Replies

1. 
   jako17 | Dec 27, 2005 09:52pm | #1

     Depends what you grind and and wether the colour suits the decor in the shop.  ;-)

           Seriously though I find that white stones are good for most tool steels, but for HSS lathe gouges, a bit to soft. The pink ones don't erode so fast and cool cutting is less critical on HSS

1. 
   billa1 | Dec 27, 2005 10:21pm | #2

   I expect for the most part I will be sharpening chisels, planes, and maybe give the kitchen knives a try.

1. 
   John_D | Dec 28, 2005 12:26am | #3

   There are two excellent books on sharpening I'd recommend.  One is "The Complete Guide To Sharpening" by Leonard Lee.  The other is "Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Sharpening" by Tom Lie-Nielsen.

   I also got a lot out of an excellent video by David Charlesworth, "Hand Tool Techniques Part 1: Sharpening".  I got it from Highland Hardware, and you can get it direct from Lie-Nielsen as well.

   There are many different ways to approach sharpening.  Not all involve grinders, and before you plunk down $$ for things that don't give you a complete solution, you might find it useful to get some detailed info and choose an approach.

   Have fun!My goal is for my work to outlast me.  Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.

2. 
   Dunwright | Jan 01, 2006 12:43am | #5

   I would urge you not to take the kitchen knives to a grinder. A much better result can be had using the round, ceramic rods that mount in a "V" pattern, into a wooden base.For the ultimate knife sharpening approach, take a look at the Spyderco sharpener set. It comes with two black and two white triangular rods. Starting with the black rods, you can easily reproduce a factory edge; as good as when the knife was new. Progressing to the white rods will sharpen the knife to scalpel class. With their system, you can also sharpen scissors.I have had the set for 25 years, use it regularly, and it shows little wear.
   http://www.spyderco.com (perhaps)Arlington, Texas (The dash in Dallas-Fort Worth)
   Practice...'till you can do it right the first time.

1. 
   John_D | Jan 01, 2006 01:59am | #6

   Dunwright, you're talking about their Tri-Angle Sharpmaker, here.My goal is for my work to outlast me.  Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.

2. 
   billa1 | Jan 01, 2006 02:09am | #7

   Thanks. I will take a look.

   Bill

2. 
   mike4244 | Dec 30, 2005 01:34am | #4

   Get  a 60 grit, the color doesn't matter as long as it is friable wheel.I have a 60 grit white and a 120 grit pink wheel. The 60 grit is all you need, you have to hone whether the tool was ground on either grit. I usually only hone lathe tools with the 120 grit, they are not honed except for the skew chisel.

   mike