More Pleasant Chisel Back Flattening

[ken hatch]

I luv my Mirka ROS!

I can not think of many ways that would ruin a cutter faster. Of course I expect YMMV.

ken

[carey mitchell]

Hi All,

I am in the process of flattening the backs on several chisels that I have had for, in some cases, a very long time, and flattening the backs is not all that much fun, as you all know. Currently I am working on an Extra Coarse DMT Dia-Sharp. It is too cold to work outside, so I am working on my desk.

The other day I was listening to Youtube while I worked on a chisel, and by chance I selected "Royal Marines-Colonel Bogey." The band is marching and has some infantry marching behind them, and they play the Colonel Bogey march.

Hey that made the flattening a whole lot more pleasant. I find my self keeping time to the March with the chisel on the plate part of the time. One time through the march is about 5 minutes, so each time through I stop to check progress.

After four to six times through the march I have had enough chisel back flattening for one evening.

The march is actually a pretty nice piece of music. The euphonium section has really nice counter melodies, and in one section the melody, through the piece.

Helps the flattening process be a lot more pleasant.

What do you all do to make those type of activities go faster and more pleasantly?

Regards,

Stew

I still love the military marches, and have a couple of CD's (yeah, I still use CD's); they do tend to force me into a rhythm, whatever I am doing.

[Eric Rathhaus]

not for my irons. for other sanding needs

[steven c newman]

For those that do their sharpening in slow motion..."Bonnets au Poils"....from 1805......the same from 1914 is usually played way too fast.

Strop is usually best when "Grenadiers Du Parte" plays...Song lasts about the same amount of time as the strop work should.

200 strokes? YIKES...isn't that like the old "200 lashes" the old British Royal Navy dished out....as punishment ( usually a death sentence...)

[Doug Dawson]

I just fire up the radio and see what is playing.

If you put your music collection on shuffle play, make sure you don't have any Ramones or Pistols in there.

As I moved further and further away from town, the songs on the radio got slower and slower...