Sharpening a Spoon-bent Gouge - Beginner Lesson #4

[@ScrapwoodCity]

It's impressive how delicate carving tools are! Very informative video! Nicely explained technique! Thanks for sharing!

[@weldabar]

I just bought a spoon carving gouge from Narex, and the grind is completely different than what you've shown. The grind on the bottom is the same as you show for a regular gouge - even grind width across the bevel.

[@MarceloFreitas70]

I think this is the most difficult gouge to sharpen. Thanks for sharing this great video.

[@marymay155]

+Marcelo Freitas Glad you enjoyed it!

[@greengo9]

Thank you!! very helpful

[@TrevorDennis100]

I am sure your techniques will have evolved in five years, but looking at how the water does not want to 'wet' the diamond plate I am wondering if a tiny drop of detergent would help? I use window cleaner on my DMT stones (I know they are not stones as such and I am forever struggling with the right terms to describe them). In fact I use the cheapest window cleaning brand from the supermarket shelves as it works perfectly, and is great for cleaning away the carbon that gets left after sharpening. Something else I do differently to you is instead of bluing the blade to show where I've contacted the stone, I use a jeweller's loupe to inspect the edge once every thirty seconds or so. I find this gives me better feedback. I am not a fan of soft strops like leather as I find it definitely rolls the edge, so I have used MDF to strop with for a long time now. It has always seemed to me that if the surface you are stropping on turns black (from the carbon coming from the metal) then you are removing some of that metal, and after using various buffing soaps I now like to finish with metal polish like SolvoAutoseal and Brasso. If I can plough an edge into a sheet of paper at 90° then that's sharp enough.

[@glenmckelvey5952]

Thank you for sharing all the imfo.

[@marymay155]

+glen mckelvey You're very welcome!

[@wenyicvs]

Have you tired machine sharpening? What is your opinion on that?

[@marymay155]

+Wenyi Yang I am much more comfortable sharpening by hand - simply because that is how I started and that is what I am confident with. Sometimes the machines can be too aggressive and grind away too much metal too quickly. Sometimes buffing wheels will round the bevel of a gouge. Some carvers can use the sharpening machines successfully, but just be careful. The gouges are too expensive to sharpen wrong.

[@timrossbain]

I fined a drop washing liquid in my water Bottle Keeps my stones clean

[@richardjohnson8988]

What brand is your sharpening stone

[@marymay155]

DMT (Diamond Machining Technology)

[@richardjohnson8988]

Mary May and you said it was 8000 rite

[@marymay155]

I use both the 1200 for rough sharpening and 8000 for final honing.

[@richardjohnson8988]

Ok thank you , I am wanting to get into doing a little carving and I just kinda been looking on how to sharpen them and stuff , cause if your going to use them you need to no how to sharpen them

[@richardjohnson8988]

I have started on lesson 1 and I have been going through the videos , and thanks for the advice

[@roughroosterknifesharpenin5531]

If youll add dawn to the water itll stick to the stone

[@daveclarke4609]

You are very good at making things simple, maybe you should be pressident.

[@marymay155]

+Dave Clarke Thanks...:) and no, I don't see a presidency in the future. Ewww. I couldn't even imagine... Woodcarving, I get. Politics, not a chance.

[@ScrapwoodCity]

It's impressive how delicate carving tools are! Very informative video! Nicely explained technique! Thanks for sharing!

[@marymay155]

+Scrap wood City Thanks!