Hello…new guy here…I’m one for self-learning, so I find the web a treasure trove of information. I have a handful of chisels (Sears, Stanley, & Big Buck butt chisels; WoodRiver bench starter set), and wanted to learn how to sharpen them really well. Reviewed many techniques on the web, and decided to begin with the Scary Sharp method. By my 3rd chisel, I had the technique polished to the point where I was cutting a sheet of sandpaper into halves (5.5″x9″), then into 4 equal pieces (2.25″x5.5″). This allows me to use my Veritas Mark II (newly acquired) on glass without running it on the sandpaper, and, by rotating the sandpaper during sharpening, to use every square inch of the sandpaper, as well. I finish the process with 5 micrometer 3M abrasive. (I have finer, but haven’t used it, yet.) The chisels consistently shaved to 0.005-0.010″, even after working through a test mortise in seasoned pine. I wasn’t looking forward to trying to sharpen those chisels, and I’d never have tried all this were not for the videos and write ups on the web. My grateful thanks to all those who have gone before… ~R~
Discussion Forum
Get It All!
UNLIMITED Membership is like taking a master class in woodworking for less than $10 a month.
Start Your Free TrialCategories
Discussion Forum
Digital Plans Library
Member exclusive! – Plans for everyone – from beginners to experts – right at your fingertips.
Highlights
-
Shape Your Skills
when you sign up for our emails
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. -
Shop Talk Live Podcast -
Our favorite articles and videos -
E-Learning Courses from Fine Woodworking
-
-
Replies
~R~,
Welcome to Knots! There are many highly accomplished (and humble) woodworkers here. Lots of knowledge per square inch.
It's scary how well Scary Sharp works, right?
Have you had to re-grind an edge yet?
--jonnieboy
Regrinding an edge is very simple - I use adhesive-backed 150g on the glass, and just go at it. Very quick. In fact, I have the 150g covering the glass plate - keeps the higher grits in place while sharpening, and is there when I have a problem child.
I understand the accomplished and humble bit. It's OK to have a bit of pride in what one does, as long as it doesn't come to blows. I am on another list where tempers routinely run hot, and it takes away from the experience. I posted my Scary Sharpening note here because I wanted to share the method that I've arrived at. I just picked up a 12"x12"x1/4" plate of glass to use as a base. Could have been smaller, but that's a good size, too. The point is that it takes up much less real estate and uses much less abrasive material than other implementations of the SS system that I've seen. My habit is to spend just as much $$ as it takes to do an excellent job, and no more.
If you had suggested to me a month ago that I'd be using sandpaper to sharpen my chisels, and that they'd be sharp enough to shave with and smooth enough to read some reflected text, I'd have said you were pulling my leg. Oops ;-( I'm taking a course at the U next semester, and I know that one of the beginning tasks is learning to sharpen a chisel, so I figured that I'd get a jump on that. Am I glad I did! This will be my preferred method for some time, I imagine. I don't see the need to buy more expensive equipment. I'm not going into business. And I don't have much discretionary money to spend.
Noo...I haven't had to regrind an edge yet, but it looks like it should go fairly smoothly, even with the micro-bezel that I put on the edge of one of the chisels. Should I be concerned?
~R~
Frugal Woodworking
Concerned about grinding a new edge? Sounds like you might never need to. It's not hard, though. The chisels I inherited, oh my, handles falling off, dull as a butterknives, a couple are even bent, like they were used as mortise chisels and couldn't quite stand up to the task.
It's one of my missions to get them all rehabbed and in good working order (with nice new, handmade handles). Right now, though, I only have about three of them good and sharp. It's a task that's rapidly coming to the top of the list. Maybe right after this clamp rack is complete.
Take care Ninetrees. Again, welcome.
--jonnieboy
Welcome! I hope you will enjoy your stay with us.
As to sharpening: I gave up on the fancy stuff and bought a WorkSharp. It may not get things as sharp (I think it does.) but it is fast so I can get back to making shavings.
Accomplished and humble --That would be others I'm talking about, not myself, on either account.
We have a humble woodworker here?
Whoa...
Oh Jammer, don't be coy, you
Oh Jammer, don't be coy, you know I was talking about you.
At least that's what you've told me.
Nyuk, nyuk.
--jonnieboy
Humble, you say. Oh yes, I am very humble. So humble that I wrote a 300 page book on humility and how I attained it. Also the best woodworker this side of the Mississippi. What I really have a problem with is telling the truth. Enjoying the thread.
Tinkerer,
Hey, I didn't know
Tinkerer,
Hey, I didn't know you were on the other side of the river.
--jonnieboy
I know that you're on the
I know that you're on the other side of the Mississippi, so we're OK. ;-)
Ralph, most-humble west of the Rio Grand and east of something, but whose left arm is getting tired from trying to save his watch. ;-)
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled