I can tell when I've got it right as the tool just glides over the surface of the wood and leaves virtually no tool marks...well no more than HF tools will get you. It appears as though I'm shearing here rather than chipping. But that probably has something to do with freshly cut up christmas tree I'm using here. A drier wood may produce more "chips" than thin layers...just guessing though.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bTdMOLGK8k
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Quick video of me trying to ride the bevel
- Thread starter Edward Olson
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You are right about green wood ... in my opinion practicing on green wood is the best way to get the feel of tool control. It's a great confidence builder and any catches will be mild.
Actually, HF tools will cut just as well as other tools for a shorter length of time before they need to be sharpened. It's hard to tell from looking at the video, but I think that the cutting edge needs to be touched up a bit based on the appearance of the shavings. Also, be sure to anchor the tool on the rest before lowering the cutting edge. Approach the wood with the cutting edge high and then lower it to get the bevel rubbing and finally raise the handle a bit more to get shavings. When the tool is cutting at the ideal orientation only a tiny part of the bevel behind the cutting edge will be contacting the wood to support the cut. If the handle is raised any further the tool will lose bevel contact and then the edge will be scraping instead of cutting.
In addition to practicing doing things right, don't be afraid of seeing what causes things to go wrong.
Actually, HF tools will cut just as well as other tools for a shorter length of time before they need to be sharpened. It's hard to tell from looking at the video, but I think that the cutting edge needs to be touched up a bit based on the appearance of the shavings. Also, be sure to anchor the tool on the rest before lowering the cutting edge. Approach the wood with the cutting edge high and then lower it to get the bevel rubbing and finally raise the handle a bit more to get shavings. When the tool is cutting at the ideal orientation only a tiny part of the bevel behind the cutting edge will be contacting the wood to support the cut. If the handle is raised any further the tool will lose bevel contact and then the edge will be scraping instead of cutting.
In addition to practicing doing things right, don't be afraid of seeing what causes things to go wrong.
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
I'm with Bill. Looks to me like it's not really sharp. You are using the tool correctly. When it skips out of the cut it's either you moving the handle slightly or a dull tool. Based on the shape of the shavings I'm going with the dull tool. Spend a little extra attention to your sharpening.