Sharpening

I'll bite

Jim in Burlington On


>So how much of the bevel are you trying to hone or reshape? Sandpaper might be the answer for you. 90 grit leaves some awfull deep scratches that will require alot of time on a oilstone. Have a look in the articles section for scary sharp or google it.

Re: I'll bite

peter kolb


>Jim, thanks for the responce. I'm trying to sharpen a slick.

Coming off the grinder the grind is picture perfect. BUT the angle does

not conform to one of the standard angles on the Veritas mkll honing jig. I'm off by several degrees. I know I can take it back to the grinder but I'm not sure that I can duplicate "the picture perfect grind" nor am I confident that that I can grind it to a standard Veritas

angle. I know from past experience with a 2 inch butt chisel that it takes forever to hone it on the india coarse stone. I guess I could try the scary sharp method. thanks again, peter in south central nj

Re: I'll bite

Frank D. in Montreal


>Hi Peter,

I use oil stones in the winter, and it seems to me that you should not have too much trouble honing on a coarse India stone, even a 2-inch chisel. the key is on the grinder, you should grind a bevel slightly less than the angle that you'll use on the honing guide. It doesn't matter exactly what it is, as long as it's a little less. That way once you get to the honing jig, with the angle that's just a little bigger, you'll only be honing the tip of the blade. This will in fact create a secondary (or micro) bevel. You won't need to hone much, maybe ten strokes, on the coarse India stone to create the secondary bevel.

If you have a polishing stone, you can polish off the same bevel that you just made (without changing anything except the stone), or turn the little wheel on the honing guide to make a third micro bevel. It only takes 1/100" or so of polish to get a sharp edge, another 10 or 20 strokes max on the final stone.

HTH

15 strokes !

david charlesworth


>Peter,

To reinforce that last post, if it is taking me 15 strokes to raise a wire edge on a coarse stone I think it is time for a regrind. This point is usually reached after about 7 re-sharpenings.

The angle is then raised by about 2 degrees, and four strokes on a polishing stone, finish the bevel side.

My preference is for Japanese waterstones which do remove metal faster than oilstones, so on oilstones, a few more strokes may be required.

This method depends on grinding at about 7 degrees lower than the polishing angle.

best wishes,

David Charlesworth

Re: angle

Moses Yoder in White Pigeon, MI


>Doesn't the angle at which the blade hits the stone depend on the distance it projects from the honing jig? I would just hold the chisel on the stone and adjust the jig so it is the right angle.

Ditch the jig

bill tindall


>I know, if someone had told me to ditch the jig a couple of years ago I would have dismissed the suggestion considering the "impossible" feat of hand honeing. The hollow grind left by the grinder makes it easy, especially when coupled to a fast honeing abrasive. For a chisel it should take but a few strokes to go from grinder to acceptable edge. I find oil stones worthlessly slow for hardened tool steels like chisels and planes.

First get a faster cutting stone, or whatever. It is much easier to keep the chisel precisely presented to the honeing abrasive for 10 strokes than 100. Suggestions would be abrasive sheets, waterstone or the ultimate-diamond on cast iron. Start with the abrasive sheets as that is a cheap entry point.

If you angle(skew) the chisel to the honeing surface it makes the contact more stable. You will easily be able to feel when the chisel bevel seats on the surface. I like to just pull the tool when honeing, but others don't.

Re: 15 strokes !

peter kolb


>Thank you all for your help. I have a low speed grinder (1130 RPM),

coarse & medium india, hard translucent, medium, fine & v fine diamond

and a strop. I need to stop and contemplate the excellent advice given

and come up with a method which can sharpen an item in a reasonable amount of time. I sharpened 9 plane irons and 13 chisels in the lightening speed of 100 hours plus. This is the reason I posted the

question. Bill at my adge and state of health I'm not sure there is enough time to learn the "hand nethod" thanks again peter in south central nj

Is your shop unheated???

Denis Ch�nard, Orl�ans, Ont.


>Is that why you use oil stones in the winter?

As much as I love woodworking, doing it in an unheated shop in Canadian winters sure kills the fun (and numbs the fingers) :)

DC