When to sharpen

[studders]

Sorry folks but
a) the endless struggle with honing jigs is worthy of comment
b) people really are too sensitive
c) it's only bloody woodwork!

Yes to a.
Yes to b.
No to c.

Mr G, once again you overlook the idea that for some it isn't just about the Woodwork. Most of us are hobby, unlike yerself, so time is not really an issue, doing what we enjoy is.
Some of us enjoy the process of getting 'the perfect edge' (yes I know there's no such thing really...... or is there??? )
Call us weird if you like, but why not just accept it and leave us to it?

 

[PeterBassett]

And back to being reasonable again. Ah, that's better.

I'll fully agree that once you have learned to sharpen without a jig, it'll be a faster process which as a consequence you'll do more often, thus keeping your tools sharper.

However, it only takes 30 seconds to get the jig set up, and away you go. From that point in you are pretty much guaranteed a perfect result.

For me, as a rank amateur, with not too much time to devote to this hobby the 30 seconds are well spent. They do add up, yes, but at least I know I'll have a usable edge which isn't going to ruin a work piece that has taken me a few hours to prepare.

Once I am confident with the tools and know what they *should* produce, then freehand sharpening becomes something used to speed up work further.

Jigs are just like automatic gearboxes. They help you skip a few levels of difficulty in order to learn a skill. They give you one less thing to worry about. You'll be faster if you do it manually, but you don't have to.

Pete

 

[Alf]

The Eclipse is 'finger pressure critical' though

It is. Where the difficulty arises is that some of us see that as an advantage rather than a drawback.

 

[Loz_S]

By pure chance I was just thinking of you a moment ago, Jake.

"herd opinion"

If I were of a sensitive nature I might consider that to be equally:

Arrogant, condescending, patronizing etc etc etc. ...

...

I'm going to let it rise and not escalate anything by insulting you in response.

How very considerate of you. Unwarranted insults can lower one's standing. A gentleman and a scholar you must be.

 

[woodbloke]

The Eclipse is 'finger pressure critical' though

It is. Where the difficulty arises is that some of us see that as an advantage rather than a drawback.

Your'e right Alf, it is an advantage in most circumstances, particularly if you're after that nicely curved camber on a blade...not too hard too achieve. But after a while, without due care and attention, I found the camber itself was becoming skewed, which meant the mouth on the plane in use gradually got wider...and wider :x - Rob

 

[Jake]

A gentleman and a scholar you must be.

Thanks, it's appreciated.

 

[SBJ]

Arrogant, condescending, patronizing etc etc etc. ...

Isn't that the reason he was banned in the first place...?

I'm sure one of his many sycophants will be along in a moment to chide anyone who criticizes ...

Was that aimed at me in reference to this post -

Thanks for this. How do I wipe my ar$e?

Do you have an inbuilt reaction to behave like an ***** whenever Mr Grim posts? It seems like it to me.

If it was I don't think I'd be as graciuos as Jake has been.

 

[woodbloke]

Folks...I can sense the Phillyfingers hovering over the 'lock' button, can we please get back on track? - Rob

 

[Jake]

Which is actually when to sharpen, not how.

I'll admit to being lazy/bad at this, I always leave it too long. At the risk of tipping back into the jig vortex, I do find that simplicity helps, I manage to actually sharpen in practice more often free hand even if the results aren't as precise.

Slightly worse if I'm in seeking jig precision from the Veritas mk1, and worse still with the mk2 (in fact, I rarely can be bothered to use it except for the odd skewed thing).

This is all entirely stupid and counterproductive of course, and I must do better.

 

[Loz_S]

Arrogant, condescending, patronizing etc etc etc. ...

Isn't that the reason he was banned in the first place...?

I'm sure one of his many sycophants will be along in a moment to chide anyone who criticizes ...

Was that aimed at me in reference to this post -...

Aimed at you? Er, no. I was pretty sure that only one of Jacob's 'friends' would have responded to my original post. (Is this question even for me?)

If it was I don't think I'd be as graciuos as Jake has been.

Jake? Gracious? Doesn't anyone understand irony anymore.

 

[Jake]

Jake? Gracious?

Come now, stop belabouring me with your handbag and let's move on. Rob's comment was very sensible.

 

[EdK]

I left it too long recently to sharpen a chisel (LN one) and the edge broke down faster than I thought it would ... which means now I have to grind it then sharpen it... Ho hum - was in a rush to get something done and knew that it needed sharpening but sometimes am inpatient

Agree with the knowing when to sharpen (but ignoring the signs anyway). Lesson learnt.. perhaps.

As for how, I use a Veritas guide and get on with it well - whatever you choose I don't think it matters just stick to it and it becomes your style. You will get good at whatever you choose and if you feel that it lacks something then choose a different one. I freehand some blades (RI mortice chisels / Veritas scrub etc) with ok results but they are acceptable to me - mostly I stick to the Veritas guide (mk2 I think).

Thanks
Ed

 

[lurker]

Are you like this in real life? :shock:

I'd be deeply dissappointed if he isn't :lol:

 

[promhandicam]

. . .But after a while, without due care and attention, I found the camber itself was becoming skewed, which meant the mouth on the plane in use gradually got wider...and wider :x - Rob

So have you given up with the tormek as well as your eclipse? :?

Going back to Jacobs 'tip', at the end of the day however you choose to sharpen you ought to have a method that you feel comfortable with and which takes the minimum of time to get a good sharp edge. If sharpening is too time consuming the tendency will be to put off doing it at which point it will entail a lot more work and effort to get the edge sharp again. I have to say that I still see sharpening as a chore and don't do it as often as I should to maintain a sharp edge.

Steve

 

[mr grimsdale]

Are you like this in real life? :shock:

I'd be deeply dissappointed if he isn't :lol:

I'm an absolute ****! :lol:

 

[Paul Chapman]

I'm an absolute ******! :lol:

Six letters :-k Does that begin with 't' and end with 'r' :lol:

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[studders]

Tranny ?

 

[mr grimsdale]

It had 4 letters when I posted it!

Re arrogance - it's more over-enthusiasm. I get exasperated at the endless jig struggling over simple things like straight edges, when there is a simple and easy freehand way of doing it.
Re sharpening as a chore or a pleasure - it was a chore for me, it is now a pleasure - I keep running out of things to sharpen. Even bigger pleasure is using the tools of course.
It's part of a wider theme i.e. the avoidance of hand & eye skill tasks. This shows in the emphasis on jigs, special cutters, 'better' tools and other forms of dependancy.
This thread was about when not how - but others turn it into how because they have problems. I'm just offering a particular solution - which is a well established method as used for generations but now mysteriously forgotten.

 

[mr grimsdale]

PS praps the thing to do would be to have an out-and-out hand sharpening thread for all those that do it, or want to do it. No need to mention jigs at all and could be completely ignored by the massed ranks of jig-fiddlers.

 

[bugbear]

PS praps the thing to do would be to have an out-and-out hand sharpening thread for all those that do it, or want to do it. No need to mention jigs at all and could be completely ignored by the massed ranks of jig-fiddlers.

As long as (in return) you promise not to obsessively evangelise bodged sharpening by hand when people discuss jig sharpening.

BugBear