Replies

1. 
   lwj2 | Dec 08, 2004 05:53am | #1

   I use Jameson's, a local sharpening shop. When my jointer blades get dull, I change out and take the dull set to be sharpened. I'm sure there's one somewhere in Central CA, ask your local saw supplier or industrial supply for a recommendation.

   Leon Jester, Roanoke VA

2. 
   CharlieP | Dec 08, 2004 06:49am | #2

   New disposable blades are fine, but new resharpenable blades that I have bought needed sharpening when I got them.  I have the special jig on my Tormek, but hear that most local sharpening shops can do them. 

   ________________________
   Charlie Plesums  Austin, Texas
   http://www.plesums.com/wood

1. 
   DennisS | Dec 08, 2004 10:24am | #5

   Charlie -Gotta ask since you mention the Tormek jig for planer/jointer knives. Are you able to put a really good edge on them with the jig? Does it maintain a good straight edge? I opted not to get this jig with my Tormek since I had a good sharpening shop near where I used to live. Up here "in the woods" it's another story. If the Tormek jig works as well for planer/jointer knives as the other jigs do for other types of edge tools it might be worth picking one up.Thanks............
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis

1. 
   CharlieP | Dec 08, 2004 04:50pm | #6

   The Tormek jig works very well -just like all their other special jigs.  I use it regularly for my 6 1/8 inch jointer blades, and get a super result - flat and even. You can set it so that multiple blades are identical.  I found that the three blades in my jointer were not the same - but the alignment procedure handled that, so I never bothered to grind them to identical. 

   I have used the jig for disposable planer blades as well. They are too narrow to mount correctly, so that use is marginal. 

   I will be selling my jointer and planer later this month, when my new MiniMax combo arrives.  It has the Tersa cutter head, so I will be selling my Tormek jig soon - make me an offer!________________________Charlie Plesums  Austin, Texashttp://www.plesums.com/wood

1. 
   DennisS | Dec 08, 2004 07:42pm | #7

   > .... I will be selling my Tormek jig soon - make me an offer!Such a deal. I'll look up the cost of a new one and contact you off list to discuss. Thanks for the reassurance about its effectiveness. Would be really handy to be able to put a new edge on the jointer knives without sending them out............
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis

3. 
   301 | Dec 08, 2004 09:08am | #3

   I think sending blades out to be sharpened is one of the last true bargains left.  Ask around down at the local hardware store (remember those?) and they will know where to point you.

4. 
   DennisS | Dec 08, 2004 10:21am | #4

   Jelly -

   I bought one of those little diamond hone thingies for my jointer knives (8") and just this evening had to touch up some small knicks. It seems to work fairly well but I'd not like to try to actually sharpen all three knives with it when they're really dull. It's best for just honing is all. I find the diamond grit gets somewhat 'plugged up' pretty easily. Haven't found a really effective way to clean it yet.

   Since moving up here to our new place a year ago I haven't found a sharpening service - haven't really looked. But if you can find a good one in your area my choice would be to have the knives re-sharpened rather than going to disposables. Often a freshly sharpened set of knives are better than brand new ones if you find the right shop.

   ...........
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis
1. 
   walnutjerry | Dec 10, 2004 06:31am | #9

   Dennis------if you keep a jar of water close by when honing with the diamond hone you can just swish it around in the water and rinse the build up out, it works foe me.

1. 
   DennisS | Dec 10, 2004 09:57am | #11

   Thanks for the idea, Jerry. (swishing the diamond hone clean periodically)...........
   From Beautiful Skagit Co. Wa.
   Dennis

2. 
   jako17 | Dec 10, 2004 03:53pm | #13

   If you use mineral spirits to lube the diamond hone it is less likly to rust than when using water.

5. 
   mlbfreestyle | Dec 09, 2004 05:52pm | #8

   I have an 8" jointer.  I get them sharpened at a local shop for $12 (4 knives).  I can and have sharpened them by hand using carbide paper on a chunk of flat marble.  I will do this for several sharpenings until I start to loose a good bevel.  I then go back to the professional service.  I am thinking of getting the Veritas 8" blade jig to ease the process.  Right now I grip the knives by hand.  Kind of hard on the fingers.

   Using my method, I can grind out fairly large knicks by hand and restore a very sharp edge than lasts as long as the professionally obtained edge.

   As for my 12" planer; I have the Delta with the disposable double-sided blades.  I will clamp them up in my hand-saw vise and run my diamond plate over them to get a little extra life out of a set.  Then I pitch them.  I am using my machines for making lots of trim and flooring right now.  I usually keep the jointer very sharp, but I do let the planer "go a bit" because the stock will be sanded afterwards anyway.  I probably spend $50 per year buying blades for the planer.  I process about 1,500 bd. ft per year right now.

1. 
   wrudiger | Dec 10, 2004 11:15am | #12

   I just got the Veritas jig, after scraping my nuckles a lot.  It will work great for honing the blades back up to polished - after the diamond jig can do no more - but my spare set is on the way to the sharpening service - that nick is just too deep (argh!).

6. 
   walnutjerry | Dec 10, 2004 06:45am | #10

   Metod,  I had the experience once of having 12" blades sharpened in a shorter jig.  The guy centered the blades on the jig and the end result was less than satisfactory. As he ground the blades they heated up enough to move at each end and obviously raise up on each end a liittle. When I went to set the knives in the planer it drove me nuts---when I put calipers on them there was 3 to 4 thousandths difference from center to the ends------and all three blades varied in amounts of error in the grinding.