Paul, I don’t blame you for not wanting to do more video editing than necessary and that definitely wasn’t rude. I was getting paid to do it, so i didn’t mind it at all. Nice work on syncing the singing!
Jyak, that’s a great mindset. I wonder if it’s something that naturally occurs as we get older, as I’m feeling somewhat the same way these days. I still need to work for a few more years, but it would be nice to do some mentoring other than here online.
You may have me confused with someone else, as I sell my book as a side business and I haven’t done any paddle making videos, though I have considered it. These days, my “shop” area is such a mess that I’d be embarrassed to show it to anyone!
I don’t actively promote my book here because I think it would be inappropriate, but if folks like Paul and others who’ve bought it want to give me an unsolicited shout-out, that’s cool and much appreciated. For me, the main reward is in knowing that people enjoy it and find it helpful.
I found the forum while researching to outfit and repair a used kayak I bought for my nephew. The more I interacted, the more I learned. I’ve gotten a lot of great information, but there seemed to be a string of negativity at one point, but that seems to have subsided. I kept reading, but didn’t feel like taking the time to justify my opinions. A strong core of members readily share and are always positive. Those members seem to answer more question before I even think about them. That keeps me here.
My favorite posts relate to the Greenland and the Euro paddles. All of the paddle post had my attention. The exchanges were often detailed and well written. Those posts expanded my knowledge and improved my technique more than any other topic.
NotThePainter took on a very ambitious project to share a video with everyone. I’m impressed that forum members responded so favorably to his efforts. I initially scanned through early posts and absorbed the info without paying attention to the originator. You never promoted your book. I learned of it from another member and didn’t connect it to you until I went to the OP to go over the thread more carefully. That’s when I realized you were giving up all your secrets, when many others would say, buy my book. Despite my woodworking knowledge and experience, you’re teaching this old dog need tricks.
About age, most of us realize that the knowledge we accumulated over a lifetime will be lost when we’re gone. I don’t want to take it with me. I want to share it. By sharing, misconceptions are exposed. I said it before, you learn more by being proven wrong than if you were proven right!
Wondering if I saved $100 or threw away $22. Started tuning my shave. The two studs holdng the adjuster screws are loose. I tried double nutted each stud to seat the studs deeper - no go! Turning the bottom double-nut wouldn’t remove the stud. The double nuts actually turn on the stud rather than move the studs, in or out.
Sometimes you get whst you pay for. Won’t hurt to fix the other issues.
Buy the book, buy the book. Really, just buy it. Even without Brian’s help here, I found the instructions far clearer than the Holst PDF, or even the Shulz paid plans. It is money well spent.
Jyak, for the studs, remove them, clean them and their holes to remove any oil, and reinstall them with Locktite 271 (the red, permanent compound). Problem solved!
Unsuccessfully tried removing them or seating them by locking the double nuts together. The double nut were turning without moving the studs. I was concerned that they would gaul the treads or that they might be staked and the cast iron could crack. I took care of the other tune-up points, and as you can see, the chatter on the curl has been eliminated. I’m going to put the chip breaker on a moving bed surface grinder get a flatter grind on it. I also want to polish the burrs off the set nuts and the holes in the blade, but itt works 100% better already. Seeking advice today from my brother who has a machine shop business out of his home. Thanks.
It’s amazing the difference even partial tuning can make, isn’t it?
I checked my Record 'shaves and the studs are really tight, like they’ve been glued in. That probably explains what you’re encountering. If you want to get them out, it will probably take a fair amount of heat. If you have any handy, try using one of the wicking Loctite formulations designed for mounting studs and bearings; it should seep in and stop the movement.
The chip breaker only makes contact at the leading edge, so there’s no need to flatten the entire bottom surface. You can flatten the edge with a file or with sandpaper on a flat surface. A slight angle is fine, as there will be an angle create between the blade and chip breaker when you tighten the screw. You’ll need to file the front edge so the front and bottom surfaces meet correctly.
Yes it is. The edge of chip breaker is rounded. Taking too long g with sandpaper. The grinder has a magnetic hold down and sliding bed. I’ll have my brother look at it tonight to figure out the studs. Stands. Working good now. I’m wondering if they have splines and were pressed in then staked. Doubt the effort, but can’t figure out why they won’t turn being loose.
Yeah, the stock chip breaker shape is all wrong and you have to wonder why they ever would have made it that way. Here are the two from my 'shaves after modification:
Both have the bottom flattened. The one on the right has a simple filed bevel (quick and easy to do) and the one on the left has a curved surface (prettier, but takes longer. Both create a sharp edge and a tight fit where they meet the blade and they work equally well.
There’s no evidence of the studs on my 'shaves being staked and that would be risky on cast iron, as it could crack. I’m pretty sure they’re bonded in some way. If the glue bond partially failed, it could result in stud that wobbles but can’t be backed out, like yours.
My goal is that flat bevel on the right of your picture. In the picture of the bottom of my breaker, it shows adequate flatness, but the very front of the edge rolls off. Fixing that today. I thought the chipbreaker was set flat like a standard plane, until I watched how to setup on line, with the back set higher.
Those studs puzzle me. Plan to lock the stud in a lathe collet and turn it out. I’ll work slowly. It has to come out, because it has a circular wiggle 1/16th all around at the end. Drill a little deeper and chase with a bottom tap. If I wreck it, I’ll buy a new one and make sure the studs are tight. What’s $22.
Also plan to clean up the shear marks where the blade was stamped out, and clean up the contact points where the adjusting nuts move the blade. Same as cleaning a mag release button and channel.
Paul, look at the first pictures I posted and enlarge the curl. That was my first clean-up attempt that made it work better. I enlarged the curl and saw very fine lines made as the blade chattered and left the close ripples across the curl, parallel to the blade. If it has those fine chatter lines across the curl, it needs to be fixed. Previpus pictures show the bottom side of my chip breaker, where you can see the flat contact patches, but check the red highlights and the arrows pointing to the rolled front edge. Chips get jambed under a gap due to the rolled edge. The chips jamb up the throat and have to be cleared.
I attached a picture of my bed. It was originally thick blue paint. I flattened it until I got contact with metal in the red circles. The black circles show the paint that was not touched by flattening. I hope that gives me a flat enough bed, but the paint will probably drag the blade.
Bnystrom. Rockwelled the Record blade and it dropped off the C scale on 2 tests - dead soft, like mild steel. I had put an edge on it that shaved hair, but it would have lost that after a few cuts. Nothing to lose so we heated it red, oil quenched and retested twice at RC65, so at least it was tool steel. Drew it back down to RC59 (two indented marks for each state. You can see the difference in each set of marks). I got it shaving again but it’s like sharpening glass. Also cleaned the burrs on the blade and the ontact points on the knurled adjustment nuts.
That’s the problem with cheap tools, they apparently never heat treated the blade. Still need to address the loose studs, and work on the chip breaker.
Also tested my Marple chisel set which is RC57. An old Stanley socket chisel tested RC61, and a Bracht (I think it’s now the Cherry Brand) tested at RC62. If anyone owns the old Stanley socket chisels, not bad steel. I reshaped an extra 1/4 inch chisel from an old Stanley set and it works great.
For eye candy and inspiration, you may want to check out Harvey Golden’s site. (He also has eye candy for skin on frame crafts from various indigenous traditions.)
Nothing like building something by hand. I’m no purist, so I use whatever tools help me reach my goa. My woodworking skills center around making useable item. I really admire18th century. If I can buy quality period pieces, I will. If I can’t find it and really want it, I try to figure out how to make it.
I doubt that the Greenland Paddle will be my preferred tool, but I can’t sit by and see all of you GP users have all that fun.
Nice work on syncing the singing!
