Every Memorial Day weekend in my hometown, they host a Buckskinner's Rendezvous. I went down on Friday, where they invite all the 4th graders from the county for a school field trip. They have educational demonstrations, and I was asked to participate.
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I brought my Schnitzelbunk aka "Shaving bench" and I was making trunnels or wooden pegs for one of the buildings. At one point I had some kids watching me use my draw-knife on a white oak blank, and they asked if my draw-knife was "really sharp". I told them and their teacher that I can cut a piece of paper in half. They were impressed, but then I held out my hand as if it was a piece of paper and said, "I don't mean cut it half like across my hand, or even down the length of my hand...I mean cut the paper in half the flat way."
I could see the wheels turning in their minds, and then all together they said, "Whoaaaa!"
And then of course the teacher didn't believe me and decided to "call my bluff" and asked to see me do it.
She handed me a yellow Post-it note and said, "Here, try this one."
So I took the sticky note, adjusted the height of my dumbhead and used two 1 in. oak blanks to clamp the paper in place and to give me a flat surface to support the paper. I clamped down on the blanks securing the paper, checked to see which spot on my draw-knife was still sharp enough to get the job done, and proceeded to pare a 1 in. section of the paper in half...flat-ways.
I took it out and showed the kids...and then handed it back to the teacher and asked her, "Are you still a doubting Thomas?"
She was impressed, and a bit miffed...oh, well, at least the kids thought it was "cool".
Rooster
A smart teacher would just have said, "Hey, kids, wouldn't you like to see if he can do that? Here's a post it note to work on".
As it was they looked bad in front of the kids.
Fun seeing the impossible being done.
Well done Rooster. To bad the teacher reacted poorly.
Rooster is the event all weekend ? We were just at Nasco and passed through fort I did nt see any signs or any thing. Alot of people fishing in the park. We are going to the airshow in Janesville Sunday. Lazerdan
What do you use to sharpen your drawknife to that stage of sharp? Mine have never been that sharp but I would like to get some of them to that stage . Have to keep some for borrowing also.
LD,
Sorry I didn't get back to you, but yes, I think it went through Monday...Mark your calendar for next year's Memorial Day Weekend!!
Don,
I use sandpaper of varying grits, just like some of us use on our chisels and such. Flattening the back is where I usually start with a 150 grit, and then work with 220, 320, and 600. I will take a planed hardwood block and wrap the paper around it and use it like a file.
After I have both sides worked with the 600, I switch to 1000 grit, and also change techniques.
I will take a quarter sheet of the 1000 grit and fold it in half (length ways), grit side in. I then pinch the folded sandpaper with my right hand, using my thumb and index fingure about 3/4" from the fold. While in a seated position, holding the right handle of the draw-knife in my left hand and the left handle braced up against my hip/ pelvis, I slide the folded sandpaper over the drawknife so that the cutting edge sits right in the "nip" of the pinched paper. With my thumb and index fingure supporting the paper and pinching the cutting edge of the draw-knife, I slide the paper back and forth along the entire length of the cutting edge.
Remember, the cutting edge is not being forced into the fold, but a "nip" point created by the pinching effect of my finger and thumb.
I hope this helps.
Rooster
I can attest to Roosters sharpening abilities. He gave me a lesson one tome. I sharpened a chisel and was pretty happy with the results. Then Rooster came over and helped me with some mortises. I looked at one of his chisels and I could see myself in the face of it. Now that's sharp. He offered to let me use it, but I explained I never borrow someone else's chisel, especially one as sharp as that!
Very cool Craig!
That helps a lot because I have never sharpened using your last step. I stick my paper to a polished granite stone or a piece of float glass. I have gone up to 1200 . Thanks
Don't cut your thumb/finger Rooster! I use the 1000 grit wrapped on a small stick like a popcicle stick.