Chris Campbell Posted March 10, 2016 Report Share Posted March 10, 2016 Help! How do you sharpen trimming tools? Every time I try to do it they get worse instead of better. And those round ones?? Any ideas appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted March 10, 2016 Report Share Posted March 10, 2016 I can't get Dolan tools unless I travel across the border myself, so I can't speak to those ones specifically. I sharpen that s-hook trimmer thing (that's the technical term, don't you know) with a chainsaw file. Angle is key, and it does take a few minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted March 10, 2016 Report Share Posted March 10, 2016 Diamond Jewelry files work on all small steel tools Put tool in vice and sharpen-a good set of Diamond Jewelry files has all shapes-check them out on amazon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Min Posted March 10, 2016 Report Share Posted March 10, 2016 they have directions on their website: "In order to sharpen your tools we recommend three methods. One, use an oil or water whetstone. Two, use a diamond file. Or three, send your tools back to us and we will restore your edge. Under no circumstances use any power tools or any other process that will heat up the steel. DOLAN TOOLS are made with great care and heating the steel will destroy the temper resulting in a tool that will never hold its edge again." http://www.ceramictools.com/pages/maintenance.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
What? Posted March 10, 2016 Report Share Posted March 10, 2016 Diamond file. The profile of the edge is key. Be careful on the corners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Campbell Posted March 10, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2016 Thank you all! I read their site and used the whetstone ... no improvement but I did make a big mess I had to clean up. I will head to Ace today and buy a diamond file ... wish me luck! UGH ... this is why I love hand building ... : - ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted March 10, 2016 Report Share Posted March 10, 2016 Chris I doubt ace will have these but this is what I have-they work for lots of uses. http://www.amazon.com/Square-Triangle-Crossing-Diamond-Needle/dp/B00880QRRE/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1457640278&sr=8-5&keywords=diamond+jewlery+files Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bioman Posted March 10, 2016 Report Share Posted March 10, 2016 Help! How do you sharpen trimming tools? Every time I try to do it they get worse instead of better. And those round ones?? Any ideas appreciated. Hand sharpening is very, very difficult skill to master for edged tools. Your best bet is a guide of some sort that holds the tool at a fixed angle; or simply bring it to a sharpening service that has a good rating. After years of do hand sharpening with varying degrees of success for my furniture building I got one of these http://www.tormek.com/en/ This is the only fool proof system I have run across and it works so well you become an overnight master. But you would need a co-op of potters doing very financially well to afford dropping a $1,000.00 or so on one of these. So, find a sharpening service Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerdry Posted March 10, 2016 Report Share Posted March 10, 2016 How about a bison trimming tool. They never need sharpening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Campbell Posted March 10, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2016 How about a bison trimming tool. They never need sharpening. I own two small Bison tools ... might need to pick up a larger one at NCECA next week. My knife sharpener won't even consider sharpening my Dolan tools. Boo Hiss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted March 10, 2016 Report Share Posted March 10, 2016 take your dolans to NCECA and give them to the dolan people with a return address or padded envelope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted March 11, 2016 Report Share Posted March 11, 2016 I use a file to sharpen my dolan trimmers, and finish off with a dremel with a rubber buffer on it. This works pretty well for me, but I have to clamp the tool down well to use the file in long strokes fitting the angle of the original bevel. the wheel helps remove any burrs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted March 11, 2016 Report Share Posted March 11, 2016 I use a double ended Bison Tool that Phil made for me-They are one inch longer than a Kemper R2 6 inch trim tool double ended-The ends are very much like the R2.I have 3 of them-I wear one out in about 2-3 years of work. I send it to him and he reuses the handle with new ends which are worn down to almost breaking point.I use the spare until its gone and then send that. I always have a spare as I trim every week.This tool has saved me 100 and 100s of trim tools. Chris I like the take it to Dolan and have them mail it back deal. Now if you have some chisels and wood working tools that wet slow sharpener that Biomans link goes to is great but makes no sense for a few items. I like Acme tools for a power tool outlet as I just got a makita router from them and that have been great over the years but they have yet to crash into the pottery market. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim T Posted March 11, 2016 Report Share Posted March 11, 2016 There's more to sharpening than just having a diamond sharpener - as well as pots I do quite a lot of green and "normal" woodwork with hand tools, and using a scythe, and in both cases this is a bit of a fetish! First, the basics: what you want to achieve is an edge without any nicks in it that is smooth and polished - you are cutting, not sawing. The approach is to have several grades of stone, start with the coarsest you need and then go finer and finer. The stone will need lubricating (with water) to carry away the debris. Generally once you have a good edge, you just need to hone it up using the finest couple of stones, but if restoring something that is seriously blunt it will take edges with a fine stone, so start coarse and work down. Once you have the basics right (i.e. no longer have a flat edge on the blade) you will get a burr on the side opposite to the one you are sharpening - this is time to go to the next finest stone, starting on the side with the burr. Also, think about the section - on my turning tools one side is flat, and one has the bevel, whereas on my trimming knife both sides are bevelled. If you have a flat side, then all the sharpening is done on the bevelled side, and you just remove the burr on the flat side, holding the stone so it is in contact with all of the flat, so it doesn't create a bevel. A shallower bevel angle will cut better, but blunten quicker, and ceramics are pretty abrasive. What many woodworkers will do is sharpen the main bevel to one angle (say 25 degrees), but then put a larger angle microbevel at the edge (say 3 - 5 degrees more), so the tip doesn't blunten as quickly, and when sharpened you are working on much less metal, so it is quicker. Finally, think about the stones. If you use normal woodworker's stones, then as you go finer the stone is softer and wears more, so with the shape of pottery tools you will probably dig a groove. As some have already suggested, diamond files are best (or ceramic), with a mix of flat and round/curved ones. And remember to sharpen often - a couple of minutes with a fine file can save a huge amount of work later in restoring the blade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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