It's What's Between You and the Wood - Quality from Your Hand to Heirloom
Greetings!

I hope I am not overly optimistic, but Linda and I get our second vaccine soon and are excited. This must have been what it was like for our parents to stand us in those lines for the polio vaccine, those pink sugar cubes (yes, I am that old) - and whatever other shot in the arm we pursed our lips for so we would not cry in front of the whole town. Our parents watched with newfound hope for a healthy future.

We keep asking ourselves what the rules are, who to have over for dinner first – like you, we are chomping at the bit, eager to exercise lost but not forgotten prerogatives. 

I made a little video about heat treating, which was fun. That’s because I played with fire and heated a blade to that brilliant orange. If you should give it a try, please be very mindful of the safety issues. Safety First! We are talking fire here. We are talking about hot, burning metal and oil. We are talking about potential flames gone out of control and possible injury. Wear your goggles and your gloves, keep a fire extinguisher close at hand. Clear the space around your equipment, have your phone handy, act as though you are not having any fun at all, keep your head in the game, and behave yourself.

Also, in our continuing effort to show a diversity of sharpening techniques, we’ve called upon David Charlesworth, whose Ruler Trick is a timesaving blessing for many woodworkers around the world.

And - if you recall the recent issue and follow-up feedback issue about corrosion management – we have yet more feedback, which will be organized as a shout-out sometime in the future. Please stay tuned for it!

Of course, if there is anything you need from Hock Tools, please let me know.




Ron Hock 
Hock Tools
(888) 282-5233
(707) 964-2782
Retail 2-2021 Detail Heat Treating 01 Tool Steel from Ron's Video
Heat Treat? You Bet You Can!
Ron's New 3 Minute Video Shows & Tell's You How
"In the pre-Covid day," Ron held an annual talk in his shop for students attending The Krenov School. During each session, he would perform a heat-treat demonstration. Of course, a flame-exuding torch was involved. Translation? Interest was high!

Many woodworkers, even those who never were or who no longer are students, like the idea of being able to harden or soften the metals they use. Heat treating for yourself offers more control over your tools. Plus - let us be honest - managing fire and helping it make changes in metal is exciting!
Above: Ron's DYI Heat Treat Video
However,
with the handling of flames from a torch and a fire-hot iron
comes a huge responsibility to be safe in every possible way.
Please keep safety at the forefront of every move you take when heat treating. Your life depends on it!
More DIY Heat Treat Help with
The Perfect Edge by Ron Hock
Do-it-Yourself heat treating is popular among woodworkers. In The Perfect Edge, Ron begins his Heat Treating chapter on Page 26, including DYI techniques and how to prepare yourself for the very real risk of fire.

Ron explains it as a forthright equation
about safety:
Flames + Red Hot Metal + Hot Oil =
Danger!
David Charlesworth Helps You
Take the Time out of Sharpening 
“With the ruler trick, you don’t need to spend “hours and hours” dressing the backside of an iron. So I ruler tricked the snot out
of that plane blade and have
never looked back.”
- Chris Schwarz, May 2, 2018


David Charlesworth began woodworking as a furniture designer and maker. Today, David is known as a venerable and popular master instructor who for 35 years or so has written books and articles on woodworking.

He came up with The Ruler Trick sometime in the 1980s. It massively reduces the time spent preparing the backs of new plane blades and provides an exceptionally consistent sharpening system.

David's DVDs on Plane and Chisel Sharpening are available from his website and at Lie-Nielsen Toolworks.

Also, you can easily find The Ruler Trick (to the right) and other helpful videos on David's YouTube channel, including this one
David Charlesworth's
For Previous Editions of Sharp & to the Point; A Shameless Shill for Hock Tools,
Check Out our Newsletter Archive
Reminder!
If you would like to update your subscriber profile by changing your
email addresses, your name, etc., please scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter to click on Update Profile in the Hock Tools footer below.
T h a n k..Y o u 
f o r..C h o o s i n g
H o c k..T o o l s
3.9..Y.e.a.r.
o f .E x c e l l e n c e
Ron Hock is Past-President
& now Treasurer of
Continuing the Legacy
of James Krenov 
with Awards & Scholarships for Woodworkers.

  If you would like to receive
newsletters from
Click on TKF's Logo. Thanks!