Sharpening chisels - which grit
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ps.harris80
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If you are just sharpening a dull blade then they make a diamond coated. Belt that does a good job for general carpentry
If you edges have been damaged and metal needs removing then some of the low grit belts may be needed, just to remove the damage before finishing the edge with the diamond belt.
You may also want to add an extra high grit Waterstone or ceramic for the final honing.
If you edges have been damaged and metal needs removing then some of the low grit belts may be needed, just to remove the damage before finishing the edge with the diamond belt.
You may also want to add an extra high grit Waterstone or ceramic for the final honing.
I'm sure sorby offers an assortment of grits so that you can finish right off of a fine belt or a loaded (honing compound) belt.
what's not clear here is if you're talking about lathe gouges or woodworking chisels. If it's the former, you bar can be lower (doesn't have to be - a very sharp skew chisel for lathe work is heavenly).
if you're talking about woodworking chisels then it's just a matter of how fine the edge needs to be for you to either have no perceptible burr or have a burr that you can easily remove.
typically for bench work it's the neighborhood (with a stone) of 8000 grit waterstone, relatively fine oilstone (something relatively hard) or 1 micron diamonds if you're using diamond (which can be a real treat).
if you're new at this, work through some kind of reasonably fine belt around 25 degrees on the proedge, get a very clean edge, and increase the edge to just above 30 and work just the very tip of the edge with something very fine. If this has to be a leather belt in the pro edge made for compound, that's fine. A stone is also fine.
if it's lathe tools, let us know if we're off base and what tools you're talking about and what you turn. The answer will be different if you want to master a skew for fine work vs. turning dirty root balls for more rustic work. Nothing wrong with the latter, just different tools and a different approach.
what's not clear here is if you're talking about lathe gouges or woodworking chisels. If it's the former, you bar can be lower (doesn't have to be - a very sharp skew chisel for lathe work is heavenly).
if you're talking about woodworking chisels then it's just a matter of how fine the edge needs to be for you to either have no perceptible burr or have a burr that you can easily remove.
typically for bench work it's the neighborhood (with a stone) of 8000 grit waterstone, relatively fine oilstone (something relatively hard) or 1 micron diamonds if you're using diamond (which can be a real treat).
if you're new at this, work through some kind of reasonably fine belt around 25 degrees on the proedge, get a very clean edge, and increase the edge to just above 30 and work just the very tip of the edge with something very fine. If this has to be a leather belt in the pro edge made for compound, that's fine. A stone is also fine.
if it's lathe tools, let us know if we're off base and what tools you're talking about and what you turn. The answer will be different if you want to master a skew for fine work vs. turning dirty root balls for more rustic work. Nothing wrong with the latter, just different tools and a different approach.
At the moment for wood turning chisels I am just going up to 240 grit, I was wondering if investing in a 600 grit belt would make a significant difference to how well it cuts.
Generally I find sharpening with 240 gives a good sharp chisel, however sometimes on harder woods or where ther is knots I wish it was sharper.
there is a 3000 grit belt in the draw but not sure there is any benifit going from 240 to 3000 in one go.
Generally I find sharpening with 240 gives a good sharp chisel, however sometimes on harder woods or where ther is knots I wish it was sharper.
there is a 3000 grit belt in the draw but not sure there is any benifit going from 240 to 3000 in one go.
For chisels making finish cuts, you will gain something to finish to about 1k grit and then get rid of the burr either with a fine stone or with compound (a buffer, a fine belt, etc). It'll improve life a little and get better bite in really hard stuff (gombeira comes to mind for me - handles - katalox, too - they are smooth turning woods, but it feels like they have something in them pushing back on the chisel a little).
I wouldn't do too many steps. let's say you use the 240, then hit the bevel side of the gouge with something like a 1k grit diamond hone or an india stone and then just lightly hit it with a buffer and cut/color compound (five microns). you'll be shocked how sharp things will be.
Going through a progression of belts is cumbersome.
I wouldn't do too many steps. let's say you use the 240, then hit the bevel side of the gouge with something like a 1k grit diamond hone or an india stone and then just lightly hit it with a buffer and cut/color compound (five microns). you'll be shocked how sharp things will be.
Going through a progression of belts is cumbersome.
Paul Hannaby
Established Member
For turning tools, forget all the hype about finer grits and honing, just sharpen with something between 60-120 grit and go! Sharpening finer will give you a sharper edge (briefly!) but you will have to resharpen sooner. Using the coarser grit will give you an edge that will last much longer.
Phil Pascoe
Established Member
Turning tools are very rarely honed.
Richard_C
Established Member
As the question is posted in this forum I assume the subject is wooodturning tools.
I'm with the "keep it simple" posts. For a couple of years I have used a very old grinder with an 80 grit ruby wheel, recently I have gone with a sorby-like approach. Not wanting to pay more for a sorby system than I did for my lathe I put a zirconium belt on 4 inch belt/disc sander and developed my own collection of jigs. The 120 belt is fine, and I would be driven to distraction if I had to change belts a lot. I think an 80 would be fine as well but I can go back to the grinder if I need to do serious reshaping.
I mostly turn british hardwoods, exotics might be different. Assuming that most people will use abrasives to finish, I'm not sure what a "sharper" tool would add.
I have found 3 simple things improved my sharpening no end. First was location - I rearranged my workspace so the sharpening is very close by, I just have to turn around from the lathe. In an earlier arrangement I had to walk across the garage - not far but you fall into 'it will do' as you work. Now it takes a moment to put a fresh edge on a tool with hardly a pause and I normally do that for finishing cuts. Second was a lightbulb moment - literally. I replaced 2 old fluorescents with 2 similar sized but much miore efficient LED tubes - seeing what you are doing when you sharpen and turn helps a lot. The third invoved 4 bricks - under the legs of the small bench that I sharpen on, no more leaning over and a much better view of what I am doing.
The perfect solution might be sorby+diamond belt, but for what I do a 120 zirconium belt and frequent quick touch ups does well enough.
I'm with the "keep it simple" posts. For a couple of years I have used a very old grinder with an 80 grit ruby wheel, recently I have gone with a sorby-like approach. Not wanting to pay more for a sorby system than I did for my lathe I put a zirconium belt on 4 inch belt/disc sander and developed my own collection of jigs. The 120 belt is fine, and I would be driven to distraction if I had to change belts a lot. I think an 80 would be fine as well but I can go back to the grinder if I need to do serious reshaping.
I mostly turn british hardwoods, exotics might be different. Assuming that most people will use abrasives to finish, I'm not sure what a "sharper" tool would add.
I have found 3 simple things improved my sharpening no end. First was location - I rearranged my workspace so the sharpening is very close by, I just have to turn around from the lathe. In an earlier arrangement I had to walk across the garage - not far but you fall into 'it will do' as you work. Now it takes a moment to put a fresh edge on a tool with hardly a pause and I normally do that for finishing cuts. Second was a lightbulb moment - literally. I replaced 2 old fluorescents with 2 similar sized but much miore efficient LED tubes - seeing what you are doing when you sharpen and turn helps a lot. The third invoved 4 bricks - under the legs of the small bench that I sharpen on, no more leaning over and a much better view of what I am doing.
The perfect solution might be sorby+diamond belt, but for what I do a 120 zirconium belt and frequent quick touch ups does well enough.
Thanks for all the replies, mostly confirms what I was thinking. I have 60 and 120 grit which are great for reprofiling a cutting edge, then when I'm turning I have a 240g on the sharpener and just keep giving the chisel a tickle when I come to a difficul or extra hard bit. I was wondering if a 600g instead of the 240 would be worthwhile but thinking now t might be a waste.
As mentioned above, I too normally finish off with abrasives so I don't really need the chisel itsel to create a better finish - but just wondered if it would make the cut easier.
As mentioned above, I too normally finish off with abrasives so I don't really need the chisel itsel to create a better finish - but just wondered if it would make the cut easier.
ps.harris80
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The OP didn't mention turning tools in his OP, so thought he was talking normal chisels when I answered
Phil Pascoe
Established Member
It was posted under Woodturning - lathes.
For something like a skew, if the edge is finely honed, you can avoid much sanding. I typically use one grit when turning and enjoying not sanding the life out of pieces.
I realize fine honing isn't regular practice, though.
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