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Thread: Sub-Mini Ramelson - Dropped!!!

  1. #1

    Sub-Mini Ramelson - Dropped!!!

    I'm a everyday woodworker. I was gifted a set of sub-mini Ramelson's and decided to try carving for the 1st time. I can sharpen my dovetail chisels beautifully but after dropping one of the tiny Ramelson gouges (rendering it useless) I've had zero success re-establishing the curved angle....I don't have a lathe so I have zero experience sharpening gouges. Any tips on how to get this tiny tool back in shape?
    Thanks,
    Fred

    Seasoned professional possessing unremarkable proficiency at innumerable skills.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Columbus, Ohio, USA
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    3,441
    Sorry you have no responses yet. I am very new with gouges and very good at all. Especially given he size (you did say small), I would consider a few possibilities. First for the easy part, the inside of the gouge. Get a dowel and then use either sand paper, diamond paste / spray, or honing compound.

    Most people sharpen the outer surface with a rocking motion by hand. Here is one example by Paul Sellers

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-Dy7R8xQBM

  3. #3
    Thanks Andrew. I stumbled upon this video awhile back. I'm a big fan of Paul, though I'm still having no success with reshaping. I agree 100%.....that gouge is so insanely small that I'm unable to feel the bevel....we'll, I also have zero skills lol. On the upside, I made Paul's version of a leather strop with the doubled-sided tape. With that strop the leather/tape gives creating a slot of sort which has been great for keeping the other tools in the set sharp.

    On another carving forum folks suggested replacing the Ramelson's with Dockyard's carving set as they hold an edge longer AND they make a hardwood strop with slots the size of the tools. I feel like that's sort of a cop-out, but I am enjoying carving so I may. I enjoy hand cutting dovetails and feel the same with carving.....it's a zen-like thing and there's something to be said about turning off the screaming power tools and working the wood by hand.

    Still pushing fwd with my 1st carving which is on version #13 lol. I'm learning a lot through failure that's for sure. The carving is going on the front of my friend's urn so it needs to be something I can be proud of.
    Thanks,
    Fred

    Seasoned professional possessing unremarkable proficiency at innumerable skills.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Columbus, Ohio, USA
    Posts
    3,441
    I forgot to mention because I was heading out the door, that DMT makes this thing called the wave that can be really useful if things are not too small.

    Flex cut also makes a special sharpener for that kind of tool. If your tool is not already damaged I would suggest getting some balsa or something and making your own, but that doesn't work so well when the tool needs to be reshaped.

  5. #5
    Thanks I will look onto both as I plan to continue carving.
    Thanks,
    Fred

    Seasoned professional possessing unremarkable proficiency at innumerable skills.

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