Some time ago, my good pal Mike Huntley set up the Japanese Tool Study Group, with the aim of meeting once a month for a good natter on all things Japanese, but more especially to do with tools. Mike is shown in the pic below with Andy Ryalls, co-owner of Phoenix Oak Framing, based in a very large 'shop close to where I live. Mike and Andy (green fleece) are here shown discussing a setting block used for making Japanese saws. The sides are swaged, the top is domed and each edge has a slightly different bevel on it for setting the teeth...
...used, for example, on a cross-cut dōzuki like the one shown below.
I'm shown in the pic below giving it a little 'test drive'. Until you've tried a handmade Japanese saw, you really have no idea what a dream it is to use one. Every other saw I've ever used is distinctly 'clunky' in comparison, so I want one!
Hang on a 'mo though! This one's a cross-cut and then I'd also need one to rip along the grain. At 23,000JPY, or nearly £200 each, I think I'll have a re-think...
...and then I'd have to learn how to sharpen and set one, which is a whole new bucket of worms and well above my pay grade!
I also gave a short demo on using the 3M films from Workshop Heaven as an alternative to using waterstones, as well as playing around with a new Veritas PM-V11blade fitted into my LV jack that can be seen on the bench. At the moment, it's probably the only one of it's kind in the country.
All told, a very pleasant afternoon was had by all
Hi there everyone who is involved in the JTSG (or just interested in Japanese tools,)
ReplyDeleteI have come across this video of an American who has a great Japanese waterstone sharpening setup (and workshop). If you the video on his blog you can see it at 2:00 into the video. You can see how he has allowed for fresh water to pass over the stones and drain away into a sink. I think this is the preferred method for japans carpenters.
I hope this may be of use to you.
http://tumblewood.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/tour-of-tumblewood.html
J Holland