Smoky Mountain Woodcarvers 

PO BOX 82     TOWNSEND, TN  37882               800-541-5994    865-448-6350    

Carvers Helping Carvers

Solve those sharpening woes!  Less time sharpening and more time for carving.  The buffing wheel is made of several open layers o stiff cotton.  The open layers provide more surface area for heat dissipation.  Also, the flexing action of the cloth helps prevent "rounding" which tends to occur with leather, paper, felt and other solid wheels including the sewn cloth ones.  Use the wheel on a grinder and add a compound for the best honing or polishing results.  We use a bench grinder with  3450 rpm speed.  That speed is okay because of the heat reduction in the design of the wheel.  Be sure to lock the wheel so that it doesn't wobble.  It is easy to use and worry free.  The arbor is 1/2".  We have 2 sizes at the same price because the factory charges us the same for both sizes.  Either size works equally as well.  Remember,  do not re-sharpen your tools unless you break or chip one of them.  Only strop them on this wonderful wheel.  NOT RECOMMENDED FOR AN ELECTRIC DRILL.

This is a side view of the buffing wheel.

STROPPING INSTRUCTIONS

The compound we use has a wax in it to allow it to stick to the wheel.  When this wheel is new is stiff and the compound won't stick as well.  After a buffing a few times the compound will stick better.  When the wheel gets really soft it is time to get a new wheel.  You will notice that the wheel turns black as you use it.  This the wax melting and minute metal particles from the tool.  Just wipe your tool off when finished.

Hold any tool you are buffing with both hands. Do not turn the edge of the tool into the wheel.  My wheel turns toward me as I strop.  I prefer this rotation.  I hold a tool about at the 4:00 o'clock or 8:00 position if the wheel was a clock face.  I slide a knife (both sides)  across the front of the wheel with all of the bevel touching the wheel. The bevel extends the width of the blade for most carving knives.  I rotate a gouge at the same position making sure all of the bevel is buffed.  I hold the gouge straight up and 'bump' the inside of it against the edge of the wheel.  This removes any burs from the inside.  I treat a v-tool like it is 2 chisels and then rotate it in the wheel to get the point buffed.

BUFFING COMPOUND