Beginner sharpening kit

[Jake]

I like the LVmk1. Bought the mk2 as an upgrade, and never use it except for skews and odd stuff like that. In fact, I'm using the mk1 less and less as freehand takes over.

 

[Paul Chapman]

The main problem with honing guides is that not one guide can successfully hold all types of blade because of their different shapes. I use:

Veritas Mk2 for plane and scraper blades.

Veritas Mk1 for narrow, odd-shaped blades like shoulder plane and rebate plane where the sides are stepped (this guide clamps the blade differently from the Veritas Mk2 so is sometimes better for those blades that are narrow).

Modified Eclipse for chisels.

Then I have the Veritas small blade holder which I use in the Eclipse for very small blades, like spokeshave blades.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[dunbarhamlin]

Scary sharp with a jig is certainly a good way to start, though if you can find a mentor, learn to sharpen freehand (shouldn't take more than 20 minutes to get the hang of it.)

I use jigs (Veritas and Kell) to dumbly regrind or reshape blades, but otherwise work freehand.

I wouldn't say it's very much quicker, or even that using a jig is too much hassle (though I do touch up much more frequently now I can just pick up the tool and present it to the stone - and by the same token, 'sharpen' a whole lot less.)

The main plus is that some blades can't be sharpened with a jig (router blades, marking knives, tiny blades) and so sharpening all this way keeps me in practice, and I get to work the entire surface of my sharpening medium.

It also avoids obsessing about honing angles and the like, which quantitatively don't matter (oops, sacreligous statement there. :twisted: )

Re scary sharp, I would recommend afixing the sheets with spraymount or similar. When I started, using a jig and wet'n'dry just held in place with water, I made an awful mess of my blades (very shiny, but so badly rounded that every honing turned into a regrind)

Now I use waterstones for sharpening and arkansas with soapy water for touch up. The arkansas sits on the bench where I'm working.

Cheers
Steve

 

[woodbloke]

The main problem with honing guides is that not one guide can successfully hold all types of blade because of their different shapes. I use:

Veritas Mk2 for plane and scraper blades.

Veritas Mk1 for narrow, odd-shaped blades like shoulder plane and rebate plane where the sides are stepped (this guide clamps the blade differently from the Veritas Mk2 so is sometimes better for those blades that are narrow).

Modified Eclipse for chisels.

Then I have the Veritas small blade holder which I use in the Eclipse for very small blades, like spokeshave blades.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

Paul - almost all of those blades can be held in the Eclipse (the wide scraper plane blade may not fit) Even a stepped shoulder plane blade, with a little bit of jiggery-pokery :lol: will fit. I agree that the Veritas small blade holder is a very good bit of kit and will fit neatly into the Eclipse for honing small blades. As has been said many times though, everyone needs to find a system that works for them and no one jig is perfect. The only thing that I can't fit into the Eclipse ('cos I modified it) is the 3mm LN chisel and that has to be done in a Grimmer :wink: :lol: - way - Rob

 

[Paul Chapman]

As has been said many times though, everyone needs to find a system that works for them

You're right, that's the key issue :wink:

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[wizer]

All I meant was that the time spent making the guide board can be both a hassle and off putting for someone starting out. If you want to buy something that will work out of the box, then the MKII is a no brainer. If you want to spend and hour or two making a jig to set the angle then that's fab. I prefer not to obsess about it and get on with sharpening to I can get back to what I'm doing. Also I understand the eclipse takes a small amount of skill that needs to be mastered. Another fiddle (however minuscule).

Jigs are wonderful things, but sometimes you just want to get on with it. I'm just suggesting the easiest route.

 

[woodbloke]

When I get in tonite I'll make a small board with an exact projection of say, 27deg for the Eclipse and take some pics...it'll take about 10 minutes (If I use a hot air gun to set the glue) to make one - Rob

 

[ByronBlack]

All I meant was that the time spent making the guide board can be both a hassle and off putting for someone starting out. If you want to buy something that will work out of the box, then the MKII is a no brainer. If you want to spend and hour or two making a jig to set the angle then that's fab. I prefer not to obsess about it and get on with sharpening to I can get back to what I'm doing. Also I understand the eclipse takes a small amount of skill that needs to be mastered. Another fiddle (however minuscule).

Jigs are wonderful things, but sometimes you just want to get on with it. I'm just suggesting the easiest route.

Thats a fair enough point, I find jig-making a bit of a pain, but in reality, they do increase productivity, I think it's more so for the guitar projects that I'm making, but if cost is a factor, then an eclipse and a guide board is a great alternative, and it really only takes a few minutes to make a guide board.

You are right about using it does require a little practice, but I think this is a big positive because it allows very easy and quick cambering using the charlesworth techniques.

 

[gidon]

Rob I'd like to see you make it in just 10 mins with a hot air gun !
Another method if you don't want to make a jig is to rest a ruler on the wheel and the bevel and hold up to the light - adjust until angle right. This is a good method if you have only one bevel and like to do freehand sharpening too.
Cheers
Gidon

 

[woodbloke]

Rob I'd like to see you make it in just 10 mins with a hot air gun !
Another method if you don't want to make a jig is to rest a ruler on the wheel and the bevel and hold up to the light - adjust until angle right. This is a good method if you have only one bevel and like to do freehand sharpening too.
Cheers
Gidon

As in the sort of thing you use to strip paint...just a wiff or four on the lowest setting will get a bit of heat into the wood and ought to set the glue so that I can clean it up and take a piccy. Normally of course I'd let the glue go off for an hour but in a cold 'shop that's not going to happen. It's just a demonstration exercise to show that it's dead easy to make an exact angle. When I made my 2' board I made one projection after the other and by the time the last one was glued in place, the first one was set. Pics tonite on a separate thread - Rob

 

[wizer]

No need Rob, I believe you. But it wouldn't take me 10mins.

Horses for Courses I guess. I will probably buy an eclipse and make a angle jig/gauge one day. But for now the MK.II does what I need.

I think Andrew has more than enough info to make his decision now.

 

[PaulO]

My setting board for the eclipse isn't a board at all. I have just hot glued blocks to the underside of the shelf over my sharpening bench, then labeled the front of the shelf. Saves on bench real estate, and means you don't have a board to lose.

I don't know if I missed it, but no one mentioned the use of a grinder. Without the hollow grind it might take a while to raise a burr on the edge.

 

[Paul Chapman]

I don't know if I missed it, but no one mentioned the use of a grinder. Without the hollow grind it might take a while to raise a burr on the edge.

I don't use a grinder on my blades - I only have a high speed one and don't want to burn them.

I hone my bench plane blades at 30 degrees then use the facility on the roller of the Veritas guides to put on a 1 or 2 degree micro bevel. So when they need re-honing, I hone at 30 degrees on the coarse and fine diamond stones to get rid of the old micro bevel, then add a new micro bevel on the extra fine stone. Then finish on a leather strop. I've standardised on this now as it's very fast and effective and gives me a very sharp edge.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[gidon]

Ah Rob I thought you meant hot glue gun - which would do the job even quicker .
Cheers
Gidon

 

[newt]

I think Rob could make one in 10 min, after all it is only sticking one small piece of wood on another bigger piece of wood.

 

[lurker]

These are as cheap as can be.

http://www.proopsbrothers.com/acatalog/ ... ng_71.html


I scraped the paint off the registering areas and its spot on