Woodturning Workshop with Tim Yoder and Alan Lacer...

[Ken Fitzgerald]

One of the local PBS stations carries Tim Yoder's Woodturning Workshop every Sunday morning at 0700. It is my favorite tv show. This morning Tim had Alan Lacer on as a guest and the entire show was about sharpening turning tools using the standard 8" grinder that everybody probably has.

It was an excellent show.

I have one of Lacers' videos. I hone my skews.

I was stunned when Lacer demonstrated honing gouges. I must find a slip stone shaped diamond hone!

It was an excellent show just about sharpening.

[David Walser]

...

I was stunned when Lacer demonstrated honing gouges. I must find a slip stone shaped diamond hone!
...

Thanks for the review. Wish the show were carried locally.

FYI: Alan Lacer sells the hone he uses in his demonstrations. You can order it off his website (click on the "Tools" button and scroll down). http://alanlacer.com/

[Kurt Bird]

We just hosted Alan at our club for an all day demo and two days of hands-on. The entire club felt it was some of the best bang for the buck we had spent. The sharpening techniques and discussions were worth the money all by themselves. I cannot recommend someone more highly for an across the board turner in general presentation. Please consider Alan for your club!:D

[David Walser]

... I cannot recommend someone more highly for an across the board turner in general presentation. Please consider Alan for your club!:D

I'll second that recommendation. Alan was one of the demonstrators at this past Desert Woodturning Roundup and I had the privilege of operating the camera for two of his demos. (It's the best seat in the house!) He does demos on a wide range of topics: using a skew, making hook tools and other woodturning tools, and various woodturning projects. Alan was great at the DWR and he would make a great demonstrator for any local club.

[Greg Just]

I love the series with Tim Yoder. Here in the Twin Cities we are a couple of weeks ahead and enjoyed the sharpening show.

I was fortunate to take a week long turning class last summer with Alan and it was great. He is an excellent teacher. I learned to use the skew and learned his sharpening techniques. I also purchased from him his own slip stone which can be used for gouges. It was expensive, but well worth it as I don't go back to the grinder nearly as often.

[Ron Lynch]

Here in the Detroit, MI area we get Tim when ever the PBS station isn't begging for money. Unfortunately, they are begging this month, so no Tim for us. I was looking forward to watching this particular segment so I could get some skew tips. Oh well.

[Jake Helmboldt]

Could someone share Alan Lacer's sharpening guidance in terms of gouges and use of the slipstone? Does he use it only after grinding, or is it used to touch up the flute between trips to the grinder?

thanks, JH

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Jake,

He used a diamond covered slipstone after grinding. He uses it both on the bevel and inside the flute. It reduces trips to the grinder.

I use a diamond hone on my skews and go for a long period of time between trips to the grinder. The hone I have isn't a diamond slipstone but I mentioned it to the LOML and she said "Merry Christmas". I'll be ordering one later today.

[Ryan Baker]

Here in the Detroit, MI area we get Tim when ever the PBS station isn't begging for money. Unfortunately, they are begging this month, so no Tim for us. I was looking forward to watching this particular segment so I could get some skew tips. Oh well.

That Alan Lacer episode was going to be the next one before they went back into begging-for-money-for-a-month mode. I was also waiting to see that one. With some luck, it will be back in another week or so. However, PBS here has a bad track-record of returning from pledge break with a different program lineup, even if they were in the middle of a season. They chopped off the Woodwright's Shop episodes the same way. Fingers crossed.