Paul_BB

Please relax, everything's gonna be all right. Just take your time.
Let me know as soon as you've swallowed this pill.

smithcreek

My Feedback: (25)

If your culture is to waste a lot of time then I'll agree. If you want to spend time sharpening then spend that time on something useful, not disposable x-acto blades. Buy a couple finger (violin) planes, a block plane, a set of chisels and a REAL knife, like the violin knife blades on this page: [link]http://hocktools.com/Knives.htm[/link] The x-acto blade is not a real knife, it's a razor blade in a handle, and it's a great tool when used like that, but it can't do many things a real knife can like controlled quality carving of anything but the softest balsa. On the other hand, it's better than a real knife at slicing a 1/8" thick balsa sheet, the blade on a real knife is too thick. They are really two different tools for different jobs. Most people underestimate the skill it takes to sharpen properly, buy a set of chisels, start sharpening and you will learn to appreciate it.

Paul_BB

I understand the utility ofthe flatplane for our hobby, but not of the chisel.
I have a flat plane that is handy for carving the leading edges, for example, but I don't see how a chisel can be useful ?
I haven't tried a chiselin all my life so I don't really know what I am speaking about.

Regarding the violin knife blades, yes that's pretty cool. I found thisbelgian site who sellsPfeil Swiss made blades:
http://www.willyvanhoutte.be/en/catalog/show_cat/1479
Which one do you recommend?

I have not found a cheap diamond stone in Europe so I ordered yesterdaythe German Wüsthof 1000/2000 sharpening stone (equivalent to the 3000/8000 japanese grit)

Thanks again for sharing your experience.

Paul_BB

Thanks for thelink coreman.

LesUyeda

"Can you describe the way you do it ?"

Hold the sandpaper firmly on a flat surface. Apply a small puddle of saliva to it, then press the tapered edge of the blade to the paper, and execute several small circles. Turn the blade over, and do it some more.

"I heard of cheap modelers but this takes the cake. "

More to it than just cheap. A machine sharpened edge CANNOT compete with a hand sharpened one. Been into wood working, models since the early 50's, furniture etc, since the early 60's. Cut up a LOT of wood. Believe me.

Les

raptureboy

"But the buffer, even if is a cheap "chink" import buffer; the results are all the same." I'm really not into political correctness at all, but to be referringto people of asiandescent as "chinks" really is uncalled for.

smithcreek

My Feedback: (25)

If it were me I'd get in order of usefulness #6, #4 and maybe a #2. The smaller you get the closer you get to an exacto. Most people think of a chisel and smacking it with a hammer, but that's not what they are used for the majority of the time. There are lots of different kinds of chisels, if I could only have one chisel for this hobby it would be a 1" paring (patternmakers) chisel. It has a very long thin blade and is used for carving, almost like a plane but without the body and cutting end grain.

The picture below is one example of carving the nose on a P-26 from a balsa ring. This is one place the paring chisel excels because you can place the flat bottom on a surface and carve forward of that. On the P-26 the fuse was shaped, then the balsa glued on oversized for the nose. By placing the flat bottom of the chisel against the fuse I could quickly, and without creating a ton of dust, carve most of the wood to shape. With a chisel it is much easier than sandpaper to see and control the shape as you carve, and on something like that nose ring where the wood grain is going in just about every direction, it will cut in many directions that a plane simply will not, crossgrain, endgrain, etc. Look at the nose ring above where I'm carving, that's how close you can get it with just the chisel, then just a couple minutes of sanding to smooth it out and done.

I've attached a few other pics from the p-26, all the blocks on the wingtips, stab, elevator, fin, rudder were carved with the paring chisel and all the blocks that were part of the wing saddle too. Look at the pic of the wingtip with the block still not carved. Picture laying the chisel across the wing and carving the wood down to the level of the wing. With the chisel laying on the wing there's no chance of taking too much off. One last thing, the handle on a paring chisel is nice to have, once in a while you even use it, but most of the time you just hold the blade. In the first picture I would hold the blade in front of the handle with my right hand and push it away from my left hand with my thumb to make a slicing motion.

The base of the fin and rear of the fuse is one balsa block. The chisel was used to follow the lines of the fuse, then I drew the outline of the fin and used the chisel to cut straight down. When it was close I glued the fin on and using the same technique from above, layed the bottom of the chisel on the fin and pared straight down. You can see the results in the second picture where the fin is glued on.

.

retransit

My Feedback: (18)

I have to agree. I cringed also. I thought Archie Bunker went off the air a long time ago.

Bob

ArcticCatRider

My Feedback: (6)

SMITHCREEK,

This is kind of off topic but still involves sharpening

Had some difficulties cleaning my Coho salmon last weekend. Any ideas on a stone for fillet knives? The subject here is a Rapala fillet knife...real thin blade. The little sharpener that came with the knife does an OK job, but I imagine it could be much better, like when it was new. I'm also sure my technique could be much better...any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

rgburrill

25 cents a blade is expensive? How about cutting off a finger tip? Or slicing through an artery? Are they cheap?

Your wife's knives are a lot bigger than an X-acto blade and easier to control. So is my pocket knife and I'll match it's sharpness to an X-acto. But I would rather go to Home Depot and see all the pretty toys, I mean tools, evey once in a while than try to sharpne an X-acto blade.

rgburrill

And did you noitce that the good ones do not have replaceable blades?

DESERT RATT

My Feedback: (7)

I agree on sharpening the blade. I can use that $15.50 for a half gallon of fuel. Cheap? if that's what you want to call it, then I'm cheap in your thoughts.. In my thoughts I'm utilizing the rest of the steel I paid the money for in the first place (as posted above.) I put a longer taper on the steel to the tip of the blade. Any one that's hunted or uses blades knows this makes the blade sharper for use but at the same time it allows the blade to get duller faster, you just have to be more careful cutting and don't cut on glass or any hard object that will dull the blade faster. I hand hone the steel on various grades of dry stones then run a smooth "sharpening steel" over them every once in a while to hone the edge back to sharp.

For you guys that use a buffing pad, Try a very hard pad (Lap) with White or Green Polishing compound. to finish the steel with. (Ultra smooth Rouge)

How many of you watch TV? You can sit on the couch or your favorite chair while while watching the Boob Tube and honing a blade. I remember seeing somewhere a small commercial X-acto blade sharpener, Thought about it a few times.

I'm not a Chef, Butcher or Metallurgist. I just like a very sharp blade to work with. My hunting and carrying Knives (I carry 3 if you count my Gerber multi took) will shave my arm also. Never go anywhere without a Knife?

Villa

I have been sharpening my X-acto blades for about 30 years. I use wet/dry sandpaper used to sand down car paint, I believe it is 320 grid, placed on a flat surface. I give it a few strokes every now and then. The blades may be lasting me 10 years, but I don't really know. I am always afraid someone will be cut with the discarded blade. By sharpening the blades I have less things to worry about. I see no need to critisize what ever method you use. Do as you like, but be aware of other methods.

retransit

My Feedback: (18)

"I am always afraid someone will be cut with the discarded blade."

Get a plastic pill bottle and cut a thin slot in the top. Discard your blades in that and when it's full, tape over the slot and place the pill bottle in the trash.

Bob

dbacque

My Feedback: (3)

Oh wow, I did that recently! Over 40 years of building models and I finally did it. When I cut with a straight edge and X-acto I always stop and check my finger positions. I finally forgot to do that and cut the tip of my left index finger clean off with a fresh out the box Excel #11 Super Sharp blade. Oh dear, that smarts!

Emergency room, sew it back on, didn't take, follow ups. Throw in the strange shape it has healed into, the lack of any sensation other than extreme pain when you bump it and yep, cutting off a finger tip costs way more than 25 cents. Even if you throw blades away as frequently as I do, a new one almost every use.

Dave

retransit

My Feedback: (18)

Ripping some wood on a radial arm saw about 25 years ago I ran the tip of my thumb through the 9" blade. Smarts! Other than the thumb being a little flat on the end now, it is not even noticeable.

Bob

MetallicaJunkie

i bought a 100pack of #11 blades, and they were not exacto brand but were junk.... they wouldnt do a clean job on cutting monokote

bjbellino

My Feedback: (176)

Paul BB, life is short, buy blades and spend the extra time being with family, friends, and flying.

CatalinaWOW

Hang in there Dave. I cut the tip off my finger about 3 years ago. I still don't know how the knife got on the other side of the large steel guide I was using. The pain went away (mostly) in a few months. Now three years later I have some sensation in the fingertip and it continues to slowly improve.

Hopefully yours will continue to get better also.

Broken Wings

My Feedback: (20)

Are you an instructor?...

Paul_BB

Your advice did'nt go unheard.
Now I understand the utility of a paring chisel.
Very nice and clean job on your plane. I suppose it is easier to carve a balsa block than a string instrument.

Another (last) question: do you think a strop is useful ? Do you use one yourself ?

Paul_BB

You know what ? My hobby comes after my family, freinds and dog.
As far as flying is concerned, I think people should spend more time building their own plane than flying (and bragging about) all these crappy ARF/RTF.
This is the reason I am coming back to scratch/kit building. But this is another subject.

gene737

Really ?....all this over sharpening Xacto blades ? Really ? !!! Don't you people have anything to do.......???
Wait, I just wasted a lot of time reading this stupid thread. I could be in my workshop sharpening my old blades as we speak !!!
Gotta go......

Paul_BB

Be my guest !

DESERT RATT

My Feedback: (7)

I do that But I take it one step further, I fill the bolltle with Epoxy. I'm just afraid the bottle may open and get someone with one of the blades.