Sharpening chisels etc

[coliholic]

Over the years I've tried countless times to sharpen my chisels and never seem to get them right. I've not lost sleep over it, but each time I do some DIY I'll often just go and buy a new chisel 'cos I can't get the old one sharp.

Watching a DIY prog yesterday, the presenter, John, used an electric wet stone sharpening system that looked pretty impressive.

So I noted down the name, Tormek, googled it and found a few demo videos and recommendations for them. Spoke to a fairly local supplier who did a "John Lewis" on me, i.e. he said if I find it anywhere cheaper within ten days he'll refund the difference so I bought it this lunchtime.

And so far SWMBO's got three really sharp kitchen knives and I've got two razor sharp chisels. Brilliant bit of kit, easy to use and works first time without even reading the destructions. Made in Sweden so not cheap but I guess you get what you pay for.

Here's a link to the tool. I bought the T3, chappie said the more epensive T7's overkill.

www.tormek.com

And I bought it from here

www.wrightstools.co.uk

£219 inc Vat and he'll post it if anyone wants one.

No connection apart from being a happy customer.

Just thought you lot might want to sharpen your tools ready for the spring refits.


Or chisels and planes resharpened for a small fee.

 

[B&M]

I have used one of these for several years with good results. You must however be careful to keep the wear even across the wheel, especially if you wish to sharpen plane blades. Ideal for sharpening the odd carving knife as well.

 

[theoldsalt]

This is excellent for chisels and planer blades.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trend-Track...W78G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328633274&sr=8-1

This is the cheapest I have found it.

http://www.mtspowertools.co.uk/product.php/site/froogle/sn/TREFTS/KIT

 

[Poignard]

A cheapskate recommends:

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-axminster-honing-guide-prod21261/

 

[Stork_III]

This is excellent for chisels and planer blades.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trend-Track...W78G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328633274&sr=8-1

This is the cheapest I have found it.

http://www.mtspowertools.co.uk/product.php/site/froogle/sn/TREFTS/KIT

The 1 review shown doesn't rate it.

 

[sailorman]

Over the years I've tried countless times to sharpen my chisels and never seem to get them right. I've not lost sleep over it, but each time I do some DIY I'll often just go and buy a new chisel 'cos I can't get the old one sharp.

Watching a DIY prog yesterday, the presenter, John, used an electric wet stone sharpening system that looked pretty impressive.

So I noted down the name, Tormek, googled it and found a few demo videos and recommendations for them. Spoke to a fairly local supplier who did a "John Lewis" on me, i.e. he said if I find it anywhere cheaper within ten days he'll refund the difference so I bought it this lunchtime.

And so far SWMBO's got three really sharp kitchen knives and I've got two razor sharp chisels. Brilliant bit of kit, easy to use and works first time without even reading the destructions. Made in Sweden so not cheap but I guess you get what you pay for.

Here's a link to the tool. I bought the T3, chappie said the more epensive T7's overkill.

www.tormek.com

And I bought it from here

www.wrightstools.co.uk

£219 inc Vat and he'll post it if anyone wants one.

No connection apart from being a happy customer.

Just thought you lot might want to sharpen your tools ready for the spring refits.


Or chisels and planes resharpened for a small fee.

I use an 8" bench grinder with a freshly dressed stoned, a pot of cold water
dip the chisel in the water
free hand get the desired angle ( about 35 deg)
lightly place the blade onto the stone & sway you body slightly side to side keeping the angle.
dip blade often & DONT allow it to burn.
repeat as req.
hone on a good oil stone to about 30 deg again free hand

 

[Appleyard]

A cheapskate recommends:

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-axminster-honing-guide-prod21261/

Perfectly adequate for the job...especially if you buy a set of diamond "stones" and lubricate with water as you go

(TWO HUNDRED AND NINETEEN QUID!!!! you have more money than sense.)

 

[TopDonkey]

I sharpen mine freehand on an electric bench grinder, sharp enough for the work i do on my boat.

I have to say though, that £219 buys you a lot of brand new chisels !

 

[Appleyard]

I sharpen mine freehand on an electric bench grinder, sharp enough for the work i do on my boat.

I have to say though, that £219 buys you a lot of brand new chisels !

When I were a lad,that was more than I earned in a year!!!!

 

[basil421]

I've been using a Tormeck for years for regrinding chisels, plane blades and gouges. It does an excellent job especially if you get the workpiece properly clamped in the jig and at the correct angle so that you're following the angle of the previous grind.

It regrinds the bevel with a a slight hollow so that subsequent touch ups on the diamond or oil stone become very easy to do well as you can allow the heal of the bevel to touch at the same time as the tip, giving a perfect angle.

A good tip is not to leave the stone in the water bath when not in use as:
1 the water may freeze and destroy the stone (replacements are expensive) and
2. if soaked for some time the wet segment can wear at a greater rate than the dry one when you are grinding.

It's also worth buying their honing paste as it put a wonderful finish on the tool.

 

[sailorman]

I sharpen mine freehand on an electric bench grinder, sharp enough for the work i do on my boat.

I have to say though, that £219 buys you a lot of brand new chisels !

much better off going to an auction or boot sale & buy old tools.
new steel is Carp

 

[wot]

I appreciate that time is money but £219!

Stone + Oil + Practise is all that's needed. Stone and oil is cheap and the more you do it, the less time it takes to get an edge.

 

[coliholic]

Just been going through the box of bits and instructions, and really amused to see they've included a pack of plasters. Terrific sense of humour somwhere eh?


Mind you I've always been taught that a blunt tool's more dangerous than a sharp one, but ten out of ten to whoever thought of it.

 

[xhurleyman]

As a woodworking joiner since the age of 25 and I'm now nearly sixty five I have become used to sharpening my chisels in the time honoured way on an oil stone set into a nice wooden box which I made myself and where possible I keep them all sharp all the time and also my hand plane blades, ie block, Jack, smoothing and shooting plane. I will however use a grinding wheel occasionally to sharpen drill bits and some knives. I used to even sharpen my own saws but nowadays the metal is too hard for that so I do what everyone else does which I always feel is such a sacrelidge. In a few thousand years some person is going to come upon our layer of soil and find all sorts of discarded tools and think we were a wasteful lot!

Keep up the good work everyone however you sharpen your tools, it is better to do that than throw them away
Cheers
Kevin

 

[Amulet]

Tormek sharpening systems are the business - I have a cheaper whetstone which works fine but if I was doing it all again I have Tormek. Presumably you are using it for grinding and then honing on an oil or diamond stone. I agree with parsifal that the Axminster honing guide is great for accurate honing, but I don't see how you can do without some sort of grinder once you've honed to the point of regrind.

But my cheapskate tip is: buy a cheap bench grinder - they all do the same basically. Chuck the wheels away instantly and replace them with blue microcrystal or even cubic boron nitride crystal wheels. Spend the money on the bit that matters.

I know it seems expensive to set yourself up with decent sharpening systems - but you won't regret it. Everything will suddely seem so easy when your tools are sharpened right.

 

[sailorman]

As a woodworking joiner since the age of 25 and I'm now nearly sixty five I have become used to sharpening my chisels in the time honoured way on an oil stone set into a nice wooden box which I made myself and where possible I keep them all sharp all the time and also my hand plane blades, ie block, Jack, smoothing and shooting plane. I will however use a grinding wheel occasionally to sharpen drill bits and some knives. I used to even sharpen my own saws but nowadays the metal is too hard for that so I do what everyone else does which I always feel is such a sacrelidge. In a few thousand years some person is going to come upon our layer of soil and find all sorts of discarded tools and think we were a wasteful lot!

Keep up the good work everyone however you sharpen your tools, it is better to do that than throw them away
Cheers
Kevin

So you dont grind chisels & plane Irons then

 

[Captain Coochie]

Ive got one of these for sharpening ....

http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c368/JFCarpentry/?action=view&current=002-68.mp4



No idea how to use it yet though

 

[nevis]

I still have my original oilstone from when i started as an apprentice joiner in 1964, you need patience to sharpen chisels, starting on a grinder and finishing with the oilstone, keep the stone well oiled and the chisel at a constant angle and you will end up with a very sharp chisel
without spending a lot of money

 

[sailorman]

Ive got one of these for sharpening ....

http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c368/JFCarpentry/?action=view&current=002-68.mp4



No idea how to use it yet though

Looks like a sex aid

 

[Mirror Painter]

I do some woodturning on a lathe but am very much a novice. Even a novice knows the importance of a sharp chisel and I would love a Tormek system. But there are just too many other more pressing requirements for that £200. Like others I sharpen chisels on a cheap, (£25?), bench grinder and am content with the result.

If you do buy a bench grinder a dressing tool like this one works very well:

http://uk.ebid.net/for-sale/gt-diamond-dresser-for-grinding-wheels-42975020.htm?from=googleshop_uk