UsingaCrockerSharpenerCrockerSharpenersareusedtoholdwoodengravingandothersmalltoolsataconsistentangleagainstasharpeningstone.Thebaseslidesbackandforthparalleltothestoneasthetoolpointisbeingsharpened.ThisisasideviewofanengravingburininstalledinaCrockerSharpenerandreadyforsharpening.CrockerSharpenerPartsThisCrockerSharpenerhasbeentakenapart.TheCrockerSharpenerBaseisontheright.ThetoolClampingBarrelandClampingInsertareshownontheleft.ClampingInsertClampingBarrelBaseThumbscrewInstallingaSmallToolintoaCrockerSharpenerSmalltoolinsertedintotheClampingBarrelThisviewfromaboveshowstheClampingBarrelinstalledintheBasewiththetoolinplace.AlargeVgrooveisclearlyvisibleinthebackoftheClampingBarrel.ThetopofthetoolrestsinthisVgrooveontheinsideoftheClampingBarrel.TheClampingInsertisplacedonthetoolsothatitssmallVgrooverestsonthetoolshank.Thispreventsthetoolfromrotatingwhenthethumbscrewistightened.ViewfromtheotherendshowstheClampingInsertinplacewiththetoolpointprotrudingToinsertthetool:1.Loosenthethumbscrew.TheClampingInsertwillcomeout.2.PlacethetopedgeoftheengravingtoolintothelargeVgrooveoftheclampingbarrel.3.PlacetheClampingInsertintothebarrelwithitssmallVgrooveonthetoolwiththetooltipprotruding1"to1½".4.Carefullytightenthethumbscrewuntilthetoolisfirmlyheldinplace.NotehowtheClampingInsertisplacedjustabovethetoolshankcapturingthetoolshankbetweenthetwoVgroovesinthephotoontheleft.InstallingaLargeToolIntoACrockerSharpenerAlargertool,likeanelliptictintorasmallchisel,canbeheldintheClampingBarrelwithouttheClampingInsert.ThispictureshowsanelliptictinttoolheldintheClampingBarrelwithoutusingtheClampingInsert.Itcanbealittletrickytogetthethumbscrewtocenteronthenarrowedgeofthetool'sshank,butwithalittlepatienceyouwillbesuccessful.Hint:ThetooldoesnothavetobepreciselyalignedwiththeVgrooveontheinsideoftheClampingBarrelsolongasitisbeingheldfirmly.NowtheCrockerSharpenerisreadyforfinaladjustmentsAdjustmentsUsetherotationandangleadjustmentstoaligntheflatfaceoftheengraverwiththeflatplaneofthesharpeningstone.Therearetwothumbscrewsthatcanbeloosenedtoeitherrotatethetoolaroundtheaxisofthetoolshankortochangetheangleatwhichthetoolfacecontactsthesharpeningstone.Lookatthetooltipverycloselyandmaketheseadjustmentsuntiltheentirefaceofthetoolisrestingflatonthesurfaceofthestone.YoumayalsohavetoloosentheClampingBarrelthumbscrewtoadjusthowmuchthetoolsticksoutinordertoreachagoodalignment.Sketchofthetooltipinalignmentwiththeplaneofthesharpeningstone.SharpeningYoucanuseoilstonesorwaterstonestosharpenengravingtools.Whenusingwaterstones,soakthestonesbeforeuseandkeepthemwetduringsharpening.Ineithercase,thestonesmustbeflatinordertoachieveaflatplaneontheengravertip.Rubonestoneagainstanothertoflattenbothstones.AngleadjustmentscrewRotationadjustmentscrewSharpeningStoneToolTipAfternormaluse,atoolcanbesharpenedusingamediumstonefirst,followedbyafinestone.SlidetheCrockerSharpenerwiththetoolinstalledbackandforthonthemediumstone.Liftthetooloffthestonefrequentlyandcheckthetip.Amagnifyinglensisveryusefulforthis.Ifthetooltiplooksfaceted,theangleofthetipwasnotadjustedquiterightintheCrockerSharpener.Re-adjustthetooluntilyoucanseethatitistotallyflatagainstthestonesurface.Thenstrokeonthemediumstoneagaintoreestablishasinglefacetorplanebeforeproceedingtothefinestone.Whenthetipplanehasbeenreestablishedandanyroundedcornersaregone,stopusingthemediumstoneandswitchtothefinestone.Repeatthebackandforthmotionwithfrequentinspectionsofthetip.Stopwhenthetiparealooksflat,smoothandfreeofscratches.Ifyoucanseeorfeelaburronthesidesofthetip,aquickswipeonapieceoffinesandpaperwillremoveit.Theedgesofthetipshouldappearcrispandsharp.Ifagroovebeginstoappearinthesurfaceofthestone,repositiontheSharpeneronthestone,turnthestoneendforendorturnitovertosharpenonafresh,flatsurface.Onceallusablepositionsbegintogroove,re-flattenthestonesbyrubbingthemtogether(withlotsofwater,iftheyarewaterstones)untiltheyareflatagain.AdditionaldetailedinformationandinstructionsonusingtheCrockerSharpenercanbefoundintheexcellentbook,ReliefandIntaglioPrintmakingMethodsonResingraveBlocks,byRichardWoodman,availablefromMcClain's.15685SW116thAvenuePMB202KingCity,OR97224-2695USAwww.imcclains.com503-641-3555(phone)503-641-3555(fax)800-832-4264(orders)
