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Peter Chessick's avatar

Thought you’d try hide glue just because, you know, seems somehow appropriate. 8-)

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Walter Egon's avatar

I see what you did there :-)

Never struck me, but it's obviously worth a punt.

Thing is, I'm not a fan of hide glue -- treacly, thick stuff -- but I suspect that might change just as soon as I get my hands on an electric glue-pot. I've seen this video of a Swiss guy building a crossbow using various animal glues ... excellent craftsmanship!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-ogGdXTGkM

Hm! Please refrain from sowing the Devil's seed in my mind!

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Dave C's avatar

I got the lee valley mini glue pot/warmer kit last Christmas, and it makes working with liquid hide glue pretty easy. The long open time and easy cleanup is a nice benefit for slowpokes like me :)

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Walter Egon's avatar

Hm! Sounds like something I would love to play with. Are you and Chessick in cahoots? trying to convert me to hide-glues and such? like a pair of recruiting homosexuals? I feel deliciously vulnerable and groomed ....

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Dave C's avatar

It’s a vast conspiracy. Big Hide Glue is watching you!

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Walter Egon's avatar

Aaaaaaah!hahahah!

Good one :-)

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Matthew Grant's avatar

Walter - I read somewhere that it’s good practice to strop often, sharpen (with stones/diamonds) occasionally. So for the last few months I’ve been diligently stropping every day with the plane blades and chisels I plan to use. I think this is working quite well - up to a point (excuse the pun), although I suspect I am also enjoying an excuse to avoid the less exciting task of properly sharpening my blades with my dodgy honing guides and I don’t need to look too carefully to realise that I am polishing a lovely shiny curve on my chisel blade which perhaps is not the most efficient cutting too. However, as long as I can continue to shave my arm hairs I’m happy. Or maybe just disillusioned?

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Walter Egon's avatar

That sounds like a good description of traditional honing practice, and I'm not convinced that a curved bevel represents a practical problem, or drawback (within reason). Sharpening & honing occasionally, but stropping often was how the old boys would work. We've become spoiled for choice of high quality sharpening equipment these last decades, it's a luxury!

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Geoff Doube's avatar

https://scienceofsharp.com/2015/02/09/the-pasted-strop-part-1/

see: 'micro-convexivity'...

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Walter Egon's avatar

Thanks! Very interesting stuff -- I'll need some time to digest it all :-)

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