Sharpening for beginners

[Bingy man]

Crazy , insane , madness - how many ways are there to cut a piece of wood at 90deg ??? Handsaws - western snd Japanese, table saw , bandsaw , mitre saw , radial arm saw , track saw , router, circular saw, jig saw etc etc , they will all achieve the end goal of making that cut . Given the type of wood and dimensions however we might prefer one tool over the others and again we might have our own preference and reasons for our choice . As competent wood workers we make our own choices . When a newcomer asks the question “ what tool for this job ?? “. we all reply to the question with the tool or machine that we would use because that’s how we do it . That’s how we all learn and we then pass that method onto anyone else who asks the szme question. Now a lot of methods and techniques have been passed down from previous generations sometimes over hundreds/ or even thousands of years . Trouble is nobody taught me the correct technique to sharpen blades so my freehand method was dog and as such I have no clue or confidence in this method. So I CHOSE to use a jig as I have neither the time or the inclination to learn another method when everyone has their own way of doing it - I get razor sharp edges on all my tools , I sharpen a chisel as soon as I can after I’ve used it , occasionally I might end up with several that need doing so I’m happy to do this . My set up is simple , efficient and more importantly consistent. I don’t have a tormek but I keep my chisels and blade irons in good condition so never have to put them to the grinder unless I hit a nail or hard knot . Think I’ll start a thread on what car or van do you drive and why — actually on 2nd thoughts. …..

 

[thetyreman]

I mostly do it freehand, but with narrow chisels, cabinet scraper blades and spokeshaves I use a honing guide, I think the key to it is actually learning to enjoy the process and if you don't get it just right don't sweat it, just try again, eventually you will get it right, I like to use end grain to test things on because it requires very sharp blades, only a truly razor sharp edge will easily cut end grain and give you ultra thin shavings, you also need to get used to knowing and feeling when the tools need re-sharpening, this is something that cannot be taught easily, it's an intuition thing based on experience.

 

[BC'er]

It's probably been said already, but perhaps the main advantage of the long, single bevel method of sharpening chisels is that the bevel is stable enough by virtue of its size to act as its own guide in effect, when correct pressure is maintained and rocking of the tool and stone is avoided.

The other essential is a truly flat stone and this is easy to maintain with water stones as they are relatively soft and can be lapped against each other or a diamond plate to maintain flatness. I have two of the red Japanese stones and the four faces that provides is one more than the three surfaces required for effective lapping to a true flat. With one of the 8000 grit(?) yellow stones that combination will produce a mirror finish on any steel.

It's debatable I suppose whether the old single-steel chisels are hard enough at the edge to support that long and thin a bevel.

Inaccurate or inconsistent sharpening involves the removal of a lot more metal and generally takes longer as well.

The Makita rotary wet grinder was pretty good, but could make a mess quickly with splash off the stones if not well screened, and lapping the wheels is necessary periodically. Overall rather fiddly to use.

The plane shown is about 9 inches wide.

 

[Peter907]

I just had to post again to give you all a laugh. I said I'd ordered a canvas roll bag to put my now super sharp chisels in. Well it came and I've put them all in. Only when I went to roll it up did I realise that two of them had gone straight through the back of the canvas like it was butter . Result!!!

 

[Katomi woodsmith]

Get out the gaffa tape
On a serious note. Wood turning, I had to learn the feel of the tools and when to stop and sharpen.

 

[Jacob]

........Now a lot of methods and techniques have been passed down from previous generations sometimes over hundreds/ or even thousands of years . Trouble is nobody taught me the correct technique to sharpen blades so my freehand method was dog ........

I'm not after "correctness", I'm lazy and just looking for easiest.
I'm fairly confident that easiest and with least kit is going to be "traditional" in that trad work in general is as simple and practical as possible.
Also old tools seem to turn up with rounded bevels as per above, just as often as showing a rough ground bevel where the user had access to a wheel.
Just been making marmalade! Massive amount of slicing orange peel involved, which means having a sharp knife.
Slice a bit followed by a few strokes of the steel. Slice a bit more and a few more strokes. Slowly the knife gets sharper, which is good because it means it will probably get sharper still if I just keep repeating the operation, a little and often.
Also it's a little leisurely break, as it is with sharpening woodwork tools.
So by the end of an hours slicing it's going really well and the knife is sharper than it's ever been since this time last year!
Similarly, at end of a woodwork session your tools should be just as sharp as they were at the start, if not better!
Useful marmalade tip - avoid chopping, gently slice using whole length of blade so you are getting the benefit of your sharpening. It's quicker, neater and easier.

 

[Fred48]

I just had to post again to give you all a laugh. I said I'd ordered a canvas roll bag to put my now super sharp chisels in. Well it came and I've put them all in. Only when I went to roll it up did I realise that two of them had gone straight through the back of the canvas like it was butter . Result