Thread: How Do You Sharpen Your Tools?

silentC

I have an oilstone and a diamond plate. I find the diamond plate very good because it is very durable and it stays flat the whole time but it is quite expensive.

Cheers

Scott

I have been using a six inch grinder and an ordinary old oil stone since I was an apprentice patternmaker 50 years ago and it has always done it ok for me.

In fact I have been using the greenstone on the grinder (normally used for carbide drill bits) because I took the other one off to put a wire brush on and haven't bothered to put it back yet.

As a patternmaker I used to do a lot of end grain paring and always found the chisels & gouges sharp eneough to cut end grain without to much trouble.

Besides I found if you didn't cut yourself at least once a day you had done something wrong, so if they were too sharp they would cut too deep and heavens forbid if it was too deep you would have to go off on compo and did that upset the boss no end.

I find by using a six inch grinder it gives you a reasonable hollow which means you can get more touchups on the the ordinary old oil stone before you have to regrind the chisel, gouge or plane blade.

Not to put anyone down I just think everyone is making too much of getting an edge and I reckon if a chisel is sharp eneough to sharpen my pencil it is sharp eneough to use.

Darren,

I go for the diamond stones, wirh a $12 Carbatec honing guide. This option need not be horrendously expensive. You can get a two-sided 8" x 2 5/8" diamond stone (325x/1200X) from Lee Valley for US$79. I finish up by polishing with green honing compound rubbed onto a piece of MDF to get a mirror finish on the micro-bevel and the back of the blade.

Rocker

I almost wasn't going to reply to this poll because after having read some of the previous threads to do with sharpening I was a bit ashamed of the thing I do to get a good (enough) edge.

I have a Stanley honing guide. After setting the blade in this guide at the correct distance for the angle I want to attain I just run the chisel on the belt sander for a bit. When it looks as though it is sharp I stop and give it a quick going over on a bit of wet and dry for a few seconds and then just strop the blade on my hand to remove any burrs.

As I said I have used this method for quite some time and have always found that it is quite adequate for the sharpness I need.

Now you are going to think that I'm awful.

It just goes to show no sophistication is needed for a good eneough edge to do the job.

And think of the time you save so you can go and post threads on the forum.

And Bob I just think you are showing common sence.

I suspect that this is one of those subjects which could generate quite a bit of debate.

My own belief is that, like most things in life, some people are more 'discerning' (a better term might be 'fussy' but that carries a negative connotation that I don't wish to imply) than others when it comes to having sharp tools.

I find that I have to sharpen my chisels frequently when working with hardwood but it takes less than a minute on the oilstone to get the edge back. Perhaps you have to sharpen less frequently with some of the other methods but perhaps it takes longer. Is this a trade-off, or is there a clearly better way?

Is sharp enough good enough? Do you need to be able to see up your nose when you look at your chisel? I certainly don't know the answer. My own method is quick and dirty and suits my nature but that doesn't mean I don't aspire to something nearer perfection.

I voted for scary sharp.

But that's to get the tool up to scratch, so to speak.

I'm currently trying to learn to use a waterstone to maintain the edge, but I don't go up to 6000 or anything yet.

On the other hand, I would have thought that a pattenmaker would have had to have had pretty sharp tools so maybe I should follow Barry's advice.

What is also relative is how dull do you let your tools get before you touch them up again. If the sharpening is laborious then you are likely to put off touching them up a little bit longer.

I need to but can't so didn't vote for two methods.

1. tormek

2. Arkansas stone for adding micro bevel, touch ups etc.

3. back to tormek when I can't get it "sharp enough"

I use a diamond plate to flatten the back of a new blade or true up my waterstones, a wet grinder to hollow grind blades, waterstones on both sides to sharpen, and a leather strop with no dressing to polish. I like to touch up on the stones & strop quickly and fairly frequently, rarely on the wet grinder.

My sharpening relates to turning tools. I use a 6" grinder with a 60 white stone to shape the tool. It gives a good hollow grind. Then I regularly, repeat regularly touch up with a fine diamond plate held in my hand. I make sure that i run over the cutting edge and base of the bevel at the same time.That means that the 'flat' surface that develops at the cutting edge and heel of the bevel must be identical. This keeps the bevel angle constant and is dead easy for gouges and skews. Every two, three, four months depending on the amount of use, when the hollow grind has almost disappeared I just touch the bevel to the white wheel very lightly...hardly any sparks....as I only want to put the hollow grind back and not 'regrind or reshape' the tool.
I run over the bevel as outlined above with about 4 to 6 strokes with the fine diamond lap every day before a turning session.
Needless to say my tools dont get ground shorter by the day and lasts a life time.
Gentle does it, if you have heaps of sparks coming off the wheel when you retouch.....your wasting your dollars.
Diamond laps/plates are relatively expensive to buy, use water as lubricant, they last a life time and dont break should you drop them. So over their lifetime they are realy very economical and very fast to give a good clean edge.
Thats my 0.25 c worth
Cya
Joe

I built my first sailing dinghy when I was seventeen and was taught to use the grinder - grey wheel, back then, and the oilstones to get blades to shave my arm, little has changed.

Saw through "Scary Sharp" and decided a white wheel was easier and quicker. I use an 8" unit which I believe is better on a number of issues.

My latest position is Diamond stones - they are terrific and am in the process of offering a range of these quality units at really competitive prices online. Will keep you posted on that if Neil gives his approval.

I have used Lansky systems, oil, water, diamond and abrasive paper and still find I get the best results using a grinder carefully - wet grinders are good but slow - after that a good stone that is flat - diamond is good because I don't have worry about keeping my oil/water stone flat.

Watch for "The Sharp Edge"

Jamie

Hi I,m new to this forum but like barry white i have been using a 6" grinder with an oil stone for about 43 years.(first taught to me as a first year apprentice carpenter & joiner) This method has been good enough to use on a range of timber from radiata to tallowwood with a number of slices reserved for the idiot holding the blunt end. Must admit i have not tried any of the other options so may have to become adventurous sometime in the future.
Have enjoyed reading some of the advise and discussions on this site and hope to involve myself more now that i am nearing retirement.

Regards Bob

After having used a grinder then oilstones for years I was about to indulge in a Tormek. Having used a friend's I found it easy and VERY efficient.

Then I read a couple of articles in Fine Woodworking. They have been mentioning on and off for a couple of years how many use wet n' dry paper. I tried it, I LOVE it! You can quickly and easily take out minor dents, then sharpen through to "shave your arm" edges in no time, with minimal expense. Gets a bit messy though. I have found it best to set up a small area with an (old) towel (she hasn't noticed it missing yet, so it must be old).

Cheers,