Replies

1. 
   Jimurock | Jan 08, 2008 07:00am | #1

   I use Veritas honing compound from Lee Valley.  It has the consistency of crayon, and sticks to wood, leather, etc.

   Jim

1. 
   marking | Jan 08, 2008 03:37pm | #3

   ThanksI also use the green lee valley compound. I tried priming my form with a little light oil. Perhaps it is dried out because it just barely "crayons" on.

   peace
   mark

2. 
   hammer1 | Jan 08, 2008 08:12am | #2

   I use leather and a fine metal polish like Simichrome or Mothers.

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

3. 
   HTguy | Jan 08, 2008 05:17pm | #4

   I shave some of the honing compound into a jar and ad a few drops of thinner.  It turns into a paste and has stayed that way if kept tightly sealed.  I apply it with a Q-tip.  I have applied it to a flat wood strop and wooden dowels so I'm sure it would work in your situation.

   Bill

1. 
   marking | Jan 09, 2008 03:36am | #5

   Thank you to all who've chimed in!!I like the idea of mixing with thinner and storing in a sealed container.I've re-read instructions from Lee Valley where they talk about cutting a groove and applying compound to hone a curved gouge. They say "soft wood" I was trying oak.The crayon comment got me thinking too. Out of habit, I've been using the end of the compound bar that i charge my felt wheel with. The friction of the wheel melts the compound and little clumps are always flying off. Perhaps this melted/burnished end won't draw on like a crayon.So later this evening it's out to the shop to try a soft wood form and turning the compound bar 180. (Duh!)Thanks for letting me bounce ideas off all of you!Peace
   Mark

1. 
   Metod | Jan 10, 2008 12:20am | #6

   Mark,
   I keep some mineral spirits in a mist bottle. I slightly mist a leather or plain wooden strop, then rub on the green stuff. You might like the result by misting the felt wheel as well.
   Best wishes,
   Metod

4. 
   KeithNewton | Jan 10, 2008 01:44am | #7

   I think your choice of oak is too hard which is a mistake. I use MDF for the same thing, and have no problem getting it to stick. If you want to use a solid wood, try choosing one with thin-walled cells to hold the compound.

1. 
   marking | Jan 10, 2008 04:49pm | #8

   Thank youAs I originally got started on this endevour, as I was rooting around the shop for I had come upon a scrap of oak that just happened to be the proper angle. that's how I started down the wrong road.I've since made a new form out of basswood which seems to take the compound a lot better. After ripping the basswood strop, I again overdid it by smoothing the rip cut with a plane. This ended up being too smooth, so I sanded it with a corse sanding block which seemed to help.Isn't it fun to reinvent the wheel? You do it wrong, experiment some, ask some questions and finally discover what seemingly everyone already knows. That's life.Thanks again.peace
   mark

1. 
   KeithNewton | Jan 10, 2008 05:21pm | #9

   Now, If you really want to save time stropping. Put some MDF on the faceplate of the lathe and turn in some beads, and or ridges which match the inside of the other gouges, and then charge it with compound. You can quickly polish those tools with more control by just touching the tool back from the edge, then sliding on up to the edge for a few seconds with a light touch. Work from the back, with the rotation away from the edge. Keeping a razor edge only takes seconds.

1. 
   marking | Jan 13, 2008 03:51am | #10

   Thanks for your input. I've seen special formed wheels like your talking about ready make in one catalog or another.I thought I had already replied to your post a couple of days ago but it doesn't seem to be in this thread. In my response, I sarcastically quipped "oh great now I have to get a lathe!"So now my v-gouge is super sharp. Hopefully it will be a good long time before I have to start the sharpening process over from scratch.peace
   mark

1. 
   geir | Jan 13, 2008 04:18pm | #11

   I have used the Flexcut slipstrop for some time and this works very well. Woodcraft has it: http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=4364 I rehone on the strop every 5-10 minutes to make sure I have the best edge possible at all times.

   Doing a course with a master carver I learnt how to use a machine with felt-wheels for the honing. He had a homemade set-up but I bought the Creusen-Koch system: http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.asp?pf_id=20864&name=creusen+koch&user_search=1&sfile=1&jump=0

   Creusen is a dutch maker of excellent bench grinders and much more. Koch is a german maker of honing compound. This machine is a reverse running grinder with honing wheels. You apply the honing compound (soap as they call it) and polish the edge in no time. Do not know if this is available in America but something similar should be.

   My friend the master carver kept his gouges mirror polished at all times. In his opinion beeing able to shave hair off your arm was not sharp enough. He ran his nail across the edge and were then able to pick up microscopic nicks in the edge. He was only satisfied when the whole edge ran smoothly across the nail. I also do this now and have hairy arm again.

   Good luck.

   Geir

5. 
   blewcrowe | Jan 25, 2008 05:14pm | #12

   You might also try diamond paste.