Trouble With Groover

[bigstripe]

Hey folks, I'm hoping someone wise can tell me what I'm doing wrong.

I've yet to get my edge groover to gouge around a nice curved edge without wandering all around like it's been in a bar all night. I can carve a straight border line just fine, but the curves are a pain in the butt I can't get right.
Less of an issue is straight lines that meet at an angle like in the second photo. I'm fairly certain I can lick those with just a little more patience.

I've gotten plenty of practice (30 oval keychains each with a gouged border, hooey) and still can't maintain a nice smooth curved border line. Pictures here are of my latest test project. I'm about to try making it a second time and want to know if there are any ways I can improve. I'm going to try marking the line with my compass and freehanding the groove with 100X more diligence and see if that helps.

Any suggestions?

The tool in question: https://www.tandyleather.com/en-usd/search/searchresults/88081-00.aspx

[TomG]

Well, first, your edges themselves look a bit ragged. You might try a burnish first.

Make sure your bit is sharp. Burnish the outer cutting edge well.

Use firm (not hard) pressure on the blade and on the guide. You might try cutting a small piece of silicon paper and putting it between the piece and the slab. Then place the edger and guide in position and rotate the leather and keep the groover steady.

You may want to take a couple of passes to get the depth you want.

The leather looks soft. if it is moving as you cut, it's gonna look ragged. You have to keep that edge from collapsing. If you can't, I'd dump the guide bar and use a small French curve to cut against as a guide.

[Halitech]

as Tom says, once you get your angle right, hold the groover in place and rotate your leather, it does make it easier then trying to move the groover around the corners

[DoubleC]

I know exaactly the groover you're using and it sucks. I'm looking into alternatives. Those groovers don't have enough of lip to ride along the edge of the leather. Cheryl

[bigstripe]

Thank you for taking the time to help me out!

With the groover I've been moving more and more toward holding the tool hand stationary and letting the hand moving the leather do the work like you suggest. I'll definitely try the silicone paper. I probably tried edging some pieces when some moisture from dying was still in the leather. I'll give them more time to dry out next time.

The leather is pretty firm, the photos of my finished pouch show the mangled and mitered edges from my first experience with a french skiver/beveler and uneven stitching. I have a pretty good feel for how to improve that.

I'm definitely ordering a set of french edges and some circle and oval stencils.

[bigstripe]

I know exaactly the groover you're using and it sucks. I'm looking into alternatives. Those groovers don't have enough of lip to ride along the edge of the leather. Cheryl

I know what you're talking about. I recently modified mine and it feels much better.

I removed the grooving bit and set it in a vice with the business end protected. I used a file and dremel to cut off about 2-3mm of the base end. Now the grooving edge isn't the same length as the tip of the guide bar and I can keep a better grip on the edge of the leather without slipping. I did the same for the creasing spoon bit.

[zuludog]

I haven't used that particular groover, but here are a few suggestions

The edges of your leather could be neater & smoother, and the corners properly rounded. Try a sharper knife or sandpaper. Besides the usual straight down cut, lay the knife blade almost flat on the edge of the leather and use it like a plane or a skiving knife If necessary do a bit of burnishing

Gently sharpen the tiny blade of the groover on a strop. Polish up the inside of the blade with the tip of a cocktail stick & polishing compound.

Or see if you can get a replacement blade

For a groove that is only decorative, and not for stitching, try a creaser

Reduce the starkness and contrast of a groove by painting in leather dye with a fine paintbrush; or dye the whole piece; or just polish it all over with ordinary shoe polish, including inside the groove, to mellow the line.

Place your piece right on the edge of the bench when using the groover, so there is free space below the little arm/guide bar, which will allow you to lift the groover if necessary to get the correct cutting angle

I've just had a look on YouTube; there is a video 'Sharpen a stitch groover and V gouge'. There are also loads of videos on sharpening edge bevellers, knives, and leather tools. Surf and Search away!

Edited July 8, 2015 by zuludog

[TRADERnel]

I don't use that groover anymore I use the one that has the shank all the way to the tip it works much better also sharpening it and polishing it will make it very smooth

[LeatherNerd]

I don't use that groover anymore I use the one that has the shank all the way to the tip it works much better also sharpening it and polishing it will make it very smooth

Which groover did you get? I'm using the one you originally mentioned.

I learned a trick last week that's been a godsend: tools with weird profiles can be used to cut their own sharpening strops. I grooved the edge of my sharpening strop, then rouged the groove. Now I run the groover backwards up the channel and am getting good results. This may not last as I am not able to polish the inside of the edge; I've heard a dremel and a toothpick work well but haven't tried it.

Not sure what "not enough lip" means, so please advise if I'm wrong, but if it means the difference in depth between the cutting bit and the end of the spacer bar, you can change this by loosening the bit and pushing it up into the holder.

I have this tool and I like it but I'm new so I may not know any better. I really like it compared to the kind where the cutter is on the bar because I can turn it into a freehand groover by removing the bar--I don't need a separate tool for that.

Which groover did you get and how/why do you like it?

[fivewayswelshcobs]

We were taught to polish inside edge of edger was to pull thread along over the edge, this idea could work for the inside of the groover by threading the eye of the groover and pulling the thread through.