This is very helpful! I just ordered what I thought was a nice set of tools, they all came without a sharpened edge… so I’ll be doing this for a while!
I feel your pain! I recently dropped my 4mm V-gouge point down on my concrete garage floor...unfortunately resharpening will not bring it back. But hey, misery loves company, so thanks for the camaraderie.
First few times I sharpened a gouge, it was using back & forth passes on the stone in the direction of the cut while slowly tilting the blade from corner to corner... I should've started doing the rocking lateral strokes shown in the video way sooner. Looks like it'd be way easier to keep a consistent-ish angle that way. Also, those cuts at the end, so satisfying to see those clean chips pop out like pats of warm butter!
Or you can invest in a set of carvers slip stones that are curved and tapered and designed to hone gouges. A flat bench hone like this is designed for flat chisels and plane irons Here are a few tips to prevent dulling your tools if dropped to the floor One is to pick up several vinyl backed carpet tiles that are 24"×24" and lay them on the floor in front of your work bench Next , you could purchase enough interlocking anti - fatigue mats and put them in place Lastly, you could lay down a 4x8 sheet of 3/4" OSB board that you have beveled the edges. You can also get a leather disk that is mounted on a buffer or grinder that is made to strop gouges
Swearing is perfectly acceptable when one drops a carving tool blade-first on concrete. Crying is also acceptable...Just don't try to catch the tool in mid-flight. It never ends wells;
It would be nice if you listed the stones and compound you're using. Some people use affiliate links. I was thinking "hope the steel is worth it" then at the end I saw Swiss Made 😊
They always land on the edge. There are only a few solutions to this: 1: drill a hole at the end of the handle and fill it with molten lead, so the chisel will land on it´s handle like a cat lands on it´s feet. I haven´t tried this but it sounds logical. 2: Install a wooden floor, so the edge won´t get damaged. I haven´t tried this but it sounds logical 3: Don´t clean and let the shavings pile up. Works for me.
