I taught a class on sharpening at the Woodcraft store in Grand Rapids tonight. I really enjoy teaching sharpening. It a skill that is basic and necessary in order to be a successful woodworker. Yet it seems to be misunderstood by almost everyone. I think that the skill is lost because there are so many companies selling machines to make it easier.
I usually start the class by asking how long it will take to sharpen a chisel. The responses range upward from a few minutes. I counter with fifteen seconds. I explain that unless you can find a method that is quick and easy you will try to avoid sharpening. Using dull hand tools will lead to myths like; hand tools are slow, hand tool woodworking is hard,... Then I sharpen a chisel or plane blade in 13 seconds and use it to produce a surface that is ready for finishing in a few more seconds, without breaking a sweat. Then I bask in the comments expressing surprise over the simplicity of the method.
Within 30 minutes or so all of the students are producing edges nearly as fine as mine. We go on to sharpen things like scissors and kitchen tools but all of that is meaningless compared to the feeling of power all of the students have. They know that their wood working skill set has been elevated and that their projects will be of higher quality. They actually look forward to doing a task that they previously dreaded.
To top it all off...I didn't get cut tonight.
Ahh...the Joy of Sharp.
W. C. "Bill" Sias, Joiner and Cabinetmaker.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
An experiment!
I mentioned last time that I use hand planes and I avoid sand paper. The main reason for this is that the plane produces a superior surface. A secondary reason is that wood dust is dangerous stuff to breath.
Sand paper works by scratching the surface of the wood with an abrasive. Proper use dictates that you progress through a series of finer grits. Each grit replaces the scratches from the previous grit with finer scratches. You continue until you reach a scratch pattern that is hidden to your eye.
A hand plane is essentially a holder for a blade. The blade finishes the wood by shaving a thin slice of wood from the surface. I am capable of adjusting my planes to remove a shaving that is 0.0005 inches thick. That is significantly thinner than a human hair.
I did a little experiment for you. I took a scrap of wood from a discarded crate, selected a nice chunk about eight inches long. One side I sanded using the progression of grits 80, 110, 220. Most woodworkers agree that 220 grit is a good place to stop before applying finish. I sanded carefully to get the best surface I could, this is an experiment and we want to measure results not prove what we hoped for. The process took about 5 minutes.
The other side I planed with a fore plane and then with a smoother. We'll discuss another day the difference between the planes. The planing took less than 2 minutes.
This is the sanded side of the board under my digital microscope. You can see the scratches moving from the lower left to the upper right. The wood is flat enough to reflect the light from the microscope. If I were to apply a clear, film finish you would be pleased with the appearance.
This is the planed side of the board at the same magnification. You can see that there are no scratches. The surface of the board is so smooth that it reflects light in a way that reveals the texture of the wood even at this high magnification. When a clear finish is applied it will "glow."
Hand planes allow me to do other things that are difficult or impossible with machine tools. An easy example is fitting a door on a cabinet. With the plane a can remove whisper thin shavings until I achieve a perfect fit. Attempting the same on a powered saw would be frightfully dangerous and wouldn't be even close in the level of precision.
W. C. "Bill" Sias, Joiner and Cabinetmaker.
Sand paper works by scratching the surface of the wood with an abrasive. Proper use dictates that you progress through a series of finer grits. Each grit replaces the scratches from the previous grit with finer scratches. You continue until you reach a scratch pattern that is hidden to your eye.
A hand plane is essentially a holder for a blade. The blade finishes the wood by shaving a thin slice of wood from the surface. I am capable of adjusting my planes to remove a shaving that is 0.0005 inches thick. That is significantly thinner than a human hair.
I did a little experiment for you. I took a scrap of wood from a discarded crate, selected a nice chunk about eight inches long. One side I sanded using the progression of grits 80, 110, 220. Most woodworkers agree that 220 grit is a good place to stop before applying finish. I sanded carefully to get the best surface I could, this is an experiment and we want to measure results not prove what we hoped for. The process took about 5 minutes.
The other side I planed with a fore plane and then with a smoother. We'll discuss another day the difference between the planes. The planing took less than 2 minutes.
This is the sanded side of the board under my digital microscope. You can see the scratches moving from the lower left to the upper right. The wood is flat enough to reflect the light from the microscope. If I were to apply a clear, film finish you would be pleased with the appearance.
This is the planed side of the board at the same magnification. You can see that there are no scratches. The surface of the board is so smooth that it reflects light in a way that reveals the texture of the wood even at this high magnification. When a clear finish is applied it will "glow."
Hand planes allow me to do other things that are difficult or impossible with machine tools. An easy example is fitting a door on a cabinet. With the plane a can remove whisper thin shavings until I achieve a perfect fit. Attempting the same on a powered saw would be frightfully dangerous and wouldn't be even close in the level of precision.
W. C. "Bill" Sias, Joiner and Cabinetmaker.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Joiner and Cabinetmaker
Joiner and Cabinetmaker.
What does that mean? In centuries past woodworkers were divided into three groups; carpenters, joiners and cabinetmakers. A carpenter would construct buildings. A joiner would finish the building, i.e. trim, mouldings, etc. A cabinetmaker built furniture; chairs, tables, dressers and...cabinets.
While carpenters and joiners would also build furniture they were limited by the regulations of the guilds. Carpenters, for example, would nail together their furniture, while a cabinetmaker would use high end joinery such as mortise and tenon or dovetail joints. Clearly the cabinetmaker was building furniture designed to be attractive and to last for generations. While the carpenter was building functional furniture.
My work is meant to be attractive and to live at least as long as its owner. I don't use nails or screws, except when they are appropriate as decoration or for a period correct piece. I don't use polyurethane or poly anything as a finish, there is enough plastic in the world.
I don't use electrically powered tools. I'm green. But not necessarily for the sake of being green. However, I'm not particularly concerned with being "period correct" for any period. I prefer to choose the right tool for the job. We'll talk about that.
I use North American lumber nearly exclusively. The fact that I am using sustainable lumber is a plus, but not the only reason. I like to purchase my lumber from a couple of local small lumber mills. They will cut what I need and I like supporting small businesses.
What's the point of the blog? First, I want you to have some of my work in your home. Second, I want to make a few bucks from the first reason. Third, I enjoy writing about things I like. At this point I don't know how often I will update the blog. I'm going to write only when I have something to say. I certainly hope that will be fairly frequently. I will post some pictures soon. I will also post some items for sale in time for Christmas.
W. C. "Bill" Sias, Joiner and Cabinetmaker.
What does that mean? In centuries past woodworkers were divided into three groups; carpenters, joiners and cabinetmakers. A carpenter would construct buildings. A joiner would finish the building, i.e. trim, mouldings, etc. A cabinetmaker built furniture; chairs, tables, dressers and...cabinets.
While carpenters and joiners would also build furniture they were limited by the regulations of the guilds. Carpenters, for example, would nail together their furniture, while a cabinetmaker would use high end joinery such as mortise and tenon or dovetail joints. Clearly the cabinetmaker was building furniture designed to be attractive and to last for generations. While the carpenter was building functional furniture.
My work is meant to be attractive and to live at least as long as its owner. I don't use nails or screws, except when they are appropriate as decoration or for a period correct piece. I don't use polyurethane or poly anything as a finish, there is enough plastic in the world.
I don't use electrically powered tools. I'm green. But not necessarily for the sake of being green. However, I'm not particularly concerned with being "period correct" for any period. I prefer to choose the right tool for the job. We'll talk about that.
I use North American lumber nearly exclusively. The fact that I am using sustainable lumber is a plus, but not the only reason. I like to purchase my lumber from a couple of local small lumber mills. They will cut what I need and I like supporting small businesses.
What's the point of the blog? First, I want you to have some of my work in your home. Second, I want to make a few bucks from the first reason. Third, I enjoy writing about things I like. At this point I don't know how often I will update the blog. I'm going to write only when I have something to say. I certainly hope that will be fairly frequently. I will post some pictures soon. I will also post some items for sale in time for Christmas.
W. C. "Bill" Sias, Joiner and Cabinetmaker.
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