JZens

Hmm, let's see if I get this. We're not sure it's a safe-enough technique to put into print....but it's safe enough to post on the same magazine's web site. Really? After the table saw verdict?

Note to photo editor: Review text for Step 4 paying close attention to the "tip" near the end. Then take a close look at the photo next to Step 4's text.

Here's another hint for crosscut sleds. Attach the front (workpiece) fence to the base with carriage bolts, washers and nuts, installed from the bottom through oversized holes. That way if your fence ever needs adjusting, you have easy access to do so.

Finally, treat the sled like a precision tool. It cannot be left to bang around on the floor!

When a woodworker - a craftsman - starts to consider a CNC for his shop, it's time to ask "What's the point?"

Years ago, furniture was made by hand, by skilled craftsmen, here in the United States. Slowly but surely, the skilled craftsman was replaced by an hourly employee who performed a few of the operations necessary to complete the piece, and then it moved down the assembly line to the next employee who completed it a little more.

Fast forward a little farther in time and robots were doing the jobs of the employees. Now the robots are in China (or the hourly employees there are making a dollar a day) - and we ship our timber overseas to have it milled or sliced into 1/128" veneers, glued to a substrate, and returned to us at Ikea. A few years later, the furniture is at the curb.

In my view - one shared by very few, I suspect - you might as well oursource the creation of the parts as purchase the CNC machine. In either case, the product will probably come to you from overseas.

For myself, I'll head out to the shop in the morning, sharpen a chisel or plane iron, and do the work with my hands. Sure, I'll use a band saw or a jointer when that makes sense. But they merely get me back to the bench a little quicker, where I can use my eyes and my hands. And yes, my heart.

For me, anyway, that's the whole point of it.

Sorry I've taken this long to get back to you!

Yes, you can still burn the steel grinding by hand! It will happen more slowly, but if you aren't careful you'll see that little bit of blue, especially as you finish the grind and the edge and corners are at their thinnest.

Eliminating this disaster is also easy if you follow a few common-sense suggestions. Number one, go easy with the grinding pressure. You don't need to push the tool into the wheel in order to remove steel. Let the abrasive wheel do its job. Number two, use a white abrasive wheel, which tends to grind a little cooler. Finally, when you grind keep a finger or two on the steel just behind the edge. If you look at the bottom photo on this post:

http://jszcbf.wordpress.com/2010/04/08/grinding-by-hand-the-old-fashioned-way/

you will notice my left index finger in that position. This hand position accomplishes two goals: it keeps the tool flat on the rest, and allows you to detect heat buildup in the steel. If you feel the tool heating up, stop for a minute or two and let the tool cool off. I tend not to quench tools in water because the rest and jig are made from wood. Just let them cool a bit and you'll be fine.

Hope this helps....happy grinding!

Add my name to the list!

I'll throw my hat in the ring, so to speak...I'd love to add the book to my library!

No question that cranking and grinding at the same time takes a little practice. AI do use a small wooden guide with that grinder to help keep the tool square to the wheel, so that helps. And I have other grinders, as well, each of which has a power cord. But this one is quiet, it works just fast enough that I'm not so worried about bluing the steel, and it gives a nice hollow, using a 6" wheel.

I know I wasn't born with any hidden talent in this area and I struggled with it for a while. If I can learn to d this, anyone can.

As a professional woodworker and a frequent tool sharpening instructor at Gary Rogowski's Northwest Woodworking Studio in Portland, OR., I'd like to offer a personal observation or two.

I think Mr. Christiana might have an easier time controlling the chisel while flattening the back if both hands were down on the steel. No need to grab the handle, since no work is being done down on that end of the tool, Concentrate all the effort down on the steel.

Second, a bench hook might be a better choice to hold the stone still during honing.

Finally, sharpening can be done every bit as accurately without the jig. While I think jigs might be useful for a beginner, it really isn't hard to learn honing free-hand. It is faster (no setup) less expensive (no jig) and the tool is no less sharp when honing is complete. After grinding that nice hollow, Mr. Christiana has everything necessary for accurate, jig-free honing built in to the chisel already!

For a more complete discussion of freehand honing, I have a series of posts on my blog (http://jszcbf.wordpress.com) that walk woodworkers through the process.

As with so many other aspects of woodworking, none of us are born knowing how to sharpen. It takes patience and a bit of practice. Mr. Christiana is absolutely correct in his introductory remarks: sharpening is an essential skill, and our woodworking lives change for the better once we develop the skills.

Some of my favorite furniture designs. This book would be a great addition to any library!