#15
I picked up some Buck Brothers spoon gouges at a flea market that need some TLC. I use the sandpaper and water stone sharpening method for my straight blade items. Where is the best source for slip stones to prepare the inside of the gouges?
Train to be miserable...
that way when the real misery starts you won't notice.
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#16
Tools for working wood has a good selection, the biggest selection I've found is sharpening supplies.com. They pretty much have everything made. Prices for slip stones are pretty steep. I'm saving my pennies for A set of the Chris Pye signature slip stones that are matched for both width and sweep!

Good luck with the carving!
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#17
You can also make your own custom-fitted slips by trimming a piece of hardwood to match the curvature of the gouges and then wrapping a sheet of wet-or-dry sandpaper around the dowel.
Bob Page
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In da U.P. of Michigan
www.loonlaketoolworks.com
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#18
enjuneer said:


You can also make your own custom-fitted slips by trimming a piece of hardwood to match the curvature of the gouges and then wrapping a sheet of wet-or-dry sandpaper around the dowel.




+1

And I've got a set of the 1000 grit (??) small stones sold through many sources but here's the Woodcraft link:http://www.woodcraft.com/product/140564/king-1000-grit-4-piece.aspx They work well for quick removal but not polishing. I'm usually using them dry though.

For a polish, I have a hard-arkansas slip stone about the size of a credit card that has all kinds of different profiles. Forgot where it came from but it may be from Dan's Whetstones or at least made by them. I do remember it wasn't much money.

And finally, I have some ceramic "sticks" that were probably intended for machinists to use in the final shaping of HSS lathe tools, etc. They are pretty good problem solvers. These were given to me by a retiring machinist but I think one of them says Norton (and may be India Stone). Someplace like Enco or McMaster-Carr should have them.

But nothing beats a custom shaped slip from wood with either compound or fine sandpaper. Once you get the tool shaped the way you like it, use it to make the slip from maple or something reasonably hard. Then you are pretty much set for life in keeping it tuned up. Assuming you don't loose the slip (not saying that's what happened to me though...)
Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things. -- G. Carlin
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#19
You can use sandpaper wrapped around dowels of the right size until you decide that you like carving and want to invest in the slip stones. Folded leather with honing compound can be used for polishing.
Michael
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#20
Colonel, go to Ebay and look under manufacturing and metal work...polishing stones.......There is a very good selection of various types listed there right now.. The "cone-shaped" stone mounted to a 1/4" mandrel held in a drill chuck, works pretty well and they are cheap. There are also flat slip-stones with rounded edges listed, for hand use.

As for me, to polish the inside curve of a gouge, I use a single, 1/2" thick, tight stitched muslin buff on my 6" bench grinder. {it stays on one of my bench grinders}.I just use slip stones to establish a very slight bevel on them, finishing with the buff..the buff could just as easily be leather..

Power sharpening is so much faster, whether it's leather or felt or muslin, once you learn how to do it, you will be sold on it, IMO. You can't get tools sharper...
Often Tested.    Always Faithful.      Brothers Forever

Jack Edgar, Sgt. U.S. Marines, Korea, America's Forgotten War
Get off my lawn !
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#21
Thanks everyone. These are great suggestions. I had to leave my gouges in FL (I was visiting) since I was flying back home. I await the arrival of my new toys when my relatives come up for a visit next month.
Train to be miserable...
that way when the real misery starts you won't notice.
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Purchasing Slip stones


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