Sharpening

[Jeff]

OK forget about Tormek etc. I have used the scarey sharp method on a 20 quid Stanley from B&Q and a 6quid out of the local cheapie shop. Must say the 6 quid one works better than the Stanley but thats besides the point. What are your methods for sharpening plane and chisel blades. I'm still abit of a butcher when it comes to the timber. :lol:

 

[Gill]

Hi Jeff

I've got a Tormek too and it's great, especially when sharpening profiles (and kitchen knives :? ). However, I'm also a fan of scary sharp too, especially for flat irons, chisels and so on.

I've got a nice little block plane that I picked up in a local discount store for £2. It was the usual cheap "made in China" brand but I thought it'd give me some practice at fettling planes. By the end of the day, that cast iron beauty was taking whisper thin shavings off end grain .

Incidentally, I'd been having problems with a food mincer that pulped instead of mincing. Two days ago I ground down the extrusion discs and chopping blade in about 5 minutes using scary sharp and now it works superbly! I just mention it in passing should anyone need to score brownie points with "'Er Indoors" :wink: .

Yours

Gill

 

[Midnight]

I learned years ago that I canna "eyeball" much less maintain the correct angles for sharpening, so I use the Veritas honing guide. Used it initially on a cheapo twin grit oil stone. Then I read Charlesworth's books and began to undersand how to make the improvements necessary to the blades i.e. flattening the back etc.
Thesedays I've switched to IceBear waterstones. The quality of my stock preparation has come on leaps and bounds since adopting them.

 

[Alf]

From coarsest to finest I go; medium wheel in hand grinder, blue/red DMT, unidentified natural oilstone and strop for chisels when I can be bothered. For general day-to-day edge care, I'm currently using the oilstone. For big sharpening tasks and irons that have to stay square i.e. shoulder plane, I will bother to set up the honing guides (Eclipse type for most things, Stanley for short blades that the other one can't hold) but for a mid-task hone I tend to go freehand. I believe the Veritas is very good, but having spent all that dough on the various stones I've economised on the honing guides!

I tried Scary Sharp TM. I found it a bit finicky (all those grits), expensive in the long term (all those grits) and wasn't wild about sheets of glass skulling about the concrete-floored workshop. I still use the very coarse grit (aluminium zirconia) for serious back flattening, but that's it. Still, lots of people swear by it, and that's fine. Not for me though. I found the waterstones too messy too, and all that flattening they need? Urgh. So I reverted to old-fashioned ways and use a 50p oil stone. If only I'd got to that stage at the beginning I could have saved a fortune! Never mind, whatever results in an edge is the right way really, isn't it?

Cheers, Alf

 

[gidon]

I've pretty much settled (well for a bit) on using 180 grit wet and dry on a bit of glass - using half a sheet of paper (this paper lasts quite some time and can be re-used). Then I move to a 1000 grit waterstone, then a 6000 grit King waterstone. I start on the backs, then the primary bevel (sometimes leave it there) and then withdraw the blade 1/8" for a microbevel if need be. The waterstones can be flattened on the already set-up wet and dry (the 6000 doesn't need much flattening and the 1000 only needs a bit). I would quite like to get a extra course diamond stone for the course grinding and flattening of the waterstones as recommended by Pop Woodworking - but have spent enough recently and using the wet and dry is pretty straightforward. This is a simple method and pretty cheap - and I get a very sharp edge in not too long with minm fuss.
Oh yes - use the Eclipse honing guide too - don't trust my hands alone.
Cheers
Gidon

 

[trevtheturner]

I managed to convince my wife that a Tormek was absolutely essential for my workshop, as well as extolling its virtues for sharpening the blunt kitchen knives (I spent a while letting them get good and blunt!) and, lo & behold, a Tormek turned up on my last birthday.

For the first time I now have properly sharp chisels and plane irons and can guarantee that they are ground square and exactly at the required angles - and I have found the system most inexpensive, although I did have to sharpen the kitchen knives! The Tormek has increased the pleasure I get from using my hand tools and my standard of work is much improved.

Cheers. Trev.

 

[Digit]

As I have just joined perhaps an intro would be a good idea. I use the name Digit as a sick joke, I've lost one!
I'm an ex-pro woody from the aircraft industry and now a retired amateur busy erecting a larger workshop.
Sharpening!
Over the years I think I've used every system known to humankind, from diamond stones to the front door step! Recently our local tip became your friendly recycling centre, and a marvelous source of tools and materials, and I have just aquired a hand powered wet stone with a 200mm soft greyish coloured stone that beats them all.
Being slow it gives those of us whose eye sight isn't all that it was time to see what you are doing, unfortunately there is no name on it anywhere but I suspect the stone will see me out anyway.