Sharpening a Curved Gouge - Beginner Lesson #2 

You are like the Bob Ross of sharpening gouges. This video was just so relaxing to watch.

My granddad started to teach me woodcarving when I was a boy, but he died when I was fifteen so I stopped, made me pretty sad to do it without him there. Recently I got the bug and felt like giving it another go, then I came across your channel! I am totally inspired and really enjoying the videos and looking forward to getting started again. Thank you :)

This video is so helpful! Sharpening gouges is an art on it's own! Thanks for sharing!

I've sharpened tools, and parts most of my life, but never was happy with my gouge sharpening, till I saw you on the woodwrights shop. Thanks.

Thank you for this video. I was having trouble sharpening my gouges and was getting frustrated. I used this method and it worked perfectly.

Grazie mille! This was so helpful and amusing to watch, very well edited, sound, notes, etc. You're an amazing teacher, as it has already been stated, so enthusiastic about woodworking that made me even more enthusiastic about it! Keep it up!

I love this video. It's information dense and yet really accessible. Answered all my questions about which tools, how and why. Many thanks.

Thanks for the great videos! I am learning to carve Kentucky Long rifles and these have been a great confidence builder.

I sculpt with polymer clay professionally, but recently have been wanting to start wood carving and your videos are beyond helpful, so thank you very much!

I am currently planning to build a muzzleloader rifle and there is some carving and wood to metal mating to be done. I have been told to invest in some good carving tools and learn to sharpen same. I just happened across this video and love how she explains things. I think this is going to be my tutorial on sharpening. Thank you for the great and informative video. !!!

I finally now have the technique to sharpen my gouges! Those preformed stones seemed iffy for the out cannel tips. That swaying with a locked elbow really keeps the right geometry. I seem to really lock on to the old school methods. They work. For guitar luthiery, only occasional gouge use, but when you need it, it's got to be sharp. Thanks so much for making this available.

You are a wonderful and inspirational lady, Thank you so much.

Just exploring this craft before I attempt some basswood ideas. Your videos are very helpful. Thank you.

Mary I thank you for revitalizing me to star carving I saw you many years ago and since then have bought some tools and started carving by the way my place is Grenada 🇬🇩

Simple green is what I use & it seems to prevent my dmt plates from rusting. I eyeball it but prolly 1tsp to 16oz of h2o. Love the vid! Cheers from the coast of Maine

I'm Greek and I wouldn't waste olive oil on sharpening stones 😅 thank u for your lessons, very helpful.

Thank you very much, I think that after watching your videos I'm ready to start carving :)

Absolutely Beautiful!

Great and even entertaining video! All you need to know about sharpening! Thank you!

Thank you very much, this is an excellent video

Thanks for posting this, great information.

This is really excellent! You are a great teacher of this medium and the videos show everything clearly. You keep the lesson moving along, but not too fast and with just enough detail. Great job and many thanks for k.i.s.s. (keep it simple stupid). Also showing how to keep the cost down helps many. Your method will work for both hand and power carving chisels. I'm going to continue using my CBN wheels for my lathe chisels though

Aside from finally understanding the process, you are an absolutely charming person to watch...

A lovely woman and a visible passion: it's a pleasure to follow your lessons. Thanks from Italy.

Very helpful video and a pleasure to watch thank you ...from the far north of Scotland.

When you explained the 22.5 degrees and your discovery that you in fact naturally did that really pressed this age old optimum magical 22.5 home , and it’s reason 😊 Learnt all I need to know thanks so much .

Loved your video, perfectly presented... I am new to carving and taking it up as a later in life past time. Purchased a used 4pc set of Pheils (1 dbl edge chisel, 2 rnd gouges, 1 sft V). they had polished edges but didn't cut. The gouges had been convex rounded cutting edges. Needed to put them on a heavy stone and followed you recommendations. They came out terrific and cut across softwood perfectly.. Now onto the V-gouge. Looks like the bevels will need to be ground flat and brought up from scratch... Thanks for you helpful and well presented instructions..

first time watching your videos. Very informative. Thank you!

Thank you for this elaborate piece of education. I will definitely try the things i picked up.

Excekent! Helped allot! Thank you!

Thank you Mary.

Thank you for your candid and practical lesson, I I'll definitely try it with my chisels since I was afraid how to do it, will see I it goes.

Very good explanation on sharpening , it is amazing when sharpening any tool are a pencil how much the sense of feel plays a great part in the process.

Thank you Mary, your video is really helpful. Cheers Dave

Thank you these videos are great knowledge

Thanks for this very useful and well produced video.

I love the warning about dull tools because the reason I looked for a sharpening video was the bandage on my left hand XD. You really seem to know your stuff

You are s wonderful teacher, thank you

Great video, helpful informative and gentle :-)

Great advice thanks 👍

For slip stones I wouldn't recommend to use corser stones than 1000 grits because scratches from inside curve are not needed. So 4000 to 8000 grits of Japanese, Belgium or Arkansa stones are the best.

Love all the great tools ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

very nice explains thanks

Thank you awesome info😊

Thank you!

Thank You

Great job ty 👍👍👍👍

I try to do the best that i can to sharpen to that 22~23 deg... I do like that it's steeper in angle than the traditional 25 deg, as you mentioned it is just the right angle to have the most efficient way to work that's natural to your push cut....

Such a fine and generous post. I've been told that "Ouachita

Watched one of you videos on sharpening, I wanted to see your way of sharpening...chisels. When I seen you carve, I went right out and started buyiong gouges... eBay ...ADDIS, Herring... and I am absolutely loving carving...TY. I also bought some Schaaf gouges, from Amazon... so I am learning how to properly "regrind" gouges..lol, they all seem to be good steel, and handles, but after 16 total gouges I have realized they have NO quality control... or grinding skills...LOL I bought some Pfeil gouges and they came amazing...cost quite a bit more, but If I had to do it again I would start with the Pfeils... so I would know what a properly groung and sharp gouge looks like... But I still LOVE buying Addis, chisels on ebay and restoring them, such great satisfaction using a self restored 100 Plus year old gouge.

Better bar far than most sharpening help. GREAT..!!

On the topic of lubrication, I'd strongly suggest the TREND oil. Living in the Pacific Northwest, I've found that water, or water with a rust inhibitor, doesn't work well and can lead to a disaster with rust pockets blowing out the diamond layers.

A Washita stone is an Arkansas stone to my knowledge, its one of the various grades of Arkansas stone. Most people only think of the black/blue as Arkansas, but as you mentioned in the video, various grades

where I can buy those whetting stones and smaller one also

What tool brand would you recommend for a beginner

that movement ironically is the exact way wood turners are taught to move with a spindle gouge over the wood on a lathe, just swaying the hips, to keep the cutting angle and cut quality consistent.

Hi mary, really informative video. I have a question: My Pfeil gouges came with a very small micro bevel, when stropping do i just strop the micro bevel or the whole bevel? Also, when i pluck up the courage to hone them on my new stones and bearing in mind what you said about removing metal from the whole bevel evenly and keeping it flat from back to the edge, do i hone through the micro bevel until it disappears and i have one flat bevel right to the edge?

Watching your video now. Good stuff! By the way, Ouachita is pronounced Wa-shi-taw! Better known as Arkansas Novaculite, which is a cryptocrystalline quartz. Thought you might like to know!

Liked and appreciated the black marker to illustrate and illuminate the areas sharpened. Surprised that your diamond stone is placed on top of a JOINT in the wooden bench top, and as you moved the gouge from side to side, the stone underneath was slightly "rocking" from the "left board" to the "right one" as you pressed down, etc. And as one commenter mentioned below, this lesson could be appreciably shortened.

I've been trying to sharpen my first gouge for about a year now. An hour or two until I get frustrated. I bought a "beginners set" that came "ground but needs sharpening". I started with waterstones 4000 grit then tried to move up to a 1200 grit. Next I bought diamond stones. I think I've been using 800 grit/mesh. My gouge still won't go through pine with the grain. Not without pounding with a mallet. And this is just the first gouge. There are 11 more chisels in the set. I don't know if I have the temperament for carving.

What are thOse stones actually called and where can I buy them are they steel plates

Wonderful video! Do you personally have a complete set of chisels ground at 22.5 deg for basswood and steeper for hardwood? I am using 28 deg because I carve a lot of walnut, beech and maple etc but I'm wondering if I need another set for basswood. I just got your Acanthus leaf book for Christmas and love it! Very detailed and full of photos. You spared no expense making a quality product.

Where did you buy the diamond stones from and how much? You are very good at this and I love your videos!!! Plz keep making new ones

Hello. What brand of diamond stone do you use?

U deserved a lile. Thank you

Wood workers generally sharpen their chisels at 25 degrees. The video shows 22 1/2 degrees but adds an internal slight bevel. Probably adds to 25!

We want to learn-but we don't know the English language. You say a lot of the right things-but we don't understand them. What to do? Hi Your school. You superproducer!!! Good luck-success! Greetings from Russia!!! Watching Your videos.

Washita is a soft grade of Arkansas stone. The Washita Grade of Arkansas Stone is a natural, quarried stone that is softer and coarser than the Soft Arkansas grade. Typically white with veins of purple, red or orange, Washita stones are the coarsest grade of Arkansas Stones. A mirror finish is not necessarily an indication of actually being sharp. Soft Arkansas - Specific Gravity 2.22 | 12 micron | .00047" | Grit Equivalent: 1200. The Soft Arkansas is close to the 12 micron lapping film but clearly finer than the 800 grit diamond stone. Hard Arkansas - Specific Gravity 2.36 | 10-11 micron | .00041" | Grit Equivalent: 1500. It is a little coarser than the 9 micron lapping film but finer than the 12 micron film. Black Arkansas - Specific Gravity 2.55 | 7-7.5 micron | .00028' | Grit Equivalent: 2300-2500. While the Black Arkansas did have a few larger scratches, overall, it is a little finer than the 9 micron lapping film. Translucent Arkansas - Specific Gravity 2.53 | 5.5-6 micron | .00023' | Grit Equivalent: 3500-4000. It is clearly finer than the Black Arkansas. Most closely resembles the 5 micron lapping film.

Is the technique the same regardless of the type of stone you are using to sharpen the blade? Stone vs diamond??

I have to carve a recess into bottom of small (2”x 7/8”) Rosewood drawer pulls what size/type gouge do you suggest I buy? Thanks

Amen

Your teacher's greek? Cool! Cheers from Greece!

Where did you get 8,000 diamond stone? I thought they don't exist.

How often do the gouges need to be sharpened?

8

Nice video, I hadn't realised how long it took to sharpen a chisel, only question being a Vegan is there an alternate to leather strops?

You're one of the best carvingteachers on youtube,you know. Sort of a monopolist hehe just joking. Alright, I started carving and faced a little misunderstanding - all those carvers I had luck to talk to, use a gringing machine for sharping while you recommend the stones. I'm sort of confused. May I ask you please to explain, what I'm not getting?

You looks that you start chip carving when you had 5 years old after 20 years you looks like 25 years old , thank you for this video

those diamond stones are Dia-Sharp 1200 and 8000 mesh right?

Marking the blade with the sharpie ink pen! Awesome! Why didn't I (and everyone else too) think of that!!! Thank you!

Beside learning sharpening (great video by a pro) I also learned a few dance moves:):):) Lol

Hello MARY I Was buy from China a set of CHIESELS but is very bad quality please can you help me will like to buy other set and please sorry for my english FROM PANAMÁ I SEND TO YOU A BIG AND VERY KISS mua mua mua!!!!

If you go from coarse to extra fine you should be able to sharpen in less than 5 min

This is all excellent advice. But, with great respect, spending up to half an hour sharpening a gouge is excessive - unless it's badly mangled. A few minutes should be plenty to get a razor edge

Ai think you are lovely along with a pleasure to watch...

Waw-shi-taw

It never took me even 5 minutes to sharpen a chisel. Just use a more agressive stone

Really good and informative. But way too much verbiage. Cut down the talk and get to the point.

Woodglut is a good solution for every woodworker.

It's Nat Geo, so you know it's true 😉

thank you for explain sharpening curving. i want to say something for next tuts. i think you talking too much between the taeching...very slow rythm..about 30 min just for one simple lesson. thank you dude. best reagrd.

Very useful and relaxing to watch, but shame about the 'saftey' and 'ankels', especially still there after seven years!

Too much talking

You are totally wrong about the flat angle it should be flat on the inside

buy yourself a rubberised abrasive wheel and sharpen the tool in a couple of seconds

Too much talking. Get to the points fast. This video could have been 5 minutes long instead of 28 minutes.

Omg. This vid could’ve been about 4 mins max. Stop talking about everything and get to the point.

Thanks