Signs of the Times - July 2016 - (Page 22)

St r ictly C o m m e rci al By Francis J. Lestingi Francis J. Lestingi, Ph.D. is the proprietor of Signs of Gold (Williamsville, NY). The Low-Tech Cutting Edge How to keep your carving tools ready for work. A s Signs of Gold enters its third decade producing handcarved, gilded wood signs, we thought it was time to share the technique we have developed for sharpening and honing our chisels and gouges. Back in 2006, ST published an extensive article about our handcarving techniques, which we titled "The Importance of Being Shallow" (see October 2006, page 90). Knowing how to carve is a valuable skill, but carving is neither fun nor successful if your tools are dull and not doing what you intend. Over the years, we tried every conceivable method - and bought almost every sharpening gadget ever sold - in our quest to maintain sharp tools. The photo to the right attests to this futile effort. We're not sure how much money we spent, but it might have been worthwhile had the results been gratifying; they weren't. The procedures were lengthy and tedious and the results were lackluster - any improvements were fleeting. Eventually, we observed that a few carvers were using sandpaper in some of their sharpening steps. This idea germinated, leading us to experiment with silicon-carbide waterproof paper in every step of the process except for the last honing step. The result was remarkable. Our technique produces long lasting and superbly sharp edges and is fast and inexpensive. There is one caveat: Chisels and gouges must have a bevel of about 23˚ to function optimally. If this is not the case, we show how to produce a 22.5˚ (close) template using fairly common items. After you've properly beveled all of your chisels, this step never has to be repeated. The sharpening and honing steps are achieved easily and rapidly. When a chisel eventually seems somewhat sluggish, just repeat the sharpening steps that precede the honing process. n Hand chisels and gouges should have an approximately 23˚ bevel to function comfortably and optimally. Verify that your tools have this angle using this easily made template. To quickly make a 22.5˚ angle template (without the aid of a protractor), start by folding the edge of a piece of paper to produce a 45˚ angle. Fold the 45˚ angle in half to yield a 22.5˚ angle, which is close enough to 23˚. 22 SIGNS OF THE TIMES July 2016 Here are tool-sharpening gadgets I've bought over the years in my quest to produce the finest sharpened chisels. Note the grinders, oil stones, wet stones, diamond stones, honing oil and various gadgets. All will be trashed soon - thanks to our new sharpening technique.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - July 2016

Signs of the Times - July 2016
Columns & Departments
ST Update
Technology Update
Integrating High-End Effects in Your Design
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Commercial
Lighting Techniques
Moving Message
Technology Review - Computerized Cutters’ Accu-Form
Technology Review - Cyrious software
Design Matters
New Products
Signs that Invite
Horseshoe-Shaped Window Graphics
Driving West
State of the Industry
Returns to Glory
Enter ST’s Vehicle Graphics Contest
Advertising Index
Editorially Speaking

Signs of the Times - July 2016