Sharpening Angles Help Please

Re: Sharpening Angles Help Please *LINK*

Eric Hedberg

>Jim,

Hit the link for the Lee Valley Honing guide (below). When you get to the page click the blue (Instr) at the bottom of the text. It gives the general instructions plus a table of suggested angles et. al. Hope this helps.

Eric


http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?page=33001&category=1,43072,43078&abspage=1&ccurrency=2&SID=

Curious...

Brian Gray in Sandusky, OH

>Hey Jim...

I know that you've been woodworking quite a while now, and I assume that you (like me) have evolved through many sharpening methods...

What brought you to buy the LV system?

First off, this is not a loaded question...I own the tormek, and the EXPENSIVE contraptions involved with it. I rarely use it anymore.

I do all of my chisels via Krenov with the hand wheel grinder, then to stones. Most of my irons are also this method, with some exeptions (the shepherd plane is the only exception).

I've thought long and hard on the LV system, and I give it a big thumbs up...but I can't justify the cost at this point...

Bottom line, when you get it, can you to send me an emial telling me how awesome it is, so I can convince my wife that I have to have it, also????

A little tongue in cheek, but not really....!

Take care, buddy.

bg

Re: Sharpening Angles Help Please

Andrew F in Australia

>Jim,

Starting point - assume that these primary bevel angles are increased with a secondary bevel honed onto the grind at about 3-5 degrees more. If you're working straight off the primary bevel, make thesee numbers a touch steeper.

Paring chisel ..........15-20 degrees

General duty chisel..25 degrees

Mortice chisel..........30 degrees

Plane iron ..............25 - 30 degrees

Experience with the tool is the key here - if the edge folds over or doesn't last, make the next grind a bit steeper (a couple of degrees or so) and keep going until it doesn't

Note that the maximum angle on a plane iron for a Stanley plane is 40 degrees honed.

It's no official reference but it's a summary of my trade training. For what it's worth, I have never 'measured' the angle of anything - I set up a grinder rest based upon an existing chisel that I'm happy with and it stays there for a few months.

The only time I reset the thing is when I'm regrinding a paring chisel or redressed the stone. I grind chisels and plane irons at the same angle - looks to be about 25-30 degrees.

Hope that this helps,

Andrew

agree with this approach

Bill Tindall, E. TN

>There is so much difference among steels that it is not possible to suggest more than a general range. The tougher and harder the steel the sharper the angle can be. The best answer is grind at the lowest angle where the edge survives. Chisels that get pounded on (dovetail and mortise) will likely require a more blunt angle than one that only sees paring cuts. A 10 X hand lens is quite useful for examining an edge to see how it is failing, or not.

Thanks Guys!

Jim Shaver Oakville, Ont

>Hi,

I appreciate the kind support, Thanks.

Brian, I'll let you know....

Take care,

Jim

Brian...

Rob Lee

>...I can send you one of those emails...:)

Cheers -

Rob

How about.....

Brian Gray in Sandusky, OH

>....if EVERYONE sends me emails saying that they can't live without that system....flood the inbox....my wife will have to give in!!!

The Complete Guide to Sharpening *LINK*

Don Thompson, Cutler Ridge, South of Miami FL

>This book, by Rob's father Leonard Lee, is my sharpening bible. In it, he extensively discusses sharpening angles. I always go back to it when I forget some aspect of sharpening theory. I highly recommend it for any hand-tool woodworker.


The Complete Guide to Sharpening

Re: Sharpening Angles Help Please

paul womack

>Note that the maximum angle on a plane iron for a Stanley plane is 40 degrees honed.

I assume you meant:

"The maximum secondary bevel angle for a Bailey pattern bench plane..."

Not all Stanleys are Baileys, and not all Baileys are Stanleys.

BugBear (looking after the interests of Record, Woden, Marples, Union, Millers Falls...)

Aye!

Andrew F in Australia

>