Official Luthiers Forum!

Not that I am hawking for Tormek... I am not, but I found these videos pretty compelling. This is what convinced me to buy my system and I have been pretty happy with it.

http://www.sharptoolsusa.com/demo.php

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

I use sandpaper with a roller guide to hold the chisel angle constant. 220 to remove the nicks, graduating up to 2000 wet or dry. ( I use it dry) At 2000 it has a mirror finish and is sharp as a razor (literally) And it is just so handy to touch up without the hassle of more setup.

[QUOTE=crazymanmichael] if you are so manually challenged that this is difficult i shudder to think how you will ever master the skills needed to build a guitar.[/QUOTE]

That explains why I suck at building guitars too.

Kidding aside, any tool that makes life easier is worth looking at. Plenty of guys don't think any jig is necessary, and its not if you know how.

Joe Volin

[QUOTE=crazymanmichael] if you are so manually challenged that this is difficult i shudder to think how you will ever master the skills needed to build a guitar.
[/QUOTE]

There's a jig for everything. I can probably bend a set of sides better and more accurate on a pipe than most get with the side bending jigs, but I choose not to because the jigs are so much more convenient. Same applies with sharpening. I'd rather spend my time building, and the Tormek makes it easier to do so. Besides, if the Tormek were $50 bucks like a set of stones, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Everybody would have one.

John

I guess I'm on the archaic end of things. I find honing my edges to be meditative and peaceful. It's one of the few times in my garage where I can get relaxed and totally into the work. I feel unsettled if I go in there to work wood and my edges are not in tip-top shape, but if they are, I know I'm starting the day with my ducks in a row (as long as my work area isn't a shambles!) Efforts to refine my methods are ongoing; I discovered some new tweaks to my ways here

http://www.antiquetools.com/sharp/index.html

This is one area where I strive to do the most with the least, that is, get the best edges with a minimum of tools.

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Has anyone here had the opportunity to use the new Veritas MK II Honing Guide? It looks like a major step forward in ease of use. I think this and the sandpaper/glass method would be fairly easy to master. It would also save you enough, compared to a Tormek, to buy all the wood for a guitar!



Also, where do you guys source your paper above 1200 grit? I imagine it wouldn't be a good idea to use my micromesh for such an operation (with the expectation of using it also for finish sanding).

Joe, We need a column on the OLF for the "Did he really say that!"

Another one for the "Look what I did to myself while trying to build a guitar."   

[QUOTE=burbank] I guess I'm on the archaic end of things. I find honing my edges to be meditative and peaceful. It's one of the few times in my garage where I can get relaxed and totally into the work. [/QUOTE]

Pat, this is true. Kind of like mowing the lawn or raking leaves. Doesn't require a lot of brainpower and we can go on autopilot. Ya'll excuse me, while I go meditate with my chisels. You got me smiling now, Pat.

Alan, I have the Veritas guide. It works well. Better than others I've tried. Setting the bevel is a breeze, getting the blade square takes a bit of effort, or at least for me. I've had some trouble with the blade slipping because I'm reluctant to crank down on the set screws too much.



Scott Thompson38748.5457986111

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Scott Thompson
Port Townsend,WA

"In a perfect world we'd all sing in tune
But this is reality so give me some room"
-Billy Bragg

Alan... I buy my 1000 and 2000 grit wet-dry papers in the Automotive section at Walmart. Also, I have the older Veritas honing guide that works well. I agree with Scott that setting the blade square is also my biggest challenge, however, once set, I have no fear in cranking down on the screw to prevent it from sliding out of square.

Pat...Thanks for the article...very comprehensive and lots of new (for me) info on technique.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

The Fine Woodworking article I referred to was issue #182 and it is the Veritas Mk.II Power Sharpening System that they rated best.

I get my wet/dry papers from Klingspor. woodworkingshop.com

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Alan:

This is the honing guide that I use, and it works flawlessly! I started using "Scary sharp" (Sandpaper and glass plate) when I was building bamboo fly rods ages ago.

I like the system cause it is simple, cheap, and reliable. I get my fine grit papers (1200, 1500, 2000) from the local auto body supply shop - 3M brand. For the coarser grits I just get wet/dry sandpaper from the hardware store.

-Mark

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Pullman, WA

The more I know, the more I know I don't know.

trippguitars.com
OR
Find me on Facebook

I have used and owned both the Tormek system and the Lee Valley Veritas
system. I used the Tormek for several years and was very happy with the
results. And then I saw demonstrated the Lee Valley system. There was just
no comparison for sharpness and ease of use. And the best news is that the
Lee Valley system is substantially cheaper than the Tormek. I sold my
Tormek and have used the Lee Valley system for the past two years. I have
never even thought of regretting the decision to change. My chisels and
planes are sharper than they have ever been and I can sharpen them in just a
few minutes without setting up the water system, etc. of the Tormek. In my
opinion, it is the ideal system. No mess, no fuss and perfect repeatability
every time!

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Sylvan
http://www.wellsguitars.com