“The world is filled with people who are no longer needed – and who try to make slaves of all of us –
And they have their music and we have ours –
Theirs, the wasted songs of a superstitious nightmare –
And without their musical and ideological miscarriages to compare our song of freedom to,
We’d not have any opposite to compare music with – and like the drifting wind, hitting against no obstacle,
We’d never know its speed, its power….”
— Woody Guthrie, from the liner notes of “Mermaid Avenue” by Billy Bragg and Wilco.
Anyone who has heard me talk about sharpening knows that I don’t really give a rodent’s hinder what system you select. Just pick one and stick with it. Just please don’t sample all the systems — that will definitely slow your efforts to get a keen edge.
Despite my “I’m OK, you’re OK philosophy,” I have a few beefs with some sharpening systems. Sandpaper is crazy expensive in the long run. Water-cooled grinders are crazy slow in the long walk, short run or whatever. I can say this because I’ve had to learn and use all the systems on the market, including LapSharp, Jool Tool, WorkSharp, etc. etc.
When I worked at Popular Woodworking Magazine, I used Shapton waterstones almost exclusively. Why? Because they cut faster than any system I’ve used, and they don’t need to be soaked. They do have downsides. They are sloppy, like all waterstones. You need a dedicated place to sharpen or you have to be one of those woodworkers who is, um, let’s just say “fastidious.” And they are expensive. I can say this because I have burned through several stones from several manufacturers.
When I left Popular Woodworking Magazine, I moved all my woodworking equipment to my shop at home. This shop is a lot smaller. There is no easy access to water. The floor is oak instead of hateful concrete. I don’t have room for a dedicated sharpening station.
So I switched back to oilstones for sharpening.
When I first learned sharpening, I had an India combination stone and a nice black Arkansas that a friend picked up for me at a gun meet. And a strop. That was plenty of equipment to get a keen edge.
But as I became the person who had to sharpen lots and lots of tools for the shop and for all our tool testing, I needed a system that was faster. We had the space for a dedicated sharpening area, so I dove into waterstones.
Today I have had to go back to my roots. I need to be able to sharpen on my bench. I need to do it without slopping water all over my benchtop and work pieces. And the system needs to be fast, but seconds don’t count anymore.
So I switched back to natural oilstones. When I was on the hunt for some, I bought a couple nice vintage ones. But then I had a chat with Larry Williams at Old Street Tool (formerly Clark & Williams planemakers) in Eureka Springs, Ark. He had been down to visit two places that mined and sold natural oilstones. He was quite pleased with the stones he picked up, and he’s now working on an article about the stones.
The two places Larry visited are Best Sharpening Stones and Dan’s Whetstone Co. (Correction: Larry informs me they visited Dan’s, but not Best, which is in New Jersey. My mistake.) Both carry a full range of natural and beautiful novaculite stones in any size you could want. Natural oilstones cut plenty fast for the home woodworker and make a nice keen edge.
So should you follow suit and switch to oilstones?
No. Stick with the system you are exploring right now. But if you haven’t chosen a system, don’t let the sharpening snobs talk you out of trying oilstones. They are tremendous.
So that is why I recently switched to oilstones. I sold one of my set of Shaptons. I’ll probably hold onto the other for when I teach classes, or until the day comes when I have a dedicated sharpening area in my shop.
Customers are starting to receive our new DVD “Inside the Anarchist’s Tool Chest” and here are some answers to some common questions.
1. Will this DVD be available through other retailers? Yes. We are working on that right now. Lie-Nielsen has agreed to carry it and we are shipping them a box today.
2. Will the DVD work on a regular TV, computer or both? It will work on both.
3. How do I access the “extras” on the DVD?
If you have a Mac, it’s just a couple steps. Double-click the DVD’s icon on your desktop. Double-click the folder named “Inside the Anarchist’s Tool Chest.” The files are in there.
If you have a Windows machine, here are the steps:
1. Quit your media player and navigate to your computer’s “Start” menu.
2. Click “Computer.” (Sometimes it says “My Computer.”)
3. You should see the DVD icon. Right-click on the DVD’s icon and choose “Open in a New Window.”
4. The new Window will show you the computer files on the DVD. Double-click on the folder named “Inside the Anarchist’s Tool Chest.” The files are in there.
What are the data files on the DVD?
A SketchUp drawing of the chest that you can study or alter to suit your set of tools. And an 11-page document that outlines the core set of tools in the chest, all of their brand names and model numbers. Plus hotlinks to where you can order these tools.
I hope this answers help. If you experience additional problems, leave us a comment and we’ll give you a hand.
“Anarchism” is such a dirty, loaded and misunderstood word that I truly hesitated to use it as the title of the book “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest.”
Several people have suggested that I chose the word as a marketing ploy. If I did, then I’m a marketing moron because the book’s title has hurt sales. My mailbox has been stuffed by people who will never buy the book simply because I used that word.
But it is the right word. And when I see the word used in context and used correctly, it gives me hope.
Woodworker Adam Godet in Washington, D.C., has started a blog at his site: godetfurniture.com. And the first post is his take on the topic of anarchy in the workshop. It’s a good read, and I’ve added his blog to by RSS feed – and crossed my fingers.
We have lots of new projects in the works at Lost Art Press that we cannot talk about just yet. But I am quite pleased to announce a new book for 2012 by George Walker and Jim Tolpin that is tentatively titled “Divide & Conquer.”
Usually we wouldn’t announce a book this far in advance. But there’s a way you can help with the development of this book. More on that in a minute.
“Divide & Conquer” will explore the world of furniture design through the eyes of the pre-Industrial artisan. Design furniture without using measurements. Using simple tools – such as dividers and a straightedge – Tolpin and Walker contend that you can create furniture that pleases the eye and is sympathetic to the human form.
Many of the current books on design seek to explore the limits of the materials, or to play with our conceptions of what furniture should be or could be. That is not the aim of this book. “Divide & Conquer” seeks to ignite the pilot light inside your head that will allow you to create pleasing forms – no matter what style of furniture you build.
The authors are an interesting pair. Walker is the host of two DVDs on design produced by Lie-Nielsen Toolworks and is the author of the “Design Matters” column in Popular Woodworking Magazine. Jim Tolpin is one of the bestselling woodworking authors alive and helps run a woodworking school.
How can you help? Well Walker and Tolpin are working on the book right now and are trying out their ideas on students. This August, Walker will will teach a class at the Port Townsend School of Woodworking and the students will be guinea pigs for many of the book’s ideas.
Walker informs me there are a few spots still open in the class. You can read all the details here.
We will have more details on the book, including a release date and price, as they become available.
