How do you guy’s sharpen and flatten the back of your chisels and planeirons ?
I use waterstones but have a big time flattening them as they quickly become hollow or some sort of un-falt. I find that you actually need to flatten them after each iron/chisel.
I wonder if abrasive sheet on glass can give the same fine edge. Can you use a honing guide with this method or will the back and forward motion of the irons simply cut up the abrasive sheet ??
How about Norton Diamond Stones ?
Please share your experience and knowledge!
Ole
…. I Love the smell of sawdust in the morning….
Edited 7/10/2003 8:54:34 AM ET by ORH
Replies
>>I wonder if abrasive sheet on glass can give the same fine edge.
Yup. See http://www.shavings.net/SCARY.HTM and "Sharpening Beveled Blades with Abrasive Sheets" at http://www.woodcentral.com/bparticles/bpindex2.shtml.
/jvs
Hello ORH, I use water stones also but only for the final passes. I had and old stereo cabinet with glass doors, the glass is about 1/4" x 12" x 36". I got 6 different grit belt sander belts and used a spray adhesive to glue them to the glass. (80, 100, 120, 180, 220, 320). I use a honing guide and make about 10 - 15 passes on each grit, sometimes starting at 120 depending on how bad the edge is. The final passes are on a 1000-6000 grit combo stone and final passes on a 10,000 grit.
The guide does not wearout or rip up the belts. With this method I get very sharp tools and can sharpen a chisel or plane iron in about 5 minutes.
Hi all,
Mike wrote:
<< [.. snip ..] With this method I get very sharp tools and can sharpen a chisel or plane iron in about 5 minutes. >>
I have been using the "scary sharp system" (abrasive sheets mounted on glass) for a while. It is fabulous (especially when using zirconia and/or ceramic sheets!!!), BUT you are NOT going to put an optical-quality *polish* on the back of anything in 5 minutes, which, if I am not mistaken, was the original question (not necessarily how to achieve an optical-quality polish per se, but how to treat the back of a cutting tool).
You mention using waterstones for the final passes- I find that they -- the Norton water stones in grits 4000 and 8000 -- are out of flat before I end the polishing effort on any blade(!) ... this "little bugaboo" has pretty much put a stop to my using them. Harumph. What is your secret (*IF* you use them to flatten the backs of your plane irons/chisels as opposed to merely using them for sharpening the bevel)?
Btw- just a plug for Bridge City Tools; I just got their new chisel plane, a "blemmed" block plane and blemmed chamfer plane, and all of the blades have a TOTAL mirror finish on the entire back surface. Egads ... talk about labor overhead!
-Peter T.
You are correct, on it taking more than 5 minutes to flatten the backs, that takes quit a while, but once this is done you very seldom have to do this again. I was just talking about the bevel taking 5 minutes. In the orignal post he was asking about sharping also, as he refered to using a honing guide.
I do use my stones for flattening the backs, and did have to re-flatten them after doing the backs. But for the sharping I can do a whole set of chisels (6) without having to dress the stones again. With most of the work being done on the sandpaper the final passes on the stones do not wear them that bad. We are the people our parents warned us about. J. Buffett
Thanks for the reply !
jvs - great links, good reading.
Mike - you use belt sander belts. I know you find all different kinds of abrasive materials, backing, bonding etc. Some better suited for metalwork like sharpening than others. Do you just use your regular belts used for woodworking ??
Good thing you can use a honing guide with no problems, actually thought chisels would rip the abrasive sheets moving across it.
At Museum of Woodworking Tools I saw some abrasive sheets selected for it's ability to sharpen chisels and planes, found here: http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=toolshop&Product_Code=ST-MAF.XX&Category_Code=THS Anyone tried them out or have any comments ?
Ole
.... I Love the smell of sawdust in the morning....
They are regular belt sanding belts for wood, but I try and get aluminum oxide, it tends to cut faster on metal. Most of the time I hit the cutout bins at hadrware stores or check at Big Lots/Odd Lots and just buy the lowest cost belts I can find. Any size will work. Just split them on the seam and use a spray glue to attach then to the glass.We are the people our parents warned us about. J. Buffett
One more vote for Scary Sharp and the Veritas guide. I have a glass shelf with full sheets of 60, 100 & 150 paper on one side for heavy work. The other side has 1/4 sheets of SCWD 180, 220, 320, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, & 2000. If I'm dilligent and don't let the tool get too dull I just jump in at 800 for a quick rehone. 1500 and 2000 are used for microbevels. Initially I take the back of the iron or chisel to 2000 and get what I consdier to be a mirror finish. I never touch it again except to wipe off the wire edge on the backs with the 2000. BTW I get the finer grits of 3M paper at an industrial abrasives supplier. I've also heard of others getting then at auto paint suppliers too. John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking
Life is tough. It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne
John,
I've been rethinking this sharpening issue and would like your opinion. I use the sand paper on either glass or the TS. I use all the grits you use except maybe the 320. I was happy with it until I went into buy a hock blade for an e-bay acquisition and replace the severly chipped Stanley blade. In 5 minutes the old timer took my Stanley blade and gave me back a sharpened blade that far surpasses the out of the box hock.
I think, and your post eludes to this, the secret is the blade the old timer gave me back was perfectly flat....as well as sharp. I suspect achieving flatness on the back of the blade and solid contact with the frog is more important than even the sharpness of the blade. I could be wrong?
After my experience I'm thinking it may make sense to have my blades professionally sharpened a coupla times a year...and just do the honing more frequently at home. Maybe I should set up some leather and paste or perhaps a leather wheel on the grinder...and hit the blade lightly each time it's used. What do you think?
In my opinion, no out-of-the-box blade is going to be very sharp. They just can't invest the time to personally hone each one. Even with Lie-Nielsen tools (I say "even" because I guess their customers are among the post picky) I figure on spending 20 minutes getting a mirror finish on the back and creating a 2000 grit micro-bevel. In terms of sharpening a basic chisel or plane blade, I don't think there's anything an expert can do that you can't do by using a honing jig. Maybe it will take you an extra three mintues to put the blade in the jig, but that's about it.
Mark,
I don't use the Veritas honing jig, I use the cheapy that I got from WW Warehouse. When I'm doing the back of the blade, of course, no jig is used...and there is no good way that I am aware of knowing that the back is truly flat. On the bevel side, I suspect, with uneven pressure more unflatness can be created.
But my real question...are we doing too much sharpening and too little honing?
BG
Agree with Mark... The Hock will hold the edge longer after it has been trued, sharpened and honed; but I would think all blades out of the box need to be gone over. I did read a poster that stated the LN on a plane he bought was ready out of the box, but I would venture to take a guess that most aren't.
sarge..jt
Sarge,
I don't disagree with you or Mark that the hock or any other blade is not at its prime out of the box....wow, what a confusing sentance...but you know what I'm trying to say.
I'm just tired of setting up all the grits ..and the mess...and the hours...and getting suboptimal results. Maybe, just maybe, paying a professional $7 bucks is worh it?
BG, if you can learn how to sharpen, either using a guide or jig, or freehand as I do, you'll find that sharpening is not the pain in the arse that you perceive. There's no need to send off your tools to get the mysterious perfect edge. Sharpening is really a quite simple thing-- you get the edge to a point, and that's it-- if you can see the edge, it's blunt. Sharpening occurs several times a day when a plane is in serious use, so sending out a blade is really a non-starter.
It does require that you get the back flat side truly flat up to a point, and create (usually) a microbevel on the other side. The back side of a blade doesn't need to reflect your image all along its length, and in a plane it only requires that the cap iron makes full contact near the cutting edge. On a chisel, again, only the front leading edge needs to be flat-- you can always lift the handle a bit to make a paring operation successful if the whole of the back of the blade is not perfect. It's not 1,000'ths of an inch precision stuff.
Frankly, it's my opinion that there is a load of tosh and twaddle talked about sharpening, and there's seldom a need for mirror bright anything. I'm not a fan of bits of sandpaper on glass, probably because in my early days of training it was just a means of getting out of a hole when you screwed up and forgot to take your oilstone with you to the on-site job-- how a second rate sharpening method ever became the current in-vogue thing for sharpening, I have no idea-- all that lifting sandpaper, worn out grits and dubbed off corners just doesn't do the business as far as I'm concerned.
Anyway, for most work I whack the blade over an 800 grit ceramic stone and go back to work-- an oil carborundum stone works just as well, and so does one of those Japanese water things, and, at a push, a smooth concrete step will do too, ha, ha. Slainte. Website
Welcome Back,
Alright, I'll do it...(sigh) ..buy a stone, whack away...
tomorrow morning I head up early to the flea market and see what's available in used stones...
If you pick up a severely dished used stone in your searches later, BG, whether it be a Japanese water stone, or a carborundum stone, a flat breeze block (US cinder block) can be remarkably efficient at flattening the horror that you've picked up for $5.
On the other hand, if a tool shop is nearby, $20 or so invested in a new flat stone is not a bad buy. I truly implore that you take the time to learn how to sharpen your tools. It really isn't a mysterious process-- it just takes a bit of practise, and if guides help, use them.
Thanks for the welcome back. Do I have permission to be as snotty and as obnoxious as ever now that I've returned to infest this forum with my own particular brand of bile, ha, ha? There really is too much made of sharpening-- it's an essential skill, and we all have to learn it to be woodworkers. As an old fart said to me, "If ye cannae shairpen yer tools, sonny, ye'll never be a bloody woodworker," or something like that-- there were more swear words involved, ha, ha. Slainte,<p href="http://r-gjones.laof.home.att.net/" Website
Sgian,
There was nothing up at the flea market...the only stones I found were in my sneakers. However, I did pick up a coupla old jorgensen 12" wood/metal thread wood clamps for $10..not to bad....Woodcraft sells each for about $25.
Up here the only sharpening stone you can get for $20 bucks is a tongue depressor where some diamonds once sat...maybe they're good for scary finger nails?
I did stop by woodcraft and pick up a Norton waterstone 220/1000...it had a chip on one corner so 10% off...
Anyhow, I'm off on yet another learning curve...whoopie!
With regard to Snotty....we do have certain expectations of you. Returning to the old sod and reacquainting oneself with the home fires and values, one would expect a better person upon their return. On the other hand, we are talking stones...and it's hard to imagine you'd give up the opportunity to break a few....lol (witty huh?)
BG
I could not add anything to what Sgain said. I use a Japanese green stone (very course, about 200 grit) to flatten the other stones an a nagura to flatten it. I have used a mesh screen on a sheet of glass. I have seen the concrete block (cinder) Sgain mentioned used. The nice part about it is you can use it for a jon-boat anchor when not flattening stones. ha..ha..
I have an Arkansas black stone that was given as a gift in 1972. I won't pull it out of the box as they are extremely hard to come by. I have pretty much dwindled down my other Arkansas's. That's what I learned on.
I am going to try the sandpaper to see what the the "huff" is all about. Just to know I was there and got the tee shirt.
sarge..jt
Sarge,
You make me buy stuff...you know what I mean ..so I gotta becareful when i read your posts....lol. I saw a couple of black Arkansas stones at Woodcrafter....surgical finish...expensive. Please if you use yours...don't tell me how wonderful it is... Ya know, you can only do so many learning curves before your going around in circles.....lol
BG
As long as you stay witty while going in circles, you'll be good to go. ha..ha..
The black Arkansas sources have dwindled and good stones are hard to find. The water-stones work well, just a little messy and have to be flattened often as you use them. I have not personally tried the diamond or ceramics. You might try this link to compare prices. http://www.highlandhardware.com
They carry the Japanese King stones which are made in Japan. Any accessory concerning those are carried also. I'm heading there in about 30 minutes to pick up some green rouge for the leather strop. Might have a gander at those Starrett combo squares also. I will take the Starrett and match it with some others they have that are cheaper. Take a feeler gauge an check to see how bad the cheapo's are. If I find one under .001, guess what I will do... ha..ha..
Just a though on that sandpaper. I set it up on a 12" x 36" tempered plate glass. Got the adhesive backed rolls 6" wide from Klingspors an placed them side by side. An efficeint production line in essence. I suppose less expensive non-adhesive would work with 3M spray adhesive.
Keep in mind, once you flatten the back of your irons an chisels, they're done. One timer. Then the bevels are the concern an don't take that long. The chisel backs only need to be flat for a inch or so as Sgain mentioned, as no occassion arises that I am aware they will be perfectly flat on the stock. Once you stub them down over the years to that point, you can flatten the next inch. I micro-bevel as it's easier to touch up the point. The point is what makes contact.
Consider Leonard Lee's book on sharpening. I am not that keen on books, but it is excellent. Understanding Wood an The Jewitt books on finishing are also note-worthy, IMO.
sarge..jt
Sarge,
I did a little price comparasion...think I'm gonna be sick...
Okay, mine was/is a Norton....but for the same grit..250/1000 ..Highland $15 about, Norton/Woodcrafter $35. The first thing I read on the back of the Norton package was.."this stone is part of the three stone set"...ie. its got brothers and sisters that want to be fed also...well, I got news for Norton..their ain't nothing I do that requires 8000 grit..
Having a good day in the basement..taking a break while the glue sets up...
see ya
BG
Sometimes it pays to shop. I have always thought WoodCfraters was a wee bit over red-line. There are several WW sources here in Atlanta, so one competitor has to stay in line with another.
While I was at Highland, I took a $239 Starrett machinist square and checked out a set they have just got that is stated to be within .00063 square on the inside and outside. I could not distinquish the difference. I could not come close to getting a .001 feeler gauge between them an I saw no light. They can be bought separate or they have a little deal with a 2", 4" an a 6" in a wooden lined case. I jumped on the combo case for $36. I soppose it's not Starrett, but this ole boy can't see well enough to detect a difference an that's good enough for my penny-pinching needs. ha..ha..
sarge..jt
BG
Have you used a water-stone before? You will need to keep them sub-merged in water in a tuper-ware bowl. They make a clamp to hold your stone over the water tray while your working. About $12. An they make a special tray to hold the clamp. Another $50. ha..ha..
Get a tuper-ware tray to work over. I cut an inside hold in a piece of plexi-glass for the stone holder to sit on. I cut the piece of plexi's outside edges to just fit the top of the tuper-ware work tray. Saves a lot of coins an mess. I do sit all this down on a cheap plastic cutting board to keep splash off the work-bench, etc.
BTW, don't store these water-stones either sub-merged or un-submerged where they will freeze in winter. You'll be replacing them if you do. An, don't ever open the sub-merged stones while your wife is around. If she sees the murk inside, you won't be allowed back up-stairs till she personally knows you were dis-infected. ha..ha..
sarge..jt
Sarge,
I did steal one of her tupperware things....now I'm gonna have to stealth around until I can buy my own....her listening devices are far superior than anything lockheed has produced....she can hear that tupperware pop from the shower....
I did go down to the shop last night,take the waterstone and attempted to apply the information in the link Eddie had provided on hand sharpening. It appeared to be working quite well....until..the red streaks started showing up. I have a perfectly honed index finger, gotta be careful when I scratch. Perhaps the one inch Sorby was not the best to start with, heavy handle and wide blade, I was pushing down fairly hard with half the finger tip on the stone and the other half on the flat side of the chisel...however, it does remove material fast...I can attest to that.
PS. Woodcrafter has that same set of squares..from India....on sale a couple of weeks ago for $31....currently at $36...almost bought. I'm currently trying to look at shoulder planes....Japan=$30, LN= ouch!
BG
I removed the rust-resistant coating last nite. I was skeptical before I ask one of the Highland folks to go get the $239 Starrett from the locked cases. We tested it inside an outside with several people looking on. None of us were able to detect a deviation from square. You can buy them individually, BTW.
I consider it a real find after I filed off any indication they were made in India. You let the cat out of the bag. I'll be nice to cows from this point forward. Never know, it might be my ex mother-in-law. ha..ha..
sarge..jt
Sarge, I think I have one of those squares, picked up at the WWing show last fall. Didn't have a Starrett to check it out with, though it seems to be on-target.
I feel the same way about the $20 digital calipers I bought last time I was at Harbor Freight. They don't have the smoothest action in the world, but they are very accurate and consistent and have really improved my shop work!! I also picked up a little brass caliper made in India for $3 or $4, same results. Lee Valley has a similar one, made in Germany, for $9. I suppose if I had seen that one before, I might have held out, but the Indian one does fine.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Jamie
The brand name is Groz, an I never heard of it. But I am impressed with how accurate it seems to be. The way they have it pinned, it won't move unless it took a major lick. I bought the set of 3 ( 2" 4" 6") an checked all three with the Starrett while I had the opportunity. Right on it appears an I'm impressed.
I do have the WW dial calipers set up in 1/64". Love them. I need a set of good dividers, as with a lot of things with teen-agers around; seem to have come up missing. You know like magnifying glasses. ha..ha..
BTW, just sent you an e, when you get to it.
Regards to the almost former senorita, an future senora...
sarge..jt
Sarge, did you use my jrae4 address? Haven't gotten your message yet.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Jamie
Just finished sending. Off today an headed to shop till 5- ish or so. Look now as it should appear. It's magic!! ha..
sarge..jt
jamie
I forgot you did some changes. Have you moved the new e address to the forum yet? If not, it won't go as I did use the e-mail thing at the bottom of the post. Let me know if that is the case an will re-enter later today.
sarge..jt
Hi BG,
I'm trained to sharpen freehand. Bored at work one day and trawling through the web I came across this, which shows step by step how to sharpen freehand - there are a few minor differences between this method and the way I was trained, but essentially this is it. (multiple pages - just follow them through)
With regards to a plane blade being perfectly flat to mate with the frog, I don't subscribe to this. As Richard said, you only need about the first 3/32 of the plane blade flat (just enough to ensure that the backing iron/chip breaker makes total contact and doesn't leave a gap for the shavings to get through.)
The blade will flex when the cap iron is tightened, but it will flex a lot more when you tighten the lever cap. So the blade only ever makes line contact with the frog anyhow.
The sharpness of the blade is the most important thing. A chatter free blade is also important, but not to th same extent as sharpness (very sharp blades won't chatter if the shaving is thin enough.)
Cheers,
eddie
Edited 7/13/2003 4:50:12 PM ET by eddie (aust)
sddie,
Thanks for that link, I'll pour over the details several times and maybe something will sink in.... I knows its an important skill and less than perfect is better than doing nothing.
I was struck by Richard's statement and now yours about the chip breaker...on my #7 the flex is just about worn out and I often get chips in there. I tried to bend it a little in a vise but I was to chicken to give it a good whollop..for fear one side would bend more than the other. I do keep my cap iron fairly tight..so maybe that helps.
Eddie---
A couple questions about this---
1. Isn't it much faster to sharpen using a microbevel than abrading the entire bevel?
2. Isn't it much easier to get a consistent microbevel using a honing jig like the Veritas?
3. If so, why sharpen anything freehand?
These are questions, not editorial comments. The only satisfactory answer I can think of is that if you hollow grind the bevel, the "microbevel" is sort of produced automatically even honing freehand. I keep going back and forth between trying to sharpen by hand and using a jig.
Hi Mark/BG,
In answer to Mark's questions, it's quicker to hone freehand and to hone a secondary bevel and then if you wish, a microbevel (tertiary bevel that's only about 5 strokes of an arkansas stone - very minute).
With practice, it's just as easy to get a consistent bevel freehand - honing guides make the answer more precise (eg 26 vs 26.5 degrees - don't ask me what I hone to 'cause I've never measured it) and absolutely uniform, but the freehand hone is accurate enough providing that you hold the blade at a constant angle to the stone.
(I hollow grind my primary bevel on a 6" bench grinder and then regrind when the secondary bevel is about 1mm or so)
I carry my tools around between jobs, so I'd rather keep weight to a minimum - the main reason for learning to sharpen freehand is that it's quick and easy, and plenty accurate enough. Oh - - - and you can't sharpen a gouge with a honing guide.
Cheers,
eddie
edit: BG - the chip breaker's mild steel - bend away, refile a flat face with a mill file and then blunten the leading edge with the mill file also - rehone chipbreaker (important) to get a flat contact face and you should be OK
Edited 7/13/2003 7:12:21 PM ET by eddie (aust)
Eddie,
I have nothing to add to the discussion but reading posts from very experienced sharpeners like you and Richard and others, I get the feeling that I have always been too compulsive about it - you know, spend 10 minutes getting the blade exactly square in a honing jig, do exactly 30 strokes on 400 grit before moving to exactly 30 strokes on 600 grit, etc. I feel like I've probably spent more time sharpening than I needed to, or at least more time going through a lot of very patterned rigamarole, thus developing an aversion to it.
This afternoon I was messing around with an HNT Gordon block plane from a maker in Aust. - unlike about 99 percent of the other block planes I've seen, the iron on this block plane is designed to be used with the bevel side down, like a bench plane's iron. I had never gotten it to work well before. I decided to just sharpen it freehand with the first material I could find at hand, following Richard's earlier suggestion. The material happened to be a piece of MDF saturated with diamond paste, from previous usage.
To make a long story short, I spent about 4-5 minutes honing it freehand, got the blade set for a very, very light cut, and guess what? For the first time the tool came to life. I see now that this block plane is kind of like a finishing block plane - somethjing to use to achieve a finished surface that requires little, if any, sanding. It is not designed for aggressive cuts, or trimming much at a time - not designed, for instance, for trimming joints, like my standard block planes are.
So the moral of the story - there's hope for us all, I guess. Have you seen students that achieved better results sharpening when they relaxed and weren't so dogmatic and compulsive about it?
Ed
Ed
You just stepped over a thres-hold. I can relate exactly to what you posted as years ago I experienced the very same thing. I did it exactly by the numbers an it was a pain. I lightened up and the results were not only faster, but as the confidence built just as good if not better.
sarge..jt
Thanks, Sarge,
I feel like I kind of put myself on report, though, because I'm looking at the box for that little plane and it clearly says that it is a "palm smoothing plane," not a block plane. Previously, I always just thought of it as a block plane that I couldn't get to work right because I couldn't get the blade sharpened and adjusted correctly.
It's great when a tool comes to life and the lightbulb goes on in your brain. I definitely will be able to use this little plane for a lot of finish work.
The sharpening - yeah I think I've always been way too worried about going through the grits in lockstep and not missing one.
Hi Ed,
I've seen this happen with others (including me when I trained)
I'm teaching high school kids now and the last one that I let touch the oilstone sharpened a chisel to a beautiful knife edge, that is, sharpened to a 'V'.
Purely from a time point of view, I do all the sharpening now - if the kids want to experiment then I get them to bring in Dad's chisels (or mum's on one occasion) and I show them how to sharpen on their own tools - I find they're a lot more careful about it. Dad or Mum can then pick them up from the front office when they're sharp (Can't allow kids to run around with sharp knives in their bags - aside from being illegal I'd also hate to see them cut themselves)
Cheers,
eddie
I forgot to say two things Ed,
First thing is that the HNT Gordon planes have my support - I carry around the palm smoother as my block plane - very good planes and very well made.
As well, Richard was probably out chasing women and getting drunk while I was still in short pants.
He's at the level of skill and knowledge where he would have trained the teachers at technical college. - ie: two steps above me in level of skill (probably even more, if the truth be known.)
Richard's comments are brief (usually) and accurate, even I take what I say with a grain of salt sometimes.
I'd sat that we're, as a group, pretty fortunate to know Richard. Take this as pishing in your pocket or no', RJ - calling the shots the way I see them.
Cheers,
eddie
Edited 7/13/2003 9:28:47 PM ET by eddie (aust)
eddie
Have to agree on the old nod to RJ. I would not know what a Euro short fence is without him. Not only do I know at this point, I made one an wouldn't be without it mounted on the long fence.
As I see it, what ROS sanders have done to sanding, the short fence has done to ripping with the exception of when I cut wide panels. It's been around, we just don't see it here in the U.S.
Evening...
sarge..jt
Every time the subject of sharpening comes up, I get the urge to post this sad old thing, ha, ha. The tongue was firmly planted in my cheek at the time of writing the semi- fiction. Slainte.
A Lesson in Sharpening.
A perennial subject in woodworking magazines is that of sharpening techniques. No other furniture making topic seems to generate so many words, resulting in the publication of innumerable articles detailing ‘infallible’ or ‘sure fire’ methods of doing the job.
Naturally, the subject is of great interest because blunt tools aren't much use. The opening preamble to many of these articles often cause a wry smile for they bring back memories of my early training as a cabinetmaker. Many authors make valid points about those that struggle at it, and possess a workshop full of dull tools. Conversely, it is often said that those that can do the job tend to be fanatical about grits, slurries and bevel angles. My experience is that there are really only two types of people when it comes to sharpening.
1. Those that can’t.
2. Those that can.
In the first group, those that can't, you'll sometimes see every sharpening system known to man arrayed around their workshop gathering dust. They have oilstones, water stones, ceramic stones, diamond stones, guides, dods of sandpaper, jigs, etc.. Every hand tool they own is chipped, dull and mostly useless.
In the second group, those that can, I haven’t observed much fanaticism about slurries, grits and bevel angles. In all the workshops I’ve worked in the only concern is to get the job done. It’s a case of, “Plane’s blunt, better sharpen it.” Dig out the stone, sharpen the blade, shove it back in the plane, and get on with it. The equipment is minimal. A grinder, a stone and lubricant, along with a few slips for gouges and the like.
Going back to the early seventies when I trained, learning how to sharpen tools was undertaken within the first few days. I don’t recall precisely the order of my instruction, but it went something like this. I was handed a plane by the cabinetmaker I was assigned to and told, “Git that piece o’ wood square.” I didn’t know why, but I’d done a bit of woodworking at school, so I had a vague idea how to go about it. I fooled around with that piece of wood for twenty or thirty minutes, and got it something like. All this under the watchful eye of the crusty old guy and his ever present roll-up hanging out of the corner of his mouth.
“Okay, I’ve done that.” I said, “Now what do you want me to do?”
I was told to hang about for a minute whilst he picked up his square and straight edge and proceeded to scrutinise my handiwork, followed by a non-committal grunt and some desultory foot sweeping of the plentiful shavings on the floor. (The wood was probably only about seventy five per cent of its original volume!)
“Now sonny, let’s do the next job,” he announced. “Pull that jack plane ye’ve bin usin’ apairt and let’s have a look at the iron.” I did.
“Hold the iron up so’s ye can see the cuttin' edge,” he instructed. (He was a Scot.) Again I did as I was told.
“Now, can ye see it? Can ye see the ‘line o’ light’ at the shairp end there?” he wheezed, followed by tapping out the line of ash at the end of his smoke with a horny yellowed forefinger into the shavings on the floor and a bit of rheumy eyed foot squishing of the offending potential conflagration. He was referring to the shiny reflection visible on all blunt tools.
“Aye,” I said, after a little eye narrowing, and other pretence of intelligence.
“How shairp does it look to you boy?” he enquired.
I thought about this for a moment or two, seeking the right response to my tormentor, for I hadn't really got a clue of what he was talking about, and finally replied rather hopefully and a bit brightly, “Pretty shairp, I’d say.”
He laughed out loud, and hacked up a bit of phlegm. “Dinnae be the daft bloody laddie with me son. If ye can see it, it’s blunt. I could ride that bloody iron bare-ersed to London and back and no cut ma’sel’. Git o’er here an’ I’ll show ye something.”
You can probably guess. Out came the oilstone from his toolbox, and quick as a flash the iron was whisking up and down the stone, flipped over, the wire edge removed, and finally stropped backwards and forwards on the palm of the hand. You could shave with it. I know, because he demonstrated how sharp it was by slicing a few hairs off his forearm. On went the cap iron and this little lot was popped back in the plane, followed by a bit of squinting along the sole from the front whilst the lever and knob were fiddled with and that was it. He took a few shavings off a piece of wood and it went back in his toolbox. It took, oh,…......a few minutes.
“Now son, that’s a shairp plane. It’s nae bloody use to me blunt. Ye may as well sling a soddin’ blunt yin in the bucket fur'all the use it is to me.” He explained with great refinement. “I’ve aboot ten mair o’ them in that box, an’ they’re all blunt. I know they are, because ah’ve bin savin ‘em for yuh. There’s a bunch a chisels too. Let’s get ye started.”
For what felt like forever I sharpened his tools, and things gradually got better. After a while he stopped telling me what a "completely bliddy daft stupit wee git" I was, and a bit later he started offering grudging approval. I had to sharpen some more than once because he kept on using and blunting them. When I’d done the lot we stopped and surveyed the days work.
“Aye, no too bad fer a daft laddie's fust effort,” he commented darkly, sucking hard on his smoke and hawking one up a bit, “I think ye’ve goat the makin’s o’ a cabinetmaker. Time will tell. Remember this, yer nae a bliddy cabinetmaker if ye cannae shairpen yer f-ckin' tools. Lesson over. Dinnae ferget it!” I haven't.
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Edited 7/14/2003 1:22:39 AM ET by Sgian Dubh
Sgian,
I just love those kinda stories. I grew up in a neighboorhood where there were a lot of guys with thick hands...and character was what it was all about.
thanks
Sgain
I've read that story several times an I always re-read it. It keeps me re-minded we don't have an apprentice-ship here. One day we just decide to go Wood-Working an we jump on the middle step usually. We don't know where to go back an catch the first step or move on to higher steps. Only as we get older an hopefully wiser, do we realize how important those first steps were. This is my opinion only of course. It applies to my experiences an may not to anyone else. I am happy to accept those short-comings personally. I now am in a position an have the time to back-track an add the corner-stones that should have been intially laid down with the original foundation.
Thanks for the morning lesson. I have to go build a face-frame for my American utility micro-wave table. Sweep up and do a bit of sharpening as I finally wore a 3/8" Sorby corner moticing chisel down to close to the handle. Bought a new one yesterday an hopefully will get another 26 years out of it..
Be back for another cup of coffee an the afternoon lesson... ha..ha..
sarge..jt
eddie
Thanks for the point of the entire back side of a plane iron doesn't have to be entirely flat. I missed that point in Richard's post. I gave this some thought, an common sense rules. I knew it about chisel backs as I only do about an inch or 1 1/2". This will save considerable time.
sarge..jt
Try to perfect the "figure eight method" when using the waterstones. I rarely resurface my waterstones and it is easy with a peice of 100 grit sand paper laid on top of my table saw. Dry the stone first. I always keep my stones in a Tupperware container, submerged in water. Always ready for use and it helps in making a good/quick slurry for sharpening.
The figure eight motion might reduce hollowing the stone, but I can't see how it is possible to do the eight figure when using a honing guide ?? For the back of the blade perhaps, but not for the sharpening and honing. I don't trust my own ability to keep a steady bevel edge going freehand !! With the Veritas honing guide - a really good honing guide - I get good results
.... I Love the smell of sawdust in the morning....
Edited 7/11/2003 2:29:37 AM ET by ORH
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