sharpening barrell trimmer

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you can tell iam new at turning here is another question. how do you sharpen the barrell trimmer because using it a few times to square both ends of the blanke it gets dull of course. i have taken off the part that goes in the barrell and try sharpening with a small file does not work that great. or is there a better way to square up pen blanks. this is great thanks[8D]
 
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Rifleman1776

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A "few times" should not dull the trimmer. A 'few years' of use will do it though. I use a flat diamond file, fine grit, EZ Lap brand on the cutting edges. Doesn't take much pressure and very little time. Just eyeball to make sure you don't put a new angle on the cutting edge. Others are sure to pitch in saying I'm no doing it right, there are many (and IMHO unnecessary) opinions on this simple issue.
 

pssherman

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As you have discovered, a small file will not give a very good edge. I use a flat diamond file like Frank does except that I use both the fine and super fine files on mine.

Paul in AR
 

gerryr

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And, when it gets really dull, send it to Paul in OKC and he will put a razor edge on it. Just be careful when it comes back so you don't slice yourself open with it. DAMHIKT[:0]
 

Mikey

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You cannot sharpen it with a file. I use a honing stone/block, but others use a diamond hone.

I take the trimmer and rub it across the block so that all flats get the same treatment, then I take and go across each bevel and then finally take the stone and rub on the backside of each flute. the result cuts better than new for me.

Also, it does not take years to dull a barrel trimmer unless you make half a dozen pens a year. If you compare two trimmers starting out the same, you can tell the difference after only a dozen pens. Constant honing, just like you do with your chisels, skews and gouges is what you need to do.
 
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I'm only touching the side of the wheel, not the front.
Practice holding the mill to the wheel with the grinder off to get the feel of how it should be positioned.

The mill should sit flat to the wheel. Remember the difference between dull and sharp is only a few thousands of an inch.

If the mill is getting hot, you are grinding too much.
 

KenV

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And also take a look in the files section for ideas on jigs for use with sanding to trim ends. One of the machinists on this site is working on a sandpaper trimmer that is being beta tested. My observation is that different firms sell trimmers of different steel quality, and some are better high speed steel (and hence hold edges better.

I also have noted that the barrell trimmer works a bit differently in different woods, and not all pen materials trim cleanly with a barrell trimmer. The soft woods, spalted woods and some plastics/stabalized woods do not trim as well as others.

Most people start with the expectation that they can trim lots of wood from an end with a trimmer (been there and done that). With some experience, one discovers that saws or coarse sanding work really well for cutting/abrading off excess and a sharp trimmer in a hand powered holder trims off a few thousands of an inch and squares up the blank nicely. It is the squaring off the end of the blank that really counts for keeping the blank coaxial with the mandrel and avoiding the oval turning blues.
 
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