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T H E H A N D C A R V E D B O W L

Chapter 3 | S H A R P E N I N G

Paddles & Dowel in Use

The paddle can either be placed

on a work surface and the tool

brought to it, or held in one hand

and worked across the tool edge.

I always use both the dowels and

paddles dry—no water, no oil.

Dowels can be a range of

sizes to accommodate different

sized tools. Use as large a dowel

as possible to ensure maximum

contact between the dowel radius

and tool’s sweep. A small dow-

el on a large gouge or adze, for

instance, may limit the point of

contact, making it more difficult to

consistently reference against. The

shape of the dowel in relation to

the shape of the tool may also play

a role in this. (F)

The majority of sharpening

work happens on the bevel side of

curve-edged tools (gouge, adze)

to create the burr and polish the

bevel, but only the finest grit is

needed to address the burr on

the inside of the curve. Because

of this, most of my dowels are

outfitted with .5-micron paper. As I

work the burr back and forth over

the edge, I switch back and forth

between the paddle and the dowel,

both with .5-micron paper, until

the burr is removed. Only with my

hook knives do I make an excep-

tion for this and prep a few dowels

with more coarse grits. Check

toward the end of this section to

see how each tool is sharpened.

DIAMOND ABRASIVES

Diamond stones aren’t actually

stones, but diamond grit applied

to a steel plate or plastic substrate.

They are used for both sharpening

and lapping (flattening) water-

stones. Though they tend to cost

more than most other sharpening

abrasives, they are long lasting,

and if you’re using them for

lapping, the steel plate version will

remain reliably flat.

These substrates come in a

variety of shapes that make them

suitable for a range of applications.

Small diamond file plates affixed

to a short plastic handle (G) are

good for travel kits and touch-ups,

while curved plates and cones

make sharpening curved tools

easier. (H)

Water is used as a lubricant for

diamond stones, so it’s important

that tools and the plates them-

selves get patted dry, and that

tools are wiped down with an

oiled rag after each sharpening to

prevent rust.

Diamond stones come in a vari-

ety of grits, but are not available in

very fine grits. It may be necessary

to do the final polish of an edge

either with a waterstone, abrasive

paper, or diamond paste. Diamond

paste is just what its name sug-

gests, and is applied on a block of

hardwood, MDF, or custom-profile

slips, which can be reused.

F

G

H