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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

It is common for diamond

stones to cut more aggressively

than their nominal grit would

suggest, at least at first. They need

a bit of a break-in period to cut

at their intended rate, but should

remain consistent for some time

after this point has been reached.

WATERSTONES

Waterstones (I) are a popular

choice for plane blades, but are a

bit more difficult to use on curved

edges. As you may have guessed,

they use water as a lubricant so

tools should be dried and wiped

down with an oiled cloth after each

sharpening to avoid rust. They

are friable, meaning they wear

away to expose a fresh cutting

surface, making them efficient.

They should be either stored in

water or soaked before using, but

can also freeze and crack if left in

an unheated shop. I use Ohishi

waterstones that are dense enough

that they don’t have to be soaked,

and need only a spray of water

before use.

Easy to Gouge

It can be fairly easy to gouge wa-

terstones with curved blades. The

result is that you have to remove

a considerable amount of material

from the stone in order to re-lap

(flatten) it to remove the nick.

I know there are carvers out

there who use waterstones, but

they can be challenging

for beginners and

tend to be less ap-

proachable in both

upkeep and cost.

If you already

have them around,

they may be your

first choice. A

waterstone is used to

address the bevel side

of the tool edge; the

burr on the inside of

the curve is tackled

by a slipstone, which

is a waterstone with a curve, just

like using the dowel with abrasive

paper. Slipstones can be purchased

or custom made. If you acciden-

tally drop a waterstone, use the

pieces to shape custom profiles.

WATER BATH GRINDERS

Water bath grinders (J) are a

popular option for hollow grinding

because they turn a wheel at slow

speed through a water bath, mak-

ing it very difficult to overheat the

tool edge, which can damage the

steel’s structure and make it weak.

They can be outfitted with both

a grinding wheel and a buffing/

stropping wheel. There are jigs that

assist with curved-edge tools, but a

freehand technique affords better

results. They are, of course, useful

for sharpening many other tools.

Relative to bowl carving tools,

these systems are most useful for

quickly and accurately changing

bevel angles or sharpening many

J

I