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An Interlude in Shanghai
The newborn Jim would remain in Uelen only through the winter. Even in this faraway place, at the edge of the Asian continent, soldiers began appearing with the incoming merchants. They arrived to solidify the new revolutionary government’s ...
For Sale: Comb-back in Elm, Sycamore & Oak
This seven-stick comb-back is Katherine’s first apprenticeship chair, which we built together while teaching a class last week. It’s set up for lounging, with back sticks that rake 20° back and a seat tilt for lounging. ...
Losses to the Craft: Mike Wenzloff & Charles Hummel
Recently we’ve lost two important contributors to our craft: sawmaker Mike Wenzloff and historian Charles Hummel. I knew Mike fairly well, and I met Charlie in person only once. But both people ...
Free Cotton Conversion Chart (Because I’m a Dolt)
I made a mistake when ordering 500 printed cotton conversion charts that translate fractions to decimal to metric. The print job is crisp. The numbers are correct. But I speced the wrong weight of cotton. These are thinner than ...
Introduction to Leg Angles
“Rake” and “splay” are terms chairmakers use to describe the compound angles of chair legs. If you look at the front of a chair (the elevation), the angle that the legs project out is called the splay. If you look at a chair from ...
Sharpen This (the Video)
Sharpening your tools is simple. And easy. So why do so many woodworkers struggle with it?
One huge reason is the enormous amount of misinformation, needless consumerism and piles of unnecessary (and expensive!) equipment.
The new video “Sharpen This” takes you back to what is important: Getting a good edge that will leave shimmering wooden surfaces with a minimum amount of fuss, sharpening grits or gear.
Most sharpening information these days comes from people who make sharpening equipment. Or from passionate amateurs who have tried to turn it into a science. Host Christopher Schwarz is a furniture maker who sells his pieces – not a manufacturer of sharpening equipment. His approach creates durable edges (in usually 3 minutes or less) that will create perfect surfaces on your work.
The 2-1/2-hour long video explains the entire world of sharpening so you can pick a sharpening system (they all work), sharpen your edges quickly and get back to the good part: woodworking.
Tools Sharpened in the Video
• Bench planes (jack, jointer, smoother)
• Block planes
• Bench chisels
• Mortise chisels
• Swan-neck chisels
• Router plane
• Card scrapers
• Travishers
• Moulding planes
Technical Notes
This, and all of our videos, can be watched one of two ways. You can stream it (after logging into your account here at Lost Art Press). Or you can download the video and put it on any device. The video is offered without DRM (digital rights management), so the files will be easily moved to any of your devices, now and in the future.
Contents of 'Sharpen This (The Video)'
Introduction 1:26
What is Sharp? 12:59
What Sharpens Tools? 8:59
My Personal Kit 8:48
Set Up a New Tool 22:58
Grinding 24:20
Hone & Polish 27:21
Flattening Stones 4:24
Hand Sharpening 12:07
Sharpen Scrapers 7:33
Moulding Planes 5:05
Reverse the Operations 13:15
Future Videos that Will be Included in this Series
Marking Knives and Marking Gauges
Scorps
Spade & Auger Bits
Shop Knives & Pocket Knives
Spokeshaves
Gunstock Scrapers & Chair Devils
Dividers, Awls & Planing Stops
Narrow and Odd Chisels
The Terrible Flattening Brick
The Edge-on-Up Sharpness Tester
And more….