My super talent is dulling every single blade I've ever tried to sharpen, My father who learned to sharpen a blade while in the Marines in WW2 did try to teach me, it was not to be. A bright spot to it all was that for a man with no sense of humor, he did smile somewhat while watching me fail every attempt before he sharpened it for me. I'm 71 years young now and still failing at it, I still try to sharpen a knife blade just to make him smile, when ever he looks down at me from above. Good video, thanks.
The sound of a truly sharp blade slicing effortlessly through wood is something I cherish right down to my soul. My Grandfather was an old German butcher who taught me soo much about sharpening, edge tool maintenance and taking pride in a job well-done! Daisy, you are a master of your craft. Your salesmanship is quite realistic to anyone who might have the faintest knowledge about tools, wood or instrument building. Your perkiness and enthusiasm needs to be bottled and trademarked...It would make you a lot of money!...Thank you for what you do and please, keep doing it!
The water also keeps the edge cool, too much heat will ruin the heat treatment and soften (temper) the steel below it's optimum hardness for edge retention.
the wood bending back and forth is a great illustration - it is the FIRST time that I have seen someone do that ! that ASMR on the mahogany was great - thank you
The sound of a sharp plane on hardwood is lovely. I love my lie-Neilsen planes. If you are ever in Warren, Maine you should visit their showroom (and bring lots of cash). They make awesome chisels, too.
Hey Daisy. As an amateur wood worker trying to upskill. I really appreciate your content. Informative but the casual format means it's easy to take in.
I can relate to everything you say here. I started making violins a few years ago and a great part of much needed skills is blade sharpening. Following instructions is one thing. It takes quite some time to be really proficient. I've pretty much mastered plane blades and chisels but scraper blades are taking a while to get right.
Couldn't agree more. Seeing a whisper thin shaving curl up in front of the frog... now that's euphoria. Have to say, It's so much quicker & cleaner to achieve a razor edge these days than it was with oil stones in the past. I bow down to the manufacturers of diamond & water stones. As someone stated earlier, it would be good to see a series of vids showing the construction of your guitars, or even a acoustic bass if I'm lucky! 😍 Keep up the good work, we love what you're doing.
That’s really cool! Much more consistent than I do with my planes and gouges/chisels. I just go freehand on some cheap diamond grits and water, then touch the burr up on a buffing wheel with green compound. The buffing wheel has been a game changer, especially with carving gouges because I can just touch it up in 15 seconds, every 5 or 10 minutes so I have a constantly sharp blade, and I only need to do sharpening at the beginning of the day. I like the hollow grind method you use, I feel like it must make amazingly sharp tools. Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦
Super sharp man. Appreciatae this is guitar related but I have a set of Japanese chef knives from Global, I have various whetstones, there's nothing more satisfying than getting them razor sharp, slicing a tomato so thin you can see through the slices.
I used to sharpen the chisels and planes in a high school workshop. I'd start to run out of hairs on my arms to test on. About woodwork being dirty. There is a wood where I live called Jarrah, first called Swan River Mahogany. I have worked with it for days at times, and you end up with a red stain on your hands/fingertips. And it doesn't come off for days either.
Daisy, if you strive for perfection you can achieve perfection. You are well on the way! and always buy the best tools you can they will last for your lifetime.
While taking a “carpentry class” the instructor was very particular about NOT setting the Plane on its sole (flat bottom) as it can possible dull and damage the blade. That has stuck with me for forever. I suppose if you have a soft surface to set it on that would help protect the blade, but I still lay it on its side. Loving your videos and admire your work.
Very nice video, the script and editing keep getting better. Only comment would be that the water cools the edge to preserve the hardening rather than your wood stash or your fingers. Cheers from Sweden.
Good tools are great. And you learn how to use them and you know how to hold them without thinking. I am fortunate enough to own some Nooitgedagt tools. Those are mine. You can borrow the others. A handsaw is also very satisfying to sharpen. When you feel the teeth grab and stick to your skin after sharpening. A few cuts to remove the burs. Just great. I should do that more often again. (For first-timers. Hardened teeth are not suitable and will mess up you files.)
After a lifetime of working with wood I recently decided I needed to turn my attention to my bucket list, somewhere near the top of which is to build an acoustic guitar. My research brought me to your channel, and I’ve binge-watched everything you’ve produced and really enjoyed it all - thank you. I have so many questions and comments I don’t know where to start, but one I really have to ask is this - I notice you put your plane down on your workbench sole downwards - I was always taught that you shouldn’t do this as it increases the chances of damaging the blade, or at least of spoiling that nice sharp edge you’ve spent so much time creating - do you have a different philosophy on this? Please keep posting - I’m hooked now!
I think I’ll start doing it, but none of my teachers ever said it was really necessary, so I never learned to do it. When I asked one of them they just replied that it was pointless. I’ll make my own mind up by trying both from now I think! Congrats on the bucket list! You got this!
Thanks Daisy - I’m under no illusions as to how much skill is required and how even the things you make look easy really aren’t. Still, hoping to give it a go though.
@@alexhunter2521 I can also recommend the channels of Matt Estlea and Rob Cosman. Both have talked about this and have brought up the point, that your plane iron is supposed to cut wood, not the other way round so there shouldn't really be any danger of damaging your edge that way. However, it may scratch your workbench, if that is something you are concerned about. I think the habit is mainly taught to students to avoid them putting down the edge on an already finish planed piece or possibly on a harder surface, for example if you have to quickly put down your plane on your table saw or something (my shop is tiny, so I regularly find myself doing something of the sort). On the other hand it highly increases the risk of cutting yourself on the blade, when the plane is lying next to you need to pick it up without looking.
@@TheS4ndm4n thanks for your response and the suggested channels - I will have a look. I agree that the advice was probably oversimplified and overkill (teaching a classroom of children who are going to be using very sharp edges tends to encourage that). I can’t argue with the reasoning that plane irons are harder than wood - I think the reasoning was probably along slightly different lines, (lateral forces on very thin cutting edges as opposed to along the iron, and even the danger of moving the iron and spoiling the setup - more of a risk on some planes than on others) however I’m not on a crusade with this, just interested to hear any thoughts. One interesting point this discussion has raised (for me at least) is the importance of questioning even long-held beliefs and received wisdom. Thanks again for your thoughts.
@@alexhunter2521 I think it was Paul Seller who pointed out, that the reason HE doesn't put down his planes on the side, is because it tends to ruin the setup due to the impact. And guess what, ever since I've heard him say this, it ruins my Setup every once in a while (or maybe I'm just not very good at putting it up in the first place, who knows) and I've stopped putting my planes down sideways. Many ways, to ruin a Setup I guess :D
I like this saying from the great Ken Parker "there's no such thing as a blunt tool" meaning if it's blunt, it's no longer a tool. His archtoppery RU-vid channel is a thing of wonder
I love my Veritas Honing Guide! Instead of a stone I have a sheet of glass and use spray adhesive to hold down sheets of wet and dry paper. Finish off with some jewellers 0.9 micron polishing sheet. You could split an atom with the edge. 😂. To keep the edge I have a flat board with a leather strop glued to it. Rub some Flexcut honing compound on to it and draw the sole of the plane backwards along it. Saves having to remove the blade each time. Brilliant videos! Thanks for all the wonderful insights into your art.
This is a very helpful and informative video. One small correction: the words 'whet' and 'wet' are not related. One means to sharpen, and the other means damp. A whetstone is not so-called because it must be used with water.
Ahhh the end grain is the best test, I sharpen most of my hand tools by hand. Chisels and such. I have oil stones, it takes a little longer but I get a certain satisfaction doing it that way. That's how I was taught in school wood shop.
If you want to try my two cents after 25 years of sharpening plane and chisel blades.... You are doing the right thing with the hollow grind of the primary bevel. For the secondary bevel just go right to 8000 water stone. It will easily shave any body hair. All those intermediate grits are just a waste of time.
Take care of your shop and your shop will take care of you. Nothing is perfect, their is only an attenuation to what is fine. You are quite well there, at your age this means you have been paying attention. Well done and stay the course.
I love that Veritas honing guide. I keep a notebook of all my angles and it's been great. Don't have a grinding wheel yet but really want a slow speed one with a CBN wheel to hollow grind my blades. I was definitely curious about your sharpening setup so thanks for the video.
If you're using a jig to sharpen, you can just use good ol' double bevel, no need to hollow grind. The main advantage of hollow grind is that the bevel is "self jigging" for hand honing. In fact, a hollow ground plane blade is (marginally) less well supported at the edge.
@@paulwomack5866 good point but the issue is productivity. Some high volume workers like the speed. I was always low volume and preferred the extra support at the edge so did not use a grinding wheel. A permanent sharpening bench is a good alternative to a grinding wheel.
@@erskinelewis6365 Yes - in general - hollow grind, and freehand form a good combination, as I tried to point out. My point (as a reply to Alex loving his Veritas guide) is that IF you're using a guide, hollow grind isn't needed, AND has a disadvantage.
coming from a butchers family, this brings back memories. for us only specific purpose blades were hollow ground as it increases sharpness but reduces durability. fingers with bandaids, staining etc is great for this old brain. it keeps reinforcing how times have changed (in my mind, for the better). they are 'hands' these days - no gender attached. Thanks and good luck. p.s. that pedal show did a 5 part series where they had an acoustic made by johnny kinkead. lovely in a different way.
This is just beautiful! If I bring my own stool, snacks and beverages, could I stop by every day to sit in the corner to enjoy all the smells and sounds in your shop? I'll be quiet :)
2 things. First, where did you get the angle jig for the wheel at 4:28 min. And second, I'm new to your channel and absolutely love it. I hope to start making some musical instruments too soon, including a lute eventually. Love your enthusiasm. It's nice to see a young person working with their hands and love using tools.
Kia Ora Daisy , I just watched your interview at Aldertons I was interested in the break down on the sound boards and bracing. My question is why do some guitars have a semi quaver rather than the round hole.
Could the shiny part just means it is polished, that could be either polished razor sharp IE the edge you get with stropping a blade on leather to make it razor sharp or it could be polished dull like yours right? Isn't the honing stone finer than a sharpening stone?
Great video 👍 I’m a journeyman carpenter and fine woodworker, have you tried putting a micro bevel on your plane iron’s? I use it on my plane’s and chisel’s. I finish the blades on 8000 grit Japanese water stones. Makes for a razor sharp edge
The same about nails... :/ comments... I'm a musician and my hands don't look like the musician-average-beautiful-hands-that-don't-do-anything-else-for-the-world... As a student I usually work with metals, this means black nails for a while, hahahahaha... my teacher and my flute fellows use to whatch that like "aghh" Hahaha!! Sorry, but we are creative-lovely-girls and use our hands to get involved in the world doing something else than just playing an instrument... which is nice, but create something else and knowing how to do it is really fantastic. Love you!! you have very good ideas. THANKS FOR SHARING!!
I've never understood people who keep making those "clean your nails/cut your nails" comments about other people's nails, especially to people who actually dirty their hands in real hand work. Or criticize their nail lengths (like I play guitar and do weightlifting, it makes fingernails pretty funny looking if I want to grow good nails for that: long fingers in right hand for guitar, long thumb nails for weightlifting hook grip). But like whatever, it's not a biggie, I know what the nails are for. Very interesting video though! Very good photography/videography for details. This is very similar to sharpening knives and razor blades unsurprisingly (except using the wheel at the start).
A strangely satisfying activity, isn't it? I've done a lot of knife making (amongst hundreds of other crafts requiring sharp tools), when I watch TV or movies with sword or knife fights it's so obvious to me how dull the "implements of destruction" are, which comes from being able to see if a tool is sharp when I pick it up.
This may be an off the wall question. Does the block plane produce a different sound on different woods? In other word can you hear a difference with a block plane on a piece of mahogany compared to a piece of maple?
David Charlesworth always lapped a couple of inches of the back of a new blade which is essential for a really sharp edge. LN and Veritas blades have sufficient back lapping (but can still be improved). Cheaper blades need some work.
Daisy - have you seen the video by *Sampson Boat Co* - Leo manerisms are similar to yours - he has a teaam of people building copy of a boat valued at between $300,000 and $1,000,000. Perhaps a boat is just another larger curved object like a guitar? Anyway they need to frequently sharpen chisels and other blades . . . he recently did a video explaining different techniques. I think you would enjoy the technology in building wooden boats . . . if you ever want to work on much larger items! He has a video open day at 7 PM UK time.
Hey daisy a question when you get a moment please. Simply why is the E and A note second fret ( D + G string ) so hard for some builders to get right? Especially on spruce guitars. That region A E F notes is so important but yet it’s often a week or a buzzy set of notes unless 100% Accurately played against the frets
Hi Daisy, not sure if you seen a Spanish guitar maker Pablo Requena, he's has a yt channel and his video on sharpening has changed how I and some of the joiners I work with sharpen. Looks weird to start with but the result isn't
I’ve got some old planes that I wish I could get sharpened like this! Unfortunately I don’t have access to the fancy w(h)etstone setup you do. Think hand-sharpening could get things passably sharp? (Note: I am as far as you can get from a fine woodworker, my builds are quick, dirty, ugly, and about 50% functional - I don’t need the precision that you do)
I spent several years when I was younger in commercial embroidery. I can see all kinds of errors in things with embroidery, especially lettering. Similar to your seeing the problems with the edge that a layman won’t notice.
ETYMoLOGy FaCT: although a whetstone sounds like a "wet stone" I believe in olde English it simply meant a "sharpening stone" and was not meant to imply the use of water
