69 - Bench Top Storage System, страница 15
Sources • Japan Woodworker. japanwoodworker.com 300-537-7320 • Toole for Working Wood: toolsforworkingwood.com 800-426-4613 • Hiraide America: japanesetools.com 377-692-3624 Setting the Hoop. After fitting the hoop on the handle, soak it in tung oil or water. Then set the chisel on a piece of scrap and lightly "mushroom" the top with a hammer. between white steel and blue steel. Both will give you a sharp edge that will last much longer tiian die chisels you're already using. Bringing it Home - After I bought my first chisel, I was surprised to see that it looked a little unfinished. Depending on how much work the dealer does, there might be a few things you'll need to do before you can use your chisel. The most important thing youH need to do is hone the edge. In Japan, the chisels aren't sharpened at all. The reason for this is that most woodworkers prefer to sharpen their tools themselves to fit their own style of work. Thankfully, most of the Japanese chisels sold in die U.S. will come fairly sharp, so your chisel will only need light honing. Just like your other chisels, the first step is to make sure the back is flat. I do diis using waterstones, as shown in the left photo below. Honing the bevel is a little trickier, The top and back of the blade aren't parallel, and the blades are so short that most sharpening guides won't work. So I just sharpen by hand. And it really doesn't take that much to master diis process. Start by placing the heel of the chisel on the stone, then slowly tilt it forward until you feel the tip touch the stone. Then push the chisel forward one stroke, as in the middle photo below. Now lift the chisel off the stone and bring it back for another stroke on the waterstone. Setting the Hoop - The other thing you may have to do is set the hoop on the handle. When you receive a Japanese chisel, the hoop may be lightly pressed on the handle or it might even be loose in the box. To set the hoop, the first tiling to do is compress the end of the handle with a hammer and slide the hoop on. The hoop should sit down on the handle about Ms". Then the top of the handle is "mushroomed" over to hold the hoop in place. I've found the best way to do this is to soak the end of the handle in tung oil or water a few mintutes to soften the wood fibers. Next I set the chisel across the grain on a hardwood scrap and lightly rounded over the top with a mallet or hammer, as you can see in the upper photos at right. Care - Rust is the enemy of steel tools, whether they're Japanese chisels or your western chisels. But with Japanese chisels it's a little easier for rust to get a foothold on the softer iron. To prevent this, just wipe a little light oil on your chisels after every use. The traditional rust preventer is camelia oil. A bottle comes with a soft brush, which makes it easy to wipe on a thin coat, as shown in the photo below. Now you're not going to find Japanese chisels at your local hardware store. In fact, there are only a few dealers across the country. We've included a few of them in the margin. If you give them a call, they'll provide you with more information and answer any questions. & ▲ Flatten the Back. Lap the back of the chisel on waterstones to make sure the back is flat. k Honing the Bevel. Most Japanese chisels won't fit in a jig, so you'll have to hone the bevel by hand. Protecting the Tool. Wiping on a thin coat of camelia oil after every use can prevent rust from forming on your chisels. No. 69 ShopNotes 15 |
