Popular Woodworking 2005-06 № 148, страница 16

Popular Woodworking 2005-06 № 148, страница 16

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Q & A

How to Sharpen Odd Or Curved Blades

For convex edges, use a block of wood shaped by the tool plus sandpaper

For concave edges, use a dowel wrapped in sandpaper

Sharpening Curved Edges on Flat Sharpening Stones is Tricky

A friend has asked me to sharpen a round knife he uses for leatherworking. This knife is different than anything I use in my wood carving and other woodworking. Before I begin putting metal to waterstone I wanted to seek advice on any techniques that might assist me in getting this knife back to a keen edge.

The handle behind the blade - which is the shape of a half-circle - makes it difficult to push the blade across the stone. And even the shape of the curved cutting edge adds another dimension of difficulty.

I know your magazine runs an occasional article on sharpening but it seems that chisels get most of the attention. Perhaps in the future you can do a piece on sharpening knives of various types: carving gouges, and jointer and planer knives. I'm surprised at the number of woodworkers that shudder at the thought of sharpening any blade. There seems to be a lack of information on the subject.

Jeff Acord Belgrade, Montana

I've never sharpened a leatherworking tool so I'm not sure how sharp it has to be. That said, when I sharpen any odd-shaped tool for woodworking, I tend to avoid my sharpening stones. Instead, I'll secure the tool in a handscrew and clamp

the handscrew in my bench vise. Then I work the edge with sanding fids — essentially curved scraps of wood with adhesive-back sandpaper stuck to them.

For a tool with a convex blade, such as a moulding plane, I'll make a cut using the tool in some softwood. Then I'll stick some sandpaper to the shape and work the edge. For curved knifelike tools, I'll trace a section of the curvature on a scrap, band saw out the shape, smooth it with a rasp and then stick the sandpaper to that. Move up in grits until you get to the level of sharpness you require — not everything needs to be as sharp as a plane iron.

For sharpening marking knives, for example, I'll start with #150 grit and progress up to about #300 grit. That's good enough to sever wood fibers cleanly.

For sharpening concave blades (such as an inshave), you can use a large dowel wrapped in sandpaper in a similar manner.

— Christopher Schwarz, executive editor

How Can I Make Small Patches For Repairing Veneer?

I recently purchased a coffee table that has some age on it. It has a veneered top and someone has made an attempt to replace a small area. It is a very bad attempt.

I have some walnut that's more than 100 years old that would match up well. The prob-continued on page 16

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Popular Woodworking June 2005