Plane blade edge from a Tormek?

[Daniel2]

You make it sound like its something that is against the rules.

Are sharpening questions disallowed because some members get a little excited?

Oh no, not at all.
It's just become one of those subjects which is guaranteed to ellicit some quite
enthusiastic participation.

 

[Adam W.]

Vigorous and spirited debate, even.

 

[TheTiddles]

The great thing about online forums is you have access to a range of people that you might not usually come across and you could very well be conversing with the world leading authority on a subject.

The flip side is you have access to a range of people that you might not usually come across and you could very well be conversing with someone who thinks they are a world leading authority on a subject but doesn’t even know the definition of the words they are using.

But this isn’t a new thing, it’s like reading a newspaper and believing what they say. It’s a source of opinion, take your own view.

 

[Jacob]

Have to say Jacob, thats a a load of dingo's kidneys. At least on your timeline.
Viceroy sharpening centers have been on the go for probably 3 times that, and no doubt other powered grinders were in industrial operation long before that, and before powered we had belt driven, and before that foot driven.
Nobody, especially an employer wants their staff wasting time grinding their blades by hand. Walk to the machine, switch it on, hone to readiness, and back to the job at hand.

A woodworker in a small workshop or on site would rely extensively on hand sharpening for obvious reasons, whatever the level of skill employed. Bigger shops had machines and grindstones more for grinding than honing.
Old school sharpening was normal everywhere, taught everywhere and is still used.
Things like jigs were extremely rare until the hobby craze kicked off quite recently.
The weird thing about modern sharpening is how easy and simple trad methods are totally deprecated in threads like this. It's a great loss and effectively deskills several generations.
It's just a basic, simple, useful skill. If you do it a little and often you hardly ever need to go near a grindstone.
Even weirder with the knife sharpeners - I've been solemnly informed several times that that its impossible to sharpen a knife with a steel, even though I've been doing it for 60 years with no problem at all, including serrated blades!

 

[transatlantic]

I was watching a video the other day where the presenter was talking about how people who free hand sharpen always like to bang on about it. I'm not sure he was right though.

 

[Jacob]

I was watching a video the other day where the presenter was talking about how people who free hand sharpen always like to bang on about it. I'm not sure he was right though.

Not as much as Tormek users bang on about it!
People ask questions. Do you think we should just shut up about it and pretend that it is difficult/impossible? It does seem to worry people!

 

[transatlantic]

When you're making small talk with the barber, taxi driver, grandchildren etc does it inevitably end up with you letting them know you free hand sharpen?

 

[Jacob]

When you're making small talk with the barber, taxi driver, grandchildren etc does it inevitably end up with you letting them know you free hand sharpen?

Only if asked, or if it comes up, as with threads on woodwork forums.

 

[TRITON]

A woodworker in a small workshop or on site would rely extensively on hand sharpening

Oh i see,its now a 'small workshop' woodworker.

You certainly didn't imply that in your previous post Jacob.

 

[D_W]

A small shop worker would've had a large coarse sandstone, rectangular far larger than a benchstone.

 

[Craig22]

Viceroy sharpening centers have been on the go for probably 3 times that,

I've kept out of posting to this long and winding thread, so I thought I'd go back a bit. At school in the 60's and early 70's we had a woodworking room with benches and Record vices, and a lathe with a big sanding disc on the end. A metalworking room with lathes, pillar drill, forge etc. And between the two a wood and metal store, and an area for sand casting, brazing and welding. In a state school in the NE of the UK. Back in the day when kids were actually taught practical stuff, and how to use dangerous tools and methods safely.

Anyway, the woodworking teacher, Mr Rand, had to deal with the sort of abused tools that schoolkids could produce with nicked edges on planes and chisels. So at the end of the shop was a Viceroy. And that had a set of sharpening jigs for various tools. So Rand would quickly set it up, shove in an abused blade, set it going and go and have a coffee. Repeat as necessary. I can't remember him ever using a strop or any secondary sharpening steps (probably not necessary for us young oiks), although he might have done so for his own work.

 

[Adam W.]

I wondered what it was, so went looking. It's a beast.....

Interesting gouge setup with that cone.

 

[Jacob]

Oh i see,its now a 'small workshop' woodworker.

You certainly didn't imply that in your previous post Jacob.

Nit picking! To put it another way - I'd say that ALL woodworkers everywhere, until relatively recently, were quite capable of and well used to freehand sharpening. With or without the aid of a grindstone.
It does seem to be something which people want to write out of history!

 

[hlvd]

I wondered what it was, so went looking. It's a beast.....

Interesting gouge setup with that cone.

View attachment 125324

There was one in our Woodworking workshop at school and the machine room at Technical College. The stones were quite coarse though and used only to grind out any damage before sharpening on an oilstone, maybe other grades were available.

 

[Cabinetman]

Yes I couldn’t place it for a second but we had one at the school where I first taught, I wouldn’t say I ever walked away for a coffee and left it running though lol. I can still smell the cutting fluid even now. Depends on the stone obviously but we always sharpened on an oil stone afterwards, the grinding marks were quite pronounced. Ian

 

[Jacob]

There was one in our Woodworking workshop at school and the machine room at Technical College. The stones were quite coarse though and used only to grind out any damage before sharpening on an oilstone, maybe other grades were available.

We didn't have one but there was a bench grindstone for the metal workers which woodworkers were totally banned from using - mainly because it's the quickest way for a beginner to damage and over heat a blade, and making look as though nibbled by rats

 

[hlvd]

Yes I couldn’t place it for a second but we had one at the school where I first taught, I wouldn’t say I ever walked away for a coffee and left it running though lol. I can still smell the cutting fluid even now. Depends on the stone obviously but we always sharpened on an oil stone afterwards, the grinding marks were quite pronounced. Ian

It definitely wasn’t something you could leave to do whilst having a coffee. You’re right, the smell was very distinct.

 

[hlvd]

We didn't have one but there was a bench grindstone for the metal workers which woodworkers were totally banned from using - mainly because it's the quickest way for a beginner to damage and over heat a blade

I bought a set of four Marples Shatterproof handled bevel edged chisels when I was 16, and later on a bench grinder. I blued each one trying to grind them back

 

[Adam W.]

Not as much as Tormek users bang on about it!
People ask questions. Do you think we should just shut up about it and pretend that it is difficult/impossible? It does seem to worry people!

I dunno, I think the Tormek is pretty slow to be honest. Alright for touching up the turning tools if done regularly though.

If I've got a real bad edge, I get the angle grinder out and strap it to a tressle outside. Sharp in a jiffy™.

 

[Jacob]

I dunno, I think the Tormek is pretty slow to be honest. Alright for touching up the turning tools if done regularly though.

I'd didn't like to say it ( I've never used one) but a lot of people say Tormek is very slow!

If I've got a real bad edge, I get the angle grinder out and strap it to a tressle outside. Sharp in a jiffy™.

Bin there dunnit often! Does a neater job than a small grindstone as it has a larger flatter surface to grind on.