Suggestions on making wedges

I have been making scales a little bit nowadays and I am on my 4th set. Previously I have been making non-tapered wedges and they work fine but I would like to figure out how to taper them. I am currently usuing no power tools other than a dremel so this seems a bit difficult. Any suggestions on how to get a slight taper on wood or brass with no bench grinders or sanders etc? My thoughts were to tape the wedge to my finger and use sandpaper on a flat surface and a little pressure to one side to get a taper, but I don't know if that will work?

I've tried filing down one end until I get a small "step", then holding the soon-to-be wedge against a flat surface makes a nice angle that I can sand against until it smooths out. The result is a decent shaped wedge.

good idea i will try that tonight!!

Your idea of the sandpaper and tape on the finger is dead on for wood wedges,
For Brass that might not work so "hot" slight pun there :hmmm:

One way to do the brass, silver, or nickel sliver that does work rather quickly, is to smack the crap out of it with a hammer, and create the wedge shape by beating it in there, then just smoothing that up....

here Here is Bill Ellis making a wedge

seen that, but like i said, no power tools.

In my accessory set for my Dremel I had a few grinding wheels, what I did was to take the sanding disks and glue them to one of the grinding wheels, you'll have to modify the disk a little. That way I got a sturdy surface to sand the wedge on.

For non metallics I would say that you need a saw. With the small Z saw i have suggested before you can make wedges from horn, bone, wood, plastic. with just a little practice there is usually just some sanding to clean it up.

Oh!, but if you are asking how to do it only the tools you have at hand then, yeah

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Originally Posted by Aquanin

seen that, but like i said, no power tools.

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You said you had a Dremel. You could use sanding disks or the sanding drums. I would suggest the large-diameter (about 1 1/4") disk which is open-weave fiberglass impregnated with carborundum grit. Clamp the Dremel upright at the edge of your workbench and you have a very small copy of Bill's sander wheel.