You and Lance always not only share great experiences and findings in your shop, but follow up with the best photos to make the post complete and interesting.
You're a generous and sharing friend.
Always eager to help and share the knowledge of Luthier skills and information.
Thanks for always being there for us Newbees.
Walter

Bruce...what's the bevel angle on those chisels? They look awfully steep...or maybe it's a camera lens distortion.

_________________
JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

JJ, I think some of them are 'bellied' a la Cumpiano, which makes 'em easy to use 'upside down' for scalloping and the like. Very controlled.

JJ, I don't have a clue what the angle is on the chisels? All I can tell you is they are sharp as razor blades and cut spruce like butter. Removing factory cross-hatch manufacturing lines takes a while, but when they are gone, these babies will cut and have the mirror finish folks rave about.

I can't wait for some of you guys to drag out an old belt and get some of this white rouge and try it yourselves..... it's a quantum leap in sharpening, and cheap.

Hi Bruce,
Glad to hear the leather is working for you. I have tried it with the green stuff sold by Lee Valley and also some red jewelers rouge I found on Ebay. Both seem to work real well...no more dull chisles for me! THANKS WALTER !!!!!

_________________
Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

I've been using the rouge and leather stropping belt on my plane irons and chisels for some timeand I concur...it makes a difference. Moreover, the strop provides a quick method of touching up the edge during your chiseling operation.

I use the 1/4" glass plate method and start a new blade out using 220 grit through 2000 grit. At 2000 grit it is distortion-free mirror shiny as is the back. I keep the bevel constant by using a guide to hold the blade to its desired angle throughout the entire process. This also assures that the edge of the blade is 90* to its side. Once this is done I re-position the blade ever so slightly...a few degrees to put on a micro-bevel as recommended by a few of the sharpening gurus.

After all of this, as Bruce says, the strop takes it to a new level.

_________________
JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

A strop used to make me behave, now it's making my chisels behave.....