Should I bin my old stanley chisels and buy softer steel chisels

[MorrisWoodman12]

@gettingold just a thought for what it's worth. Presumably your grandad has previously sharpened the chisels so the angle may be slightly, or more, out. If you are using a guide (I know many eschew a guide) set to the correct angle then the fine stones you're using may not be working on the edge. Try putting some magic marker on the surface you're grinding away to see where metal is being removed. BTW the angle is not set in stone so should you need to just adjust it a small amount so you are working on the edge. As others have said grind until you work up a wire edge, turn the chisel over and a couple of quick wipes over the stone to pull the wire out flat, turn over and repeat until the wire detaches. Move onto the finer stone and repeat. That's sharp enough. Don't need any of this scary sharp rubbish (OMG I'm almost agreeing with Jacob) unless you're into my tool is sharper than yours.
Please let us all know how you're getting on.
Martin

 

[Jacob]

......I know many eschew a guide.....

Not so much "eschewed" i.e. deliberately avoided, it's just that it's much easier without a jig, once you've got it.

 

[pidgeonpost]

Not so much "eschewed" i.e. deliberately avoided, it's just that it's much easier without a jig, once you've got it.

Ah, but it's the 'once you've got it' bit that's easier to come by for some than it is for others! Although I promise myself that I'll 'get it' if I try hard enough for long enough I still fall back on my old Eclipse jig from time to time.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

1. Old Stanley chisel steel isn't super hard, it's made to even be sharpened with normal oilstones.
2. A diamond plate can harden ANY steel, including the very hardest.
3. 1000 grit is rather fine. I use diamond stones, I start with something like 300 until I raise a burr, then 1000 to get it smooth and finally a strop to polish it. You cant start at 1000 unless the edge is already close to being sharp. If you're restoring old chisels you'll want to start with rough stones ir even a grinding wheel.

... sharpen ANY steel ... ?

 

[Diver Fred]

I have my grandads old stanley chisels with plastic handles but I cannot get them sharp with a 1000 / 1200 diamond stone so I'm thinking of buying chisels with a softer steel so can someone recommend a brand to buy. If I do buy chisels with softer steel should I buy waterstones to sharpen them because you never see anyone on youtube with expensive chisels using diamond stones.

As others has said the quality of these is superior to present day English chisels.

Do purchase a new stone/diamond plate of 200 or 400 grit or even one of the multi grit sharpening blocks and a Horning guide.

Then follow

Once you have completed the grind (the first 25° angle) on the coarse stone to get an almost complete face to the cutting edge* then change to the honing angle (30°) on a finer stone and then 'raise the wire' (burr) on the back; then hone the 'wire' off by pressing the blade back flat to the stone - use a figure of 8 motion. If you raise the blade back away from the stone you will not get an accurate sharp cut.
*The only time you should need to grind completely to the cutting edge is when the cutting edge is not square to the sides of the tool.

 

[AJBaker]

... sharpen ANY steel ... ?

You're right, I meant to say "sharpen".

As far as I know, a diamond plate is harder than any tool steel and can theoretically sharpen any type of steel.
I haven't tested it myself, but as far as I'm aware you can even sharpen carbide bits with diamond plates.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

You can.

 

[Eshmiel]

Not so much "eschewed" i.e. deliberately avoided, it's just that it's much easier without a jig, once you've got it.

That much easier to produce a multi-faceted bevel, certainly.

 

[johnnyb]

Has the op posted again?

 

[Eshmiel]

As far as I know, a diamond plate is harder than any tool steel and can theoretically sharpen any type of steel.
I haven't tested it myself, but as far as I'm aware you can even sharpen carbide bits with diamond plates.

Quite right. One sharpens router bits and other TCT items with diamond. However ....

It's not easy to find a genuinely effective very fine diamond sharpening plate. I have a DMT 10,000 grit plate which will sharpen beyond the 1200 plate but not as well as will low micron 3M "papers" on glass, of similar "grit". Also, many diamond plates of the less expensive kind have very poor control of the grit size; and of its stickiness to the plate; and of both the cutting and wear rate (from inferior shapes/types of diamond dust).

A good quality rough grit (320 or 400) can shift metal quickly, though, even by hand.

They're expensive an' all. 3M "papers" on float glass is very inexpensive, easy to manage and very effective.

 

[Bingy man]

Like others have said - it depends what condition they are in -if in good condition but blunt wether your using a guide or doing it freehand ( I use a jig ) then a few strokes should bring the edge back - again as others have said you have to keep going untill you can feel the burr on the edge of your chisel before proceeding to a finer grade . On the other hand if they are badly damaged, chipped Rounded over etc then they will likely need to be brought back with a grinder of one type or another . There maybe a local company near you that can do this at a small cost per chisel. If you are completely new to woodworking then it can take a few attempts to get it right . Finally a brand new set of chisels will likely need honing to bring them upto a decent cutting standard ..

 

[Jameshow]

As others has said the quality of these is superior to present day English chisels.

Do purchase a new stone/diamond plate or even one of the multi grit sharpening blocks and a Horning guide.

Then follow

Once you have completed the grind (the first 25° angle) to get an almost complete face to the cutting edge* then change to the honing angle (30°) and then 'raise the wire' (burr) on the back; then hone the 'wire' off by pressing the blade back flat to the stone - use a figure of 8 motion. If you raise the blade back away from the stone you will not get an accurate sharp cut.
*The only time you should need to grind completely to the cutting edge is when the cutting edge is not square to the sides of the tool.

Wow your playing dangerously close you the dragon Jacobs lair!!!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Why do people insist on peeing around with papers, oilstones, diamond plates, water stones et al with tools that should be ground/needed grinding in the first place? That's not what any of them are for.