Harper's indoor book for boys

by Joseph H. Adams

A flat felt or denim case should be made for the tools, so that they may be kept in good order. It is made of two strips of the goods, one wider than the other. Two edges are brought together and sewed, and lines of stitching form pockets for the chisels. The flap left by the wider strip of goods is folded over the chisel ends, and the pockets containing the tools may be rolled up and tied with tape-strings. When opened it will appear as shown in Fig. 7. The edges of chisels kept in this manner are insured against injury and rust, since the case protects them from atmospheric moisture.

The stones needed for sharpening the tools will be an ordinary flat oil-stone (preferably a fine-grained India stone), and two or three Turkey or Arkansas slips, four or five inches long, having the shapes shown in Fig. 8. A, with the rounded edges, is for the gouge tools; B, with the sharp edges, is for V-shaped tools; and any of the flat chisels may be sharpened on the regular oil-stone, C.

In Fig. 9 end views of some slips are shown. A and B are round-edged slips for gouge-chisels; C and D are angle stones for V chisels; while small, flat tools may be finished on the sides. These stones are held in the hand, and lightly but firmly rubbed against both surfaces of a tool to give it the fine cutting edge.

In Fig. 10 an oil-stone in a case is shown. A boxed cover fits over it and protects it from grit and dust. This is important, for often a little gritty dust will do more harm to the edge of a fine tool than the stone can do it good.

The other tools necessary to complete the kit will be several clamps, similar to those shown in Figs. 11 and 12, and a fret-saw (Fig. 13). If you happen to possess a bracket-machine or jig-saw the fret-saw will not be necessary. A glue-pot will also be found useful.

Fig. 7. Fig. 8. Fig. 9. Fig. 10. Fig. 11. Fig. 12. Fig. 13.

The first essential to good, clean cutting is that the tools shall be absolutely sharp and in a workmanlike condition. It is often the case that an amateur’s tools are in such a state that no professional carver could produce satisfactory results with them. And yet the variety of carving tools is so limited that if the difficulties of sharpening a firmer and gouge are mastered the task is practically ended.

If the tools should be unusually dull they must first be ground on a grindstone, and as carvers’ tools are sharpened on both sides, they must be ground on both sides. The firmers may be sharpened on the oil-stone laid flat on the bench, but the gouges must be held in the hand, in order to sharpen the inside curve with a slip. The outer curve can be sharpened on the flat oil-stone, or held in the hand and dressed with the flat side of a slip. Great care must be taken to give the tools a finished and smooth edge. When they have reached the proper degree of sharpness it will be an easy matter to cut across the grain of white pine, leaving a furrow that is entirely smooth and almost polished.

In the use of the oil-stone and slips, neat’s-foot oil, or a good, thin machine oil, should be employed. Astral oil is too thin, but the oil sold in small bottles for sewing-machines or bicycles will answer every purpose. Water should not be used, as it would spoil the stones, and not produce the sharp edge on the tools.