First attempt at freehand sharpening!

[Jacob]

.....I see the benefits of freehand sharpening, but really it is NOT easy. .....

It used to be easy. Everybody did it.
I wonder what brought about the change? A conjunction of the stars? A virus? Al qaeda? Maybe we will never know. :shock:

Welly? What's that?

Colloquial expression meaning putting more pressure on the accelerator. Yo a furriner or zummat?

 

[Corneel]

Yep, me dutch.

 

[Jacob]

There's Steve Branam's video here if that'd help.

 

[Sawyer]

if your blade cuts well you've won. =D> =D> =D> =D>
xy

So you see, it's all quite simple really!
Provided the tool is working efficiently for the job in hand, it's sharp enough. As soon as I'm not happy with a tool's performance, I do something about it. Super accuracy and shaving hairs off my forearm doesn't interest me though, because I'm a woodworker, not a barber! I can't abide dull tools either, simply because they don't work properly. It's all about earning a living.
Freehand sharpening was one of the first things I learned, and works just fine. Never had the curiosity even to try out any form of jig. Each to their own though and I don't criticise anybody for using jigs if they choose to.

 

[Fat ferret]

if your blade cuts well you've won. =D> =D> =D> =D>
xy

So you see, it's all quite simple really!
Provided the tool is working efficiently for the job in hand, it's sharp enough. As soon as I'm not happy with a tool's performance, I do something about it. Super accuracy and shaving hairs off my forearm doesn't interest me though, because I'm a woodworker, not a barber! I can't abide dull tools either, simply because they don't work properly. It's all about earning a living.
Freehand sharpening was one of the first things I learned, and works just fine. Never had the curiosity even to try out any form of jig. Each to their own though and I don't criticise anybody for using jigs if they choose to.

Couldn't agree more (hammer) .

 

[andy king]

There's Steve Branam's video here if that'd help.

Where, as i've pointed out before, the edge he gains is certainly not what i would call sharp, especially when he pares the cherry.
I think we need to step back and assess the need for sharp tools.
What is more important is gaining that edge with repeatable accuracy. If you are lucky enough, or trained in that respect, to be able to freehand hone to such heights, fantastic, but others may need or find a better option with a jig, but we all strive for the same result, a consistent sharp edge that allows us to woodwork to our full potential.
Anything else is somewhat irrelevant and based on opinion, surely?

 

[Jacob]

There's Steve Branam's video here if that'd help.

Where, as i've pointed out before, the edge he gains is certainly not what i would call sharp, especially when he pares the cherry.
I think we need to step back and assess the need for sharp tools.
What is more important is gaining that edge with repeatable accuracy. If you are lucky enough, or trained in that respect, to be able to freehand hone to such heights, fantastic, but others may need or find a better option with a jig, but we all strive for the same result, a consistent sharp edge that allows us to woodwork to our full potential.
Anything else is somewhat irrelevant and based on opinion, surely?

Yet another post saying that freehand honing doesn't work very well, isn't repeatable, requires training, if achieved at all you are lucky, it's "fantastic" etc.
Completely ignoring that a lot of competent woodworkers have been doing it for ages and a lot of beginners don't find it particularly difficult.
It's beginning to look like a dogmatic minority view from a diminishing band of hardliners!

By all means do what you like with whatever technique you chose, but don't knock it if you haven't tried it.
If you simply can't do it , then don't assume that nobody else can either. You'd be wrong.

 

[andy king]

There's Steve Branam's video here if that'd help.

Where, as i've pointed out before, the edge he gains is certainly not what i would call sharp, especially when he pares the cherry.
I think we need to step back and assess the need for sharp tools.
What is more important is gaining that edge with repeatable accuracy. If you are lucky enough, or trained in that respect, to be able to freehand hone to such heights, fantastic, but others may need or find a better option with a jig, but we all strive for the same result, a consistent sharp edge that allows us to woodwork to our full potential.
Anything else is somewhat irrelevant and based on opinion, surely?

Yet another post saying that freehand honing doesn't work very well, isn't repeatable, requires training, if achieved at all you are lucky, it's "fantastic" etc.
Completely ignoring that a lot of competent woodworkers have been doing it for ages and a lot of beginners don't find it particularly difficult.
It's beginning to look like a dogmatic minority view from a diminishing band of hardliners!
By all means do what you like with whatever technique you chose, but don't knock it if you haven't tried it.
If you simply can't do it , then don't assume that nobody else can either. You'd be wrong.

Errr... Nonsense!
You seem to be under the assumption that I am dismissing freehand honing and freehand honers.
Anything but. I was taught this at 16 years old and I demonstrate the technique at shows to try and HELP people gain a good edge, and by instilling in them technique is paramount, not having 15 different stones to do so.
You are making sweeping statements without evidence or fact as usual!
The fact remains that by video evidence, the guy has failed to gain a true keen edge - at least, by what I would classify as keen. I posted on that fact, not dismissing freehand honing or your own brand of it.

 

[Corneel]

Maybe Jacob is looking back at his youth with the typical rose tinted spectacles of older man and completely forgot how he struggled as a lad. It's not sharpening an edge straight from the grinder that's difficult. It's repeatability, like Andy sais, or keeping an edge straight, or keeping a smoother's camber really small or to get a real keen edge like you need to avoid tearout on cranky grain, that's where stuff gets difficult. In the mean time I'm just a hobbyist with limited shop time and can get repeatable results really quick using a simple jig and am quite happy with that. At the other hand, I have some gouges waiting for my attention, so now I am hitting the limits of my jig and will have to start training freehand technique again.

 

[bugbear]

.....I see the benefits of freehand sharpening, but really it is NOT easy. .....

It used to be easy. Everybody did it.
I wonder what brought about the change? A conjunction of the stars? A virus? Al qaeda? Maybe we will never know. :shock:

Everybody used to use wooden planes. I wonder what changed?

Bugbear

 

[Corneel]

I love woodies. Even made one myself.

http://seekelot.blogspot.com/2011_04_01_archive.html
http://seekelot.blogspot.com/2011_05_01_archive.html

 

[bugbear]

If you simply can't do it , then don't assume that nobody else can either. You'd be wrong.

Are you going for some kind of irony prize this week. Grim? :lol: :lol: :lol:

BugBear

 

[Fat ferret]

I love woodies. Even made one myself.

http://seekelot.blogspot.com/2011_04_01_archive.html
http://seekelot.blogspot.com/2011_05_01_archive.html

Well done that man. What sort of plane did you make? And how?

I picked up a woodie jack plane last week, my first. All it says on the body is British made and the iron has, made in sheffield but it is a good thickness. So I sharpened it up and gave the body a coat of linseed. Once I had set it right it took thick even shavings with ease. It's easily as good as my metal planes . I have used it quite a bit now planing rough wood on tenons for making gates and it shows no signs of needing sharpening, although I think I will avoid mentioning that word from now :roll: .

 

[Corneel]

It's a very small 55 degree smoother. The first plane I ever made in my life, did feel good :lol: I used a small piece of beech I had laying around and an iron from the "plane iron shop" in your nice country. Now I have another much bigger piece of beech and plan to build a jack plane, like yours, sometime this winter. The little plane has been used a lot in my kitchen building project. It does tend to clog, but apart from that it is a great help with the rather rowy grain of the maple I am using. I really like to use wooden planes, they're nice and light and glide so much smoother then an iron plane.

 

[Fat ferret]

I would love to make a plane but don't have the time or the wood. At least there are plenty of old ones going spare even if you just re-use the iron and copy the body if thats too far gone.

 

[Corneel]

You could also try a Krenov type plane. Lots of info on the web about these. I've made one like that later in the year and it is good fun too and a lot easier. Old planes are usually only available in the standard 45 degree pitch. So if you want something else, it's a good idea to try making it yourself.