Replies

1. 
   johnzeitoun | Feb 19, 2004 05:26am | #1

   I grind my chisels on my edge sander. For practicality's sakes, nothing more is needed. I hone my chisels I take them right to 1000 grit and then 4000. The whole process takes about ten minutes, including removing chips. If you wanted to go to 8000, add another minute.

   Careful not to burn your chisels on the sander.

2. 
   15Broad | Feb 19, 2004 05:57am | #2

     Hi Chuck.  Can't say much for stones, but my limited sharpening experience using silicon carbide paper and a polished granite slab says 220 grit is too coarse for anything but a really warped plane iron.  My chisels came up very nicely starting at 320 grit.  From there I use 400 and 600 grit, then jump to 1500.  I'd like to get my hands on a 2500 sheet or maybe an 8000 stone when I upgrade the chisels.

     Sharpening usually creates a lot of debate but keep in mind a few things.

     Sharp is sharp, it doesn't matter how you get there.  Try different things until you find something that gives YOU acceptable, consistent results.

     The face of the chisel only really needs to be heavily lapped once.  Subsequent sharpenings should always involve treatment of the face, but I only stroke the face a few times on the 320, and then only if I'm renewing the main bevel.  Once it's flat I only worry about getting rid of the burr from the face, and I start honing for maintenance with 600.  I guess if the chisel should become chipped you'd need to completely re start, but then you have to involve a bench grinder.  I found that the initial lapping of the face did take a while, but I'd only sharpened one tool before in my life and it wasn't done yet.  Sharpening is a skill that needs to be developed.

     If you don't have a honing guide I highly recommend you get one.  They don't take long to set (mine clamps the chisel in a small wheeled vice) and they let you learn how to get a good edge.  The only trouble I have with mine is that it's tough to keep the narrow chisels square but if I keep my eye on it I make out ok.  Sharpening freehand would look really cool and classic, but in the privacy of the shop I'll take a guide. 

     I'm assuming that stone grit and sandpaper grit is determined the same way (sharp pieces per square inch) and I'm also assuming that they accomplish the same feat (remove metal from our tools to make them cut better), so I hope that my experience helps at least a little.

     There's also a few books that have been recommended to me such as Leonard Lee's book.  I think it's called "The Complete Guide to Sharpening".  Don't remember, but it's available from Lee Valley Tools.

     Good Luck!  Have Fun!!! 

3. 
   BG | Feb 19, 2004 02:49pm | #3

   ChuckT,

   I, for one, tend to think we get our shorts in a knot too much with this sharpening thing.  Now that you have gone through a progressive grit process to sharpen your blade, you shouldn't have to redue that whole process unless you chip your blade.  So you can get more interim grit stones..but I don't think you'll use them much.

   I think learning how to sharpen a blade is like learning how to ride a bike....you start out learning proper form and within a week your running along side and hoping on the seat...in other words, its the outcome that counts.  I try to plane wood at least 3-5 times a week for about an hour....aerobic workout.  I hone about every hour and once every two weeks a heavier re-hone.  What's important to me is the blade is sharper each time I hone.  Instead of the 8000 grit I use a piece of leather with rouge hourly.....it just keeps on getting sharper and sharper.  A heavy re-hone has me doing about 20 strokes on the 4000 grit and then the strop....I don't worry about the angle in these honings....except to keep the blade at a steeper angle ...I'm only working on the last 1/64" or less of the blade...

   The key thing is each time I hone I want it to be sharper when finished than when I began....the wood tells me if I've been successful.  So, start planing....
4. 
   b1gcountry | Feb 19, 2004 07:26pm | #4

   So let me get this straight...your bevel took longer to sharpen than the back? How long are we talking on the 800 stone? I use a grinder to grind my Western chisels, so I get a hollow grind, and there isn't much surface area. I just go to a 100 grit for ~30 sec, then my 4000 and 8000. I only polish the back with the 8000 unless its new, and I didn't do it right the first time...When I sharpen the bevel on my Jap. chisels the lower grits don't take that long to get out. I would suspect something like your 220 grit stone is leaving deep scratches that you have to work hard to get out. From now on, skip this unless you are re-establishing the bevel angle, and go straight to the 800. No quality will be lost in doing this.

   Another possibility is you are fully removing the 220 grit scratches, and you just don't realize it. Sometimes my eye can't tell between 800 grit and 220 grit scratches. If you hold the chisel slightly left on the 220 stone the scratches will run diagonally one way. Skew it the other way, and they will run diagonally the other way. Easier to tell the scratches apart that way.

   Tom

1. 
   Quickstep | Feb 19, 2004 11:49pm | #5

   This was a new blade. Apparantly, the back was fairly flat since that part went very quickly. Removing the manufacturers machine marks on the 22 also went quiclky. I probably spent 15 minutes or more on the 800. I marked the bevel with magic marker and sharpened until all of the black from the marker was gone. it took forever it seemed for the 800 to remove the black from the edges. Eventually it did and the rest went well. I realize I shouldn't need to start at 220 next time, just wondering why 800 took so long.

1. 
   b1gcountry | Feb 20, 2004 12:11am | #6

   sounds like you answered your own question...if the black on the center disappeared, but the edges stayed black, then the grind put on at the factory was not straight across the chisel. You were removing the material that should have been removed at the factory...you won't have to do this every time either.

   Tom

5. 
   b1gcountry | Feb 20, 2004 12:14am | #7

   I just read your original post, and glad I did. The Norton stones are some of the fastest cutting stones around. except maybe Shapton, which some endorse highly. The King are not as fast cutting, so, yes, the type of stone does make a difference in cutting speed.

   Tom