Tool sharpening

I\'ll show you mine

I am delighted to have generated the longest thread in this forum so far in 2009. I should have known it would eventually turn into a competition about who has the sharpest / oldest / biggest tool.... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif (sigh).
Thanks for all the helpful contributions and to everyone else, well thanks for taking an interest.
 
Re: I\'ll show you mine

The real prize goes to your mate, when your missus asks him to "Please come and clear away all that old rubbish in the shed"

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
I had one of those Axminster machines, but I found it underpowered and the wetstone cut slowly and went out of true frequently. The small dry stone was too small for any serious work, and the tool rests were bendy, useless things.

I like the idea of the horizontal stone machines, but for now I'm sticking to a conventional 6" dry grinder used with care. If you're buying one of these then it really is worth spending a bit more and getting one with decent adjustable tools rests, not the pressed steel rubbish that most of the Far East imports come with. Better still find an old cast iron machine on ebay.
You'll do less grinding if you can religiously keep one set of edge tools for 'clean' bench work on virgin timber, and have a second best kit for smacking into nails, dropping onto concrete floors, levering lids off tins etc.

I remember when I tried a Japanese waterstone for the first time. My old oilstones went straight in the skip. Waterstones cut about 20 times faster and give an incredible edge - finish a plane iron with a couple of strokes on a 6000 grit stone if you want to be astounded by shavings of single cell thickness. By sharpening the whole bevel each time the need for periodic re-grinding is eliminated except for accidental dings. A 250 grit stone quickly takes out nicks and dings - useful if you're working away from a power source. Try a 1000 / 6000 combination stone to start with - you won't regret it. Axminster have a good range.
 
Just to be different and also being lazy, I clamp a belt sander, cheapo B & Q, Wickes/Focus in the vice and use it as a linisher. It takes out nicks even in the older TCT power-plane blades, quite easily, the cut is always straight, and the oil stone swiftly removes burr and hones chisel and plane irons like a razor. Naturally care has to be taken not to allow the work to get hot but it is the cheapest and most efficient way I have found to sharpen up cutting edges. I know purists will object to this method but after decades of doing it by hand and having to get TCT plane blades sharpened by a face grinder (at a cost) it is great. Oh, I am a former chippie by the way (not the ones with fish and old newspapers either).
 
Quick update on the Rexon WG180.

I had another proper look at it a few evenings ago, it turned out that the guide had been assembled incorrectly. Once this was right its easy adjustable and can get low enough to get the angle right. Although the guide that clamps the job i nhand could be better.

Its a slow process and its easy to run off the edge of the wheel and take a chunk out of the stone if you come back onto the wheel, so needs careful attention.

For £30 on ebay its a very good buy, retail price of £90 I think a bit too steep.

I do now have some very sharp chisels which were previsouly a mess!
 
[ QUOTE ]
I dont like the tormek as it puts a hollow grind on your tools

[/ QUOTE ]I DO like the Tormek - the "hollow" grind is not a problem, infact on the business end you cannot even see it. At first I was sceptical but with use I have not found any problem with the Tormek system (apart from the price!)
hammer.gif
Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity.
 
Your working with a weaker edge so need to grind more often . Ive scrapped all my new chisels and gone to old ones off ebay for better metal . All depends what you are doing i suppose .
 
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