Sharpening chisels etc

Looks a lovely bit of kit but my £200 pound would have to go on other things, it is all just about practise and realising that whether the chiesel is honned at 30 degrees or 35 it will still cut and better a sharp edge rather than none. Still do mine by hand on a stone I was given as an apprentice chippy which I spent two days flating on a piece of marble with powder from a gem tumbling kit. Then made the box from an old oak fence post we where taking down. I did buy a diamond wet stone a yera or two ago but it is still in its wrapper.

Enjoy your woodworking though, so much more, with lovely sharp tools.
 
I simply use a half sheet of wet-or-dry paper that is held on a bit of plate glass with cutting oil. The grade is chosen according to whether I am refreshing the angle (320 grit) or honing the edge (500 grit and smaller, down to 1000). With 1000 or 1200 grit you can get a "scary sharp" edge. The advantage of this system is that you cannot grind a hollow in the abrasive surface as with the traditional oilstone. Water stones are faster cutting but are are way too expensive. The skill to maintain a constant angle requires practice; a short-cut is to get one of the roller-type honing guides; cost is around €5-€8.

P.S. It also works when you're at anchor. ;)
 
It's all very fine at the workbench, but when hacking bits of wood in the boatyard we generally touch them up with the beltsander!

Rob.
 
I don't understand all you "a traditional oilstone does it" people. Of course it does, until the tool has been honed to the point where it needs a regrind. Then you need a grinder before going back to your oilstone. There are lots of kinds of grinder, but you sure as hell need one.

The downside of a honing guide is that you can't avoid wearing a groove in the oilstone with its wheel. In principle you can hear when you are on a constant honing angle by the sound of the tool the stone and avoid the need for a guide. I find I drift off the angle over a few dozen sharpenings and have to use the guide.

I also don't understand why it is absurd to spend some money on sharpening systems. It is crucial to all that you do with your other tools. Woodturning tools cost about £30 each (if they're any good) and they don't work worth a damn if they are not sharpened properly. The biggest single step forward in my woodturning was my first decent wheel stuck on a cheap bench grinder.
 
Amulet said:
I don't understand all you "a traditional oilstone does it" people. Of course it does, until the tool has been honed to the point where it needs a regrind. Then you need a grinder before going back to your oilstone. There are lots of kinds of grinder, but you sure as hell need one.

The downside of a honing guide is that you can't avoid wearing a groove in the oilstone with its wheel. In principle you can hear when you are on a constant honing angle by the sound of the tool the stone and avoid the need for a guide. I find I drift off the angle over a few dozen sharpenings and have to use the guide.

I also don't understand why it is absurd to spend some money on sharpening systems. It is crucial to all that you do with your other tools. Woodturning tools cost about £30 each (if they're any good) and they don't work worth a damn if they are not sharpened properly. The biggest single step forward in my woodturning was my first decent wheel stuck on a cheap bench grinder.
Click to expand...

go back to the text books
35deg grinding angle
30 deg sharpening angle
makes sharpening much quicker as less material has to be removed to hone the edge
 
I freehand grind the chisels then use a Honing Guide - made by Eclipse? which puts a lovely edge on with an oil stone. Been doing it this way for the last 50 years and it works well. I keep looking at the specific tools for the job but I cannot justify the expense..............(actually I'm a cheapskate!)
 
The only thing I'd say in defence of the cost is that it's £210 to sharpen ALL my chisels, plane blades and SWMBO's knives for ever and ever, not just one. And SWMBO's already been taking the p**s too and told one of her friends about my "new toy" and she's just bought all her cooking knives round for me to sharpen, so it becomes a bit cost effective. Well maybe.

Anyway back to my original point, despite trying many times over the years I've just never got a decent edge on a chisel, hence I've just kept buying new ones. Had a quick sort out and so far found 20. They'll all get a new edge and I guess I'll then flog 'em on ebay 'cos what do I want with 20 chisels.
 
sailorman said:
go back to the text books
35deg grinding angle
30 deg sharpening angle
makes sharpening much quicker as less material has to be removed to hone the edge
Click to expand...

30 & 25 for me, but no contradiction there. Some do a different angle for hard and softwood. Softwood needs a shallower sharper angle for perfection - it breaks out more easily.
 
I keep tools sharp with a hard Arkansas stone, but also have a set of diamond sharpeners which are good if a bit more metal has to be removed. You do however need a grinder to re-cut a chisel bevel if the edge has been chipped, and I am attracted to this type because they are capable of dealing with wide planer knives as well as chisels. In addition the water flows over the stone and is then discarded, whereas the vertical wheel type can recycle water contaminated with metal particles. I am mostly a metal worker so use a standard bench grinder with ordinary and green grit wheels, the latter being for carbide lathe tools.

I notice that the Dakota grinders are now quoted at nearly £140 and are out of stock.. I should have bought one last year when I saw them on sale at about £75!
 
Amulet said:
30 & 25 for me, but no contradiction there. Some do a different angle for hard and softwood. Softwood needs a shallower sharper angle for perfection - it breaks out more easily.
Click to expand...


That’s a new one never heard of different angles to suit hard and soft woods maybe you can explain the theory behind this, try cutting greenheart and then jelutong see who many times you need to re-sharpen on the former both are hardwoods. Because one is hard and the other soft does not reflect on how easy or hard it is to cut, you can get extremely soft hardwoods and hard softwoods.
It is good to see these innovative ideas to improve the quality of the tools we use, and yes it may be a bit pricey for the average novice Joe, but it is a machine to hand to keep most of the hand tools in the toolbox in a very usable condition----------------------30 & 35 deg primary and secondary angles.
 
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Sneaky Pete said:
That’s a new one never heard of different angles to suit hard and soft woods maybe you can explain the theory behind this, try cutting greenheart and then jelutong see who many times you need to re-sharpen on the former both are hardwoods. Because one is hard and the other soft does not reflect on who easy or hard it is to cut, you can get extremely soft hardwoods and hard softwoods.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure I understand what you are saying. The distinction, as I see it, is not the distinction between what is 'hardwood' and what is 'softwood' but the difference between a wood that is physically 'hard' and one that is 'soft'. One of the softest woods known is Balsa; yet, it is classified as a 'hardwood' - because of its seeds.
 
Norman_E said:
...and I am attracted to this type because they are capable of dealing with wide planer knives as well as chisels.
Click to expand...
I have heard they are good as well, but haven't used one as I have a Tormek like the op. Be careful with Rutlands though, as some say they sell items that they do not have in stock (check some of the woodworking forums for comments).
I used oilstones for many years before buying a Tormek, and the Tormek produces a much sharper edge than any oilstone, and as good as a Japanese water stone.
£215 to sharpen a £5 chisel? No. £215 to sharpen many many chisels, plane blades and planer/thicknesser knives. It has paid for itself many times over. Most new edge tools aren't supplied with a very good edge, especially the sort of tools sold by B and Q.
 
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