Replies

1. 
   BenM | Jan 16, 2003 09:36pm | #1

   There was an article in FWW (No. 43, Nov/Dec 1983) about spoon bits, including how to sharpen them.  Never done it myself.

2. 
   UncleDunc | Jan 16, 2003 09:50pm | #2

   You can get ball end grinding stones at least up to 1/2" diameter mounted on a 1/8" shank for Dremel and similar tools, and up to 1" diameter on 1/4" shanks for die grinders. If the bit only needs honing, you can get small hand held sharpening stones called slips in a variety of shapes and materials. Any place that sells carving tools should have them. Big industrial supply houses like MSC also have them. Or you could make your own out of a water stone.

   I was all set to refer to Leonard Lee's book The Complete Guide to Sharpening, but he struck out on spoon bits. Or at least I couldn't find any mention of them. I still recommend the book though, if you ever sharpen things.

1. 
   tailsorpins | Jan 16, 2003 10:13pm | #3

   I seem to recall that Michael Dunbar covers this, and most everything else you would need regarding old tools, in his book: Restoring, Tuning & Using Classic Woodworking Tools.  Go to ABEBOOKS.com and search for author & title ..... possibly five copies of it out there for $20 or less, mostly paperback.  Beware: A lot of people "teach" sharpening with little more than a word processor and digital camera ....... a user like Master Dunbar can walk the walk as well as talk the talk!  I prefer small slip stones on spoon bits, but if you don't have them, you can use carborundum paper to lap the outside, wrapping it around a dowel to debur the inside .... until you locate some slipstones.  Some of the older spoon bits are pretty soft steel, and wouldn't benefit from the oilstones anyway

    Good Luck,

   John in middle Tennessee