Tim ponders the counterintuitive sharpening of hollow auger blades:

I think the blade is sharpened wrong: Its sharpened on both sides (like a
knife) rather than just on one side (like a normal plane blade).

****************************

Nope, that's correct, at least for the popular Stearns models. Quick quote
from G.N. Stearns's 3/5/78 patent (#201,064):

"...this cutter is bevelled on both sides, so that it can be reversed, and
wear either side up alternately to equalize it."

So it's an efficiency issue, but it doesn't adversely affect the actual
cutting action of the auger. My Stearns hollow auger does require a fair
amount of fiddling upon initial setup, but once I get everything in place,
it cuts tenons like a champ.

Greg Isola
Alameda, CA

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The cutters on my James Swan hollow auger are ground like plane blades
and, as far as I can tell, must be that way since they are bedded at 0
degrees.  If they were beveled on both sides, the bevel on the bottom
side would interfere with the surface just cut.

Is the iron in the Stearns bedded at a non-zero angle?

Blake  

>>> Gregory Isola  08/03/06 10:55 AM >>>
Tim ponders the counterintuitive sharpening of hollow auger blades:

I think the blade is sharpened wrong: Its sharpened on both sides (like
a
knife) rather than just on one side (like a normal plane blade).

****************************

Nope, that's correct, at least for the popular Stearns models. Quick
quote
from G.N. Stearns's 3/5/78 patent (#201,064):

"...this cutter is bevelled on both sides, so that it can be reversed,
and
wear either side up alternately to equalize it."

So it's an efficiency issue, but it doesn't adversely affect the
actual
cutting action of the auger. My Stearns hollow auger does require a
fair
amount of fiddling upon initial setup, but once I get everything in
place,
it cuts tenons like a champ.

Greg Isola
Alameda, CA

------------------------------------------------------------------------

More hollow auger pondering, this time from Blake (I love this stuff!):

Is the iron in the Stearns bedded at a non-zero angle?

*********************************

No, I don't have it in front of me, but the Stearns blade is definitely not
bedded at zero degrees. A quickie search gets me three decent shots of the
underside of my (or very similar) hollow augers:

http://www.patented-antiques.com/images/WEB-Sale-Cats/WEB%20Tools/Chisels%20
and%20Saws/Gouge_Chisel_writ/hollow_pointers/5haugers_gd.jpg

http://www.patented-antiques.com/images/WEB-Sale-Cats/WEB%20Tools/Drill%20Pa
ge/drills_w1/hollows/3hollow-b.jpg

http://www.sydnassloot.com/b21.htm

No affiliation with any dealer sites referenced above; just using some nice
pics to further a historical discussion of the tools in question.

Greg Isola
Alameda, CA

------------------------------------------------------------------------

--- Gregory Isola wrote:

> A quickie search gets me three decent shots of the
> underside of my (or very similar) hollow augers:

Here's another pretty clear shot of the business end 
of a Stearns hollow auger:

http://wdynamic.com/galoots/4images/details.php?image_id=657

Cheers,
Chuck Taylor
In Seattle, where it is 67 degrees F

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------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey all, 

I've been trying to get my hollow auger to work right, but I think the 
blade is sharpened wrong: Its sharpened on both sides (like a knife) 
rather than just on one side (like a normal plane blade). 

looking at how these work, they seem to be more of a plane that goes 
around in a small circle. Should I re-grind the blade to a 30-35 degree 
angle, like a plane? 

thanks

tim 
(I don't mind using my #8 in this  heat, but sweat makes ARN rust even 
faster)
------------------------------------------------------------------------

I just checked the iron on my Stearns hollow auger -- it is like a 
knife edge with symmetrical bevels on each side.  The photo on my 
website doesn't have enough detail to show the edge, but here it is:

http://home.earthlink.net/~kvaughn65k/hollow_auger_pointer.jpg

Ken Vaughn

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gregory Isola" 
To: "Blake Ashley" ; "Timothy A Collins" 
; 
Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2006 12:29 PM
Subject: Re: [OldTools] hollow auger sharpening

> More hollow auger pondering, this time from Blake (I love this 
> stuff!):
>
> Is the iron in the Stearns bedded at a non-zero angle?
>
> *********************************

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for all the notes. 

Mine is very much like the adjustable hollow augers shown in tihe links, 
but I'll have to look at home to see if it is a stearns. 

The blade is beveled on both sides, just like the link below, and as in 
another post. 

I guess I'll just have to fiddle with it some more and see if I can tune 
it up. 

tim
oh to be back at Mackinac island, where it was sooo cool and breezy

Chuck Taylor  
Sent by: oldtools-bounces@r...
08/03/2006 03:52 PM

To
oldtools@r...
cc

Subject
Re: [OldTools] hollow auger sharpening

--- Gregory Isola wrote:

> A quickie search gets me three decent shots of the
> underside of my (or very similar) hollow augers:

Here's another pretty clear shot of the business end 
of a Stearns hollow auger:

http://wdynamic.com/galoots/4images/details.php?image_id=657

Cheers,
Chuck Taylor
In Seattle, where it is 67 degrees F

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Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com 
------------------------------------------------------------------------