Sharpening

[SammyQ]

Drives me nuts with these best sharpening methods, what is their real life experience. I don't use any jigs when sharpening chisels or planner blades. Ok , if i'm a few degrees off I don't mind. When on a job site and I have a dull chisel or iron or whatever I sharpen it on an electric belt sander! Lets get real with reality. Hell I have even used a flat stone ie. rock. Sorry in advance to you purists. Do you actually make a living doing wood work?

Well said Sir!!!

 

[Noel]

As jigs go the one in the video is about as simple as it gets, I could see people using it regularly to refresh chisels as it's so easy to use with no clamping or set up needed, it's practically freehand.

Mike Farrington the guy selling it makes some nice stuff and has a decent Youtube channel, I like his style of presentation and must admit I am slightly jealous of his well kitted out aircraft hanger size workshop.

https://www.youtube.com/c/MikeFarrington

Yep, been watching him for years, rubbish taste in music at times : ) but a good woodworker and presenter.
Jig or jigless, not sure it really matters.

 

[johnnyb]

"I could ride it bare arsed to London and back without a nick" had me roaring. Reminds me of laurel and Hardy in busy bodies testing iron sharpness by twanging(complete with sound effect) then gluing the brush yo ollies face and shaving it of withe the twanged iron.

 

[Jacob]

I thought his jig was a very neat solution to a non-existent problem.

 

[Doug B]

I thought what a great way to to only wear the edge of an expensive water stone

 

[johnnyb]

The other line that gets me is when ollies got his hands stuck in the sash window, Stan carefully considers a blueprint on the bench and carefully taps the window. Ollie asks what he's doing. Stan says I'm looking at the blueprint to try and free up the window. Ollie exclaims" but that's a blueprint of the boulder dam!"

 

[johnnyb]

What there doing with a blueprint of the boulder dam isn't addressed.

 

[Trafalgar]

"frantic borlocks" Filing this one away.

Things can certainly get worse -- when the sharpening wonks become tool steel wonks too. We've seen that movie.

 

[duke]

I use a veritas honing jig. Honestly, I would be lost without it.

I have bought in a couple of used hamd planes over the last 12 months and it's obvious the blades have been 'hand sharpened'. When I say obvious, I mean they come in with an edge shaped like sand dunes. All over the place.

My OCD can't cope with it. The redwood 2x4 I tested the edge on couldn't cope with it. And my rheumatoid arthritis in my thumbs can't cope with it.

Using the veritas means (with a little work over a few days...but here...bit there), I end up with a 25° primary bevel and a '30°' secondary bevel that is perfect every time. No problems with waving edges my brain keeps me awake with overnight. No problems with whisper fine shavings. Less problems with my thumbs (climbing related not work related).

I have a plane iron in the guide now on my work bench. I started getting it back to how it should be last weekend. My thumbs were not happy about it after a bit, so I just put it to one side and can pick it up as and when I want to and it is still exactly where it should be to carry on.

Horses for courses I guess.

I like the sharpening aids from veritas. Wish I had one.

 

[duke]

I use a veritas honing jig. Honestly, I would be lost without it.

I have bought in a couple of used hamd planes over the last 12 months and it's obvious the blades have been 'hand sharpened'. When I say obvious, I mean they come in with an edge shaped like sand dunes. All over the place.

My OCD can't cope with it. The redwood 2x4 I tested the edge on couldn't cope with it. And my rheumatoid arthritis in my thumbs can't cope with it.

Using the veritas means (with a little work over a few days...but here...bit there), I end up with a 25° primary bevel and a '30°' secondary bevel that is perfect every time. No problems with waving edges my brain keeps me awake with overnight. No problems with whisper fine shavings. Less problems with my thumbs (climbing related not work related).

I have a plane iron in the guide now on my work bench. I started getting it back to how it should be last weekend. My thumbs were not happy about it after a bit, so I just put it to one side and can pick it up as and when I want to and it is still exactly where it should be to carry on.

Horses for courses I guess.

Yesterday was a rant of frustration, honing guides are great if it works for you. When I saw the plastic thingy in the vid, well I lost it. Which I very rarely do. No offence intended.

 

[duke]

@duke
Please moderate your use of language.
Thanks.

Noticed you removed a few colourful words.

 

[duke]

No. I don't make money from woodwork. Not in the sense joiners, cabinet makers etc make money.

I built a fence for a mate...he asked how much...I didn't want his money (he's a mate). He went out and bought me a makita leaf blower. Not something I would have ever considered buying myself but so glad he got it for me.

I've made tons of nest boxes. Sold a few to get the money back on materials so I could then donate some to the local nature reserve.

I'm a primary school teacher by trade. Science is my 'specialism'. So woodworking is a hobby that has helpful benefits from time to time. For example, I built a second shed over this summer for storage (built the first one a couple.of years ago). I got a much better shed than I would have had I bought one off the shelf.

I didn't realise a prerequisite of being able to call yourself a woodworker (of any kind) was to be able to sharpen by hand...and make money.

Nice shed.

 

[duke]

It’s a topic that has been done to death on here and other forums.

Using a jig is neither right or wrong. If you find it useful to use one use one. If you are comfortable sharpening without one don’t.

The same applies to the choice of oilstone, waterstone, diamond plate or sharpening paper etc. Pick one and provided it works for you it’s okay.

There’s no need to get wound up about it.

I was wound up not now. Usually I ignore this sharpening dialog but I couldn't resist my inner demons.

 

[Jacob]

......

I didn't realise a prerequisite of being able to call yourself a woodworker (of any kind) was to be able to sharpen by hand...and make money.

Sharpening by hand would certainly help with making money. It's faster, easier, and involves a tiny expenditure on kit which lasts for life. Longer in fact - most stones are second hand.
Also highly portable if away from the workshop.
But stick to your hobbyist methods if it gives you pleasure!

 

[wiley198]

Sharpening by hand would certainly help with making money. It's faster, easier, and involves a tiny expenditure on kit which lasts for life. Longer in fact - most stones are second hand.
Also highly portable if away from the workshop.
But stick to your hobbyist methods if it gives you pleasure!

The kit I use is highly portable (?).

I am very happy with how I do things here. I do it for pleasure because I don't have to do it for money. No rush, no stress (in fact it is my stress relief to be honest). And it's a great hobby

 

[Jacob]

The kit I use is highly portable (?).

On site - a double sided oil-stone and a small tin of oil.

I am very happy with how I do things here. I do it for pleasure because I don't have to do it for money. No rush, no stress (in fact it is my stress relief to be honest). And it's a great hobby

Stick with it, no worries!

 

[JSW]

On site - a double sided oil-stone and a small tin of oil.

Agreed. It's all you need on site. I worked on house-bashing, lab work, barn renovations, pub re-fits .. spent a few years purely fitting int & ext doors, mostly hardwood when those were the craze, brazilian mahogany needed sharp tools! Loads of different types of work, never needed anything else. Bench work I'd say take a step up to diamond plates as a minimum, but you could manage with a double-sided oil stone at a pinch.

It's just technique, once the muscle memory kicks in and you can offer the blade to the stone at the right angle, consistently, then you're away.

 

[Mel769]

I do honesty have a sensible question about sharpening; I wont be able to respond tonight thou as going out ! The question is this : I have 3 ezelap diamond stones, the same as Paul Sellers, coarse, fine, and extra fine. Although my plane irons are sharp they dont often end up so sharp I can easily take hairs off the arm. Is there an additional step I can take after the extra fine plate ? I do already strop with a cheapo strop & green oxide stuff (bought from ebay for about £7). The stropping does shine it up a bit and I expect remove the burr but still could be sharper I expect. I was thinking an Arkansas stone perhaps, the Ezelap extra fine stone is 1200 I think. Also I dont want to use water stones, or the glue on paper. Any suggestions appreciated thanks

 

[Adam W.]

I've come in from the wilderness to eat some sharpening popcorn.

 

[Jacob]

.... Bench work I'd say take a step up to diamond plates as a minimum, but you could manage with a double-sided oil stone at a pinch.

Next step is finer oil stone followed by a strop. e.g. natural stone such as Arkansas, UK variants, or fine grade of Norton India. Many other options. As used by generations of brilliant and not so brilliant woodworkers with no problem at all, for 100s of years.
I really do not understand why sharpening became so difficult - sometime in the 1980s I guess.