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Sigh, I bought the Glardon-Vallorbe fiffler set a few months ago. I'll just have to augment with other files as you describe as I need them.

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4 hours ago, usedtosail said:

Sigh, I bought the Glardon-Vallorbe fiffler set a few months ago. I'll just have to augment with other files as you describe as I need them.

Well, it's not like those are really bad choices, I just think a few other shapes are better. Hopefully you've gotten good use out of them?

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Not too much yet, since I am deep into the rigging phase of the Connie, but I did use them a bit when I was making the mast tops.

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  • 1 year later...

Sorry to resurrect this thread.  I bought the Veritas Miniature Chisels mentioned at the start of this thread a couple of years ago, but never really used them.  I also have some of their miniature planes that I also haven't used yet.

 

How do you sharpen the chisels?  I went to Woodcraft today and bought the Veritas Mark II honing guide for narrow blades, but it looks like the guide can't accommodate very short chisels like the Veritas miniature chisels.  The blades are so short that the guide can only clamp on the handle of the chisel, which are round so you can't lock the chisel into place on the guide.  I have some longer chisels that I need to sharpen (from PSI Woodworking I think), so I will probably keep the Mark II honing guide I suppose.

 

How are you guys sharpening your Veritas Miniature Chisels?  Is the Kell Guide listed above the only one on the market that works for these (link is here:  https://www.garrettwade.com/kell-british-made-deluxe-honing-guides-gp.html) ?

 

Also, for the miniature planes, how do those get sharpened?

 

Sorry, I'm a total novice when it comes this kind of stuff.  Thanks in advance!

Edited by Landlubber Mike

Mike

 

Current Wooden builds:  Amati/Victory Pegasus  MS Charles W. Morgan  Euromodel La Renommèe  

 

Plastic builds:    SB2U-1 Vindicator 1/48  Five Star Yaeyama 1/700  Pit Road Asashio and Akashi 1/700 diorama  Walrus 1/48 and Albatross 1/700  Special Hobby Buffalo 1/32  Eduard Sikorsky JRS-1 1/72  IJN Notoro 1/700  Akitsu Maru 1/700

 

Completed builds :  Caldercraft Brig Badger   Amati Hannah - Ship in Bottle  Pit Road Hatsuzakura 1/700   Hasegawa Shimakaze 1:350

F4B-4 and P-6E 1/72  Accurate Miniatures F3F-1/F3F-2 1/48  Tamiya F4F-4 Wildcat built as FM-1 1/48  Special Hobby Buffalo 1/48

Citroen 2CV 1/24 - Airfix and Tamiya  Entex Morgan 3-wheeler 1/16

 

Terminated build:  HMS Lyme (based on Corel Unicorn)  

 

On the shelf:  Euromodel Friedrich Wilhelm zu Pferde; Caldercraft Victory; too many plastic ship, plane and car kits

 

Future potential scratch builds:  HMS Lyme (from NMM plans); Le Gros Ventre (from Ancre monographs), Dutch ship from Ab Hoving book, HMS Sussex from McCardle book, Philadelphia gunboat (Smithsonian plans)

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Unless you nick the edge, it should be enough to strop.   A piece of scrap leather and rub it with a bar of compound like FlexCut Gold or someone else's finest grit stropping medium.  The angle does not need to be exact. Too flat and you polish the bevel and not the edge.  But too vertical and it may not get you the edge that you are after.

NRG member 45 years

 

Current:  

HMS Centurion 1732 - 60-gun 4th rate - Navall Timber framing

HMS Beagle 1831 refiit  10-gun brig with a small mizzen - Navall (ish) Timber framing

The U.S. Ex. Ex. 1838-1842
Flying Fish 1838  pilot schooner -  framed - ready for stern timbers
Porpose II  1836  brigantine/brig - framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers
Vincennes  1825  Sloop-of-War  -  timbers assembled, need shaping
Peacock  1828  Sloop-of -War  -  timbers ready for assembly
Sea Gull  1838  pilot schooner -  timbers ready for assembly
Relief  1835  ship - timbers ready for assembly

Other

Portsmouth  1843  Sloop-of-War  -  timbers ready for assembly
Le Commerce de Marseilles  1788   118 cannons - framed

La Renommee 1744 Frigate - framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers

 

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The Mk.II honing guide is brilliant for sharpening full-sized plane irons, it's not much good for your small chisels.

 

A preferred option is waterstone files, these are only about 1.5" long and can be easily shaped to fit inside and outside profiles, just use an old metal file you don't care about to shape them.

 

https://www.japanwoodworker.com/products/set-of-four-1000-file-stones-king (you need at least 1000 + 4000).

 

And for straight chisels you use a watchmaker's screwdriver sharpener.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=screwdriver+sharpener&rlz=1C1CHZL_enUS736US736&source=univ&tbm=shop&tbo=u&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjOmpOshuLfAhXWHTQIHdxPCAoQsxgIKw&biw=1414&bih=746&dpr=1.25

 

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That's really helpful guys, thank you!

 

When I was at Woodcraft, I bought this Flexcut slipstrop for some of my bonsai carving tools (gouges, etc.).  Looks like that is similar to what Jaager was suggesting:  https://www.amazon.com/Flexcut-Slipstrop-Polishing-Deburring-PW12/dp/B00FX9MHIG/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1547086645&sr=1-2&keywords=flexcut+gold

 

Vossie, it was reading your Lady Nelson build on tools that really got me thinking that I should try to add toys -- I mean tools -- to the workshop and take care of them by sharpening them, etc.  I have a Sherline lathe and mill, and am not intending to do any large turning or milling work (I could see doing something like pen blanks or like-sized things).  In the past when I've used the lathe, it was to make masts, and even then I just used sandpaper, not actual tools.  I figure I should try to pretend I'm a real woodworker.

 

Right now I have the Veritas mini chisels and a bunch of the miniature planes.  It sounds like I can just get away with a watchmaker screwdriver sharpener and those small waterstone files to keep those sharp?  I have a bigger waterstone that I bought to hone some bonsai tools that I own and need to sharpen, but those small ones look like good options and aren't going to break the bank.  

 

I bought these on a whim a few years back as well  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KIAE08/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1  They aren't expensive, but can I just use the waterstones to sharpen them, or do I need something else to sharpen them?  Those big bench grinder wheels seem to be way overkill.

 

I suppose I'm trying to figure out if I should return that Veritas Mark II honing guide since it seems like I don't really have (or use) any tools that would benefit from it.  I don't see myself needing many expensive tools for the lathe, etc., but I eventually would like to get into carving decorative elements for my model ships and have thought about ordering a set of chisels from Mikhail that folks here have liked.  

 

Many thanks for any advice.

Edited by Landlubber Mike

Mike

 

Current Wooden builds:  Amati/Victory Pegasus  MS Charles W. Morgan  Euromodel La Renommèe  

 

Plastic builds:    SB2U-1 Vindicator 1/48  Five Star Yaeyama 1/700  Pit Road Asashio and Akashi 1/700 diorama  Walrus 1/48 and Albatross 1/700  Special Hobby Buffalo 1/32  Eduard Sikorsky JRS-1 1/72  IJN Notoro 1/700  Akitsu Maru 1/700

 

Completed builds :  Caldercraft Brig Badger   Amati Hannah - Ship in Bottle  Pit Road Hatsuzakura 1/700   Hasegawa Shimakaze 1:350

F4B-4 and P-6E 1/72  Accurate Miniatures F3F-1/F3F-2 1/48  Tamiya F4F-4 Wildcat built as FM-1 1/48  Special Hobby Buffalo 1/48

Citroen 2CV 1/24 - Airfix and Tamiya  Entex Morgan 3-wheeler 1/16

 

Terminated build:  HMS Lyme (based on Corel Unicorn)  

 

On the shelf:  Euromodel Friedrich Wilhelm zu Pferde; Caldercraft Victory; too many plastic ship, plane and car kits

 

Future potential scratch builds:  HMS Lyme (from NMM plans); Le Gros Ventre (from Ancre monographs), Dutch ship from Ab Hoving book, HMS Sussex from McCardle book, Philadelphia gunboat (Smithsonian plans)

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The waterstone files are intended for sharpening gouges/V-gouges, I thought you were saying you purchased their micro carving tools, not just the tiny chisels. You can sharpen those chisels with a watchmaker's screwdriver sharpener and the waterstones you already have.

 

You should return the Veritas jig unless you're going to get full-sized chisels and planes, which are of limited use in ship modeling. With the turning tools, yes you can use your waterstones on those as well.

 

WRT more tools, invest in good needle files and riffler files, don't buy the $9.99 set at the hobby store. Good files work much, much better and working mostly on wood, will last forever so they're a good investment. The other major one is a micromotor, they are much handier with much more torque compared to Dremels.

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2 hours ago, vossiewulf said:

The waterstone files are intended for sharpening gouges/V-gouges, I thought you were saying you purchased their micro carving tools, not just the tiny chisels. You can sharpen those chisels with a watchmaker's screwdriver sharpener and the waterstones you already have.

 

You should return the Veritas jig unless you're going to get full-sized chisels and planes, which are of limited use in ship modeling. With the turning tools, yes you can use your waterstones on those as well.

 

WRT more tools, invest in good needle files and riffler files, don't buy the $9.99 set at the hobby store. Good files work much, much better and working mostly on wood, will last forever so they're a good investment. The other major one is a micromotor, they are much handier with much more torque compared to Dremels.

Sorry, I have their miniature chisels and a few of the miniature planes and spokeshave you can see here:  http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=72391&cat=1,41504   I assume I can use the waterstones (I also bought a couple of diamond sharpening pads in different grits today) to keep the miniature planes and spokeshave sharp?

 

The Veritas jig is going back.  Now I can go shopping for some of the items you mention.  I've bought the $10 hobby files before, and you're right, they are crap.  I'll go back to your earlier posts and look for your recommendations on needle files and riffler files.  Thank you!

 

The micromotor looks like I great investment.  I'd love to get to the skill level of putting in nice decorative carvings on my models.  Never thought the Dremel would be a good tool for that (I have an older, heavy plug in model).  I'll look for your recommendation there as well.  I believe I bookmarked some of your recommended suppliers.  

 

A big thank you again - really appreciate it!

Mike

 

Current Wooden builds:  Amati/Victory Pegasus  MS Charles W. Morgan  Euromodel La Renommèe  

 

Plastic builds:    SB2U-1 Vindicator 1/48  Five Star Yaeyama 1/700  Pit Road Asashio and Akashi 1/700 diorama  Walrus 1/48 and Albatross 1/700  Special Hobby Buffalo 1/32  Eduard Sikorsky JRS-1 1/72  IJN Notoro 1/700  Akitsu Maru 1/700

 

Completed builds :  Caldercraft Brig Badger   Amati Hannah - Ship in Bottle  Pit Road Hatsuzakura 1/700   Hasegawa Shimakaze 1:350

F4B-4 and P-6E 1/72  Accurate Miniatures F3F-1/F3F-2 1/48  Tamiya F4F-4 Wildcat built as FM-1 1/48  Special Hobby Buffalo 1/48

Citroen 2CV 1/24 - Airfix and Tamiya  Entex Morgan 3-wheeler 1/16

 

Terminated build:  HMS Lyme (based on Corel Unicorn)  

 

On the shelf:  Euromodel Friedrich Wilhelm zu Pferde; Caldercraft Victory; too many plastic ship, plane and car kits

 

Future potential scratch builds:  HMS Lyme (from NMM plans); Le Gros Ventre (from Ancre monographs), Dutch ship from Ab Hoving book, HMS Sussex from McCardle book, Philadelphia gunboat (Smithsonian plans)

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Grobet and Glardon-Vallorbe

 

Corradi

 

US, France, and Italy respectively. Don't spend $200, get their medium-range needle/riffler file sets in the $30-$60 range, their value line products are much better than the hobby store sets and are good enough for what you need unless you intend to do lots of metal work. Cuts 0 and 2 are best for wood, the higher the number the finer the cut. For metal it's good to finish with cut 4.

 

Waterstones will keep anything made of steel sharp. The downside is they're messy and soft, so it's difficult to keep them flat, and you have to keep them flat for good sharpening. I don't like the cut of diamond as it cuts deep scratches, I find you have to remove lots of metal to get out the scratches of a 1000 grit diamond cut. The best option are the good ceramic stones, but they are expensive and only worth it if you intend to use lots of edge tools that you sharpen regularly.

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23 hours ago, vossiewulf said:

Waterstones will keep anything made of steel sharp. The downside is they're messy and soft, so it's difficult to keep them flat, and you have to keep them flat for good sharpening. I don't like the cut of diamond as it cuts deep scratches, I find you have to remove lots of metal to get out the scratches of a 1000 grit diamond cut. The best option are the good ceramic stones, but they are expensive and only worth it if you intend to use lots of edge tools that you sharpen regularly.

Or you can simply tape various grades of wet and dry sandpaper to a flat surface (sheet of plate glass, top of full-size table saw) and use the sandpaper as a sharpening stone.

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