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Newbie question: How to make finger joint cut
(Scott Kuhn) wrote in
om:
Rather than the Tormek, consider getting a couple of 8" diamond
plates ranging from xtra course to extra fine and a black Arkansas or
a polishing waterstone. Even if you get the Tormek later you won't
regret having them. I can generally get from "beat up" to "surgically
sharp" faster on those than I can using a grinder. Several times in
my life I considered a powered sharpener and asked myself why, and
the answer invariable was "fast stock removal on a really beat up
tool" or "fast stock removal to change the cutting angle", and every
time I added a coarser stone to my collection until finally I had one
course enough.
Interesting advice, I will consider it. The Tormek is a lot of
do-re-mi - but my attraction to it stems from my inexperience. Reading
the reviews of the thing I became convinced that it is simpler to use
than stones, because instead of having to move the tool across the
stone at a constant angle, you just have to clamp the tool into the
jig at the correct angle and turn the machine on. Seems to take some
of the required skill out of the equation, no? Not that those skills
wouldn't be nice to develop over time...
--Scott
The Adult Education center where I take classes has a Tormek system. I
used it to redo some seriously beat up, but very vintage Stanley Sweetheart
plane blades. Were I doing this sort of thing in a shop setting, with
several people, and lots of hand tool edge work going on, then MAYBE a
Tormek would make sense. As a hobbyist, I look at the Tormek, and see, for
the same money, two or three more handplanes, from LV, or LN, or an old
Stanley scrounger/dealer.
It's the old trade off: Buy a tool, or learn the skills. It takes perhaps
20 minutes to learn how to properly sharpen a chisel, another 15 minutes on
top of that for a handplane blade. Practice on a set of 4 chisels, with a
knowledgeable tutor, and you have the skill for life.
If you're in the SF Bay Area, (noted from another post), your local
Woodcraft teaches the class on Saturday morning, or in the evening. Or
check with the local community college or adult education for one.
The other warning is that, if you set your tool needs based on what some of
the woodworking magazines are showing off this month, then you are possibly
going to do serious damage to your bank account. Not everyone needs a
Timesaver or a Multi-router... DAMHIKT.
Patriarch
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