Thread: My Sharpening Process

Wow, I'm absolutely gobsmacked that there is so much involved in sharpening edges. Can I send you up a box of chisels and plane irons?

Seriously, I note you dont use diamond dust cards. Is there a reason for this? Just having bought a set.

Bodgy

It sounds like a lot but it's just a bunch of paper glued down to glass. The chisel goes in, gets sharpened, fitted for a microbevel and then gets 'honed and lapped' to remove the burr. It seems like a lot when you write it all down. I'm sure if you wrote down every part of the process of making a cup of coffee, you could fill 3 pages!

Originally Posted by LineLefty

Now, questions, should I be doing the "hone and flip" on each grit as I go through, Or should I just hone the bevel then microbevel to 2500 and then take the chisel/planeiron out of the jig and rub the back from say, 600-2500 to get rid of the burr, or will this just 'move' it to the bevel side.

Lefty,

Once Ive got face and primary bevel of a new chisel honed (work on 800 down to 6000 grit japanese water stones) I work in a 1-2 degree microbevel (easy using veritas honing guide). Unless theres major damage to the bevel subsequent sharpenings only involve a brief touch up on primary bevel and then redoing the microbevel on 4000 and then 6000 grit stone. To whip off the burr on the back of the bevel I give the face a couple of passes (running along direction of burr) over the 4000 grit stone and then run it over a leather strop (am using the Ashby strop from MIK).

I probably sharpen more frequently than the average woodie but IMO in the long run total time spent is less.

I use this method too. I know its popular in the U.S. But they refer to self adhesive sandpaper but I havn't seen it here in Australia. Any ideas. I do use spray adhesive to attach to the glass but often it won't stick properly/

Cheers J. Stevens in Brisbane

Originally Posted by LineLefty

1) 1/4inch glass 600x400. On the back side I have a 80 and 180 grit belts glued down for "grinding"

That's a good idea. I don't go any coarser than 180 and it tends to be the one I use most (to do 'grinding'), so it makes sense to have large amounts of that grit on the back.

2) On the other side I have the following grits glued in 5cm x 15cm pieces (240,320,400,600,800,1200,1500,2000,2500).

I don't go any finer than 2000, and I use one of 1200 or 1500, not both, depending on availability. My step sizes are the same. Where do you get the 2500 from?

Flatten the back on the 180 the hone to 2500

All at once? Seems like wasted effort to me: unless you're talking of flattening a newly acquired chisel for the first time. Subsequent deburring will just add new scratches to your 2500 finely polished back

-Start at 180 on the bevel and go through to 400

Again, it seems like you're putting a fine polish on the bevel, onto to scratch it up later.

The small amount of chiselback I can get on the glass makes me worry that I'll lift it and casue a back bevel.

I put my fingers firmly down on the front of the chisel, pushing it down on the glass, and move the chiself from side to side. Just a few strokes is enough to remove the burr.

- Refit the chisel to hone a 5degree microbevel. Proceed with the same sequence (hone and flip) through to 2500.

Refit? I keep the chisel in the guide for the entire sharpening sequence. If you're going for a microbevel, just do the adjustment at 800 grit, or thereabouts, and keep going.

Always makings sure that on these higher grits I'm only using pull strokes.

Yep, those first few slices through the paper teach that lesson.

Process - Subsequent chisel honing
-The back is flat but I rehone it from about 400-2500
-Fit it in the jig at the mocrobevel setting, go through form 600-2500 in the "hone and flip" sequence.
- Or if I'm lazy, I just freehand the bevel on some MDF+Green Compound.

sounds good. Though I'm not sure about the MDF+green: never used it, but I'd be a bit wary of rounding the surgical edge with the soft MDF. Then again, the old-timers used leather strops, so maybe there's something in it.

Now, questions, should I be doing the "hone and flip" on each grit as I go through

that's what I do.

Or should I just hone the bevel then microbevel to 2500 and then take the chisel/planeiron out of the jig and rub the back from say, 600-2500 to get rid of the burr, or will this just 'move' it to the bevel side.

That would be my concern. Most of the advice in books, etc, is to hone and flip as you go. Trying to do each side to 2500 in one go, sounds like you could end up with a highly polished burr!

Your thoughts please. The sharpenss level I'm achieving is (i think) pretty good but the chisel only protrudes 25mm from the jig so rubbing the back on each grit while the chisel/iron is in the jig is quite difficult. If I raise it once, theres a microbevel and I've stuffed it!

My process seems to be simpler a quicker than yours, and I'm very happy with the sharpness. I don't generally bother with microbevels (changes planing angles, etc), and I don't use higher than 2000, nor do I use MDF&green etc.)


Only other comment would be to suggest you get yourself a small grinder. Hollow grinding is great, and speeds up scary sharp a helluva lot. I have to be careful not to complelety remove the hollow grind on the 180 grit.

Originally Posted by LineLefty

Process - Subsequent chisel honing
-The back is flat but I rehone it from about 400-2500
-Fit it in the jig at the mocrobevel setting, go through form 600-2500 in the "hone and flip" sequence.
- Or if I'm lazy, I just freehand the bevel on some MDF+Green Compound.

Lefty, for subsequent sharpening I dont bother with rehoning the face like you do. I spend alot of time during initial honing of the face making sure that I get rid of all machining marks (dont need to do whole face of chisel just 2-3 inches back from bevel). After that you shouldnt need to do any honing on the face unless its been damaged. The only working of the face I do after initial honing and lapping is a brief pass over a stone and strop to get rid of the whisker off the back of the bevel.

Something else I do is hone the side of a new chisel on the side of a water stone....just to an inch or two back from the bevel.

I have a sheet of 10mm plate glass with 220 grit W and D sitting on it....paper is wet so surface tension of water keeps it stuck to the glass. I use the paper mainly to flatten my water stones...they get done after 50 passes of any tool over the stone. Sometimes I run new chisels and plane blade faces over the paper of machining marks are deep before switching to the stones.

Originally Posted by J. Stevens

I do use spray adhesive to attach to the glass but often it won't stick properly/

I use the spray stuff. Trick is spray, then stick on pretty much immediately. Sometimes I put a slab of mdf on top and a weight to help it dry flat.

Never seen self adhesive sandpaper.

Kiwi, your saying that you just hone the bevel/microbevel and then just rib the back to get rid of the burr? That would save me a fair bit of time.

Why would you touch up the primary bevel if it doestn reach the cutting edge?

For a 1-2 degree bevel I've used a steel ruler to just increase the angle a poofteenth bit. But then sometimes I change the projection......that might be the problem too much chopping and changing!

Zenwood,

I get the 2500 from Timbecon. Its about 3bucks for a half sheet. It lasts forever if you DONT........RIP........IT. I know it's overkill but hey, it's only 5-10 extra srokes why not?

Your right about honing the back initially to 2500, then scratching it at 400 to remove the burr. But what to do? If I go to 400, can I then combine the honing of the face/back with the removal of the burr?



Stevo,

I spray the glass and the paper, let it go tacky and then press it ony wit a roller. Most importantly though, it's important that the paper be stored FLAT for a few days before hand. I keep mine between two clipboards with a weight on top. If you dont then they tend to roll and not stick,. I bet thats your problem, not the adhesive.

Also, get yourself some nailpolish remover and a roll of paper towel. Works great as a solvent.

Originally Posted by LineLefty

Zenwood,

I get the 2500 from Timbecon. Its about 3bucks for a half sheet.

Pretty pricey. I'd give it a try, but there's no more room on my bit of glass.:eek:

Your right about honing the back initially to 2500, then scratching it at 400 to remove the burr. But what to do? If I go to 400, can I then combine the honing of the face/back with the removal of the burr?

yep. Sounds basically like what I do. I don't touch the back till about 320 or 400, then do bevel and back on each grit:
400: bevel, then back,
600: bevel, then back,
etc, till 2000

BTW, at 2000 I take the blade out of the jig, and swipe the whole back along the length of the 2000 strip. I do this for two reasons: (1) the blade must be removed from the jig, (2) the 2000 is at the end of my bit of glass, so its whole length is accessible, (3) it feels good.

I keep mine between two clipboards with a weight on top.

Good point. I keep all my sandpaper in a stack, and put a piece of chipboard on top to keep it all flat.

Also, get yourself some nailpolish remover and a roll of paper towel. Works great as a solvent.

I find turps works pretty well. I scrape most of the old glue off with a plane blade (that isn't in a plane), then a wipe over with a bit of paper towel soaked in turps. The smell of turps isn't as bad as acetone.

Yeah the smell of acetone conjures up long forgotten images of my mum in a towel turban and dressing gown painting her toenails! :eek: :eek: :eek:

You're right about taking it otu of the jig 1500+, your probably not going to round the bevel a hell of a lot if you dont get the angle right and it allows you to be more careful with the paper.

Gidday Lefty,

Honestly this is constructive feedback.......Not having a go at your technique just encouraging reflection about it!

I have a set of 5 Stanleys and I reckon I'd give up after the second one doing it this way! Master Woodworkers Like David Marks remind us not to put an excessive amount of effort into sharpening, as the goal is to finish the project, not sharpen all day!

I'll probably get Flamed for this BUT............For me the quest isn't for the perfect blade cause at the end of the day theres no such thing. Different woods require Different approaches. This is only the way I look at it and is my approach when it comes to Sharpening:

As little sharpening as possible for the maximum affect!!!! To date I've got my inspiration from here:

http://www.cianperez.com/Wood/WoodDo...on_Chisels.htm
http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/r...cles_558.shtml
http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/r...cles_557.shtml
http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/r...cles_556.shtml
http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/r...cles_554.shtml

A recent Article by Terry Gordon on page 51 of Australian Wood Review also sheds Light on the Issue. AS with all these types of things its about personal Choice and horses for courses!!! I'm Essentially Lazy so for me its all about less sharpening=More Woodworking

I'm not too sure about what the answer is to the conundrum of the Dark Art of Effective & Economical Sharpening??? I suspect it lies somewhere along these lines:

K.I.S.S
Keep It Simple Stupid

REgards Lou

Spray Adhesive that sticks to glass - 3M Automotive Trim Adhesive. Just make sure to rub the two surfaces together to get a smooth glue surface.
Quote:
"... they refer to self adhesive sandpaper but I havn't seen it here in Australia. Any ideas. I do use spray adhesive to attach to the glass but often it won't stick properly Cheers J. Stevens" End Quote


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Originally Posted by LineLefty

Kiwi, your saying that you just hone the bevel/microbevel and then just rib the back to get rid of the burr? That would save me a fair bit of time.

Why would you touch up the primary bevel if it doestn reach the cutting edge?

For a 1-2 degree bevel I've used a steel ruler to just increase the angle a poofteenth bit. But then sometimes I change the projection......that might be the problem too much chopping and changing!

Lefty...

1. Correct..hone microbevel (and primary bevel only if required) and then just a quick wipe or two on face to get rid of burr. Onto the strop for a few quick wipes and say goodbye to a few arm hairs!!

2. There are various ways of doing the microbevel. I use a veritas mark I honing guide.....you can set a 1 or 3 deg microbevel by giving the brass roller cam control a turn. If youre using an Eclipse type guide then you can do as you do with the ruler or alternately you can place a shim under the roller to raise it and consequently increase the angle by a minute amount...that way the chisel stays clamped in the guide.

If youre not using a leather strop then give it serious consideration....theyre great. if you dont want to buy one then ask your Grandfather if you can borrow his old army uniform. Wip out the belt and it makes a perfect strop!!

Cheers

Martin