Angle set for chisel sharpening

[jay case]

I have this device with one wheel that clamps a chisel in place to maintain the angle while the chisel is rolled over a flat stone or sandpaper on glass (scary sharp method). THe rolling device does a very poor job of holding the chisel in place and it difficult to set the chisel in it. what are the choices for devices such as this to hold the chisel angle whilst running the chisel face across a sharpening surface?
thanks

[Joel Goodman]

If you don't mind spending a few bucks the Lee Valley Mk 2 honing guide is very good. http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=51868&cat=1,43072,43078&ap=1
But the much cheaper elipse style that you describe often works -- see if yours is that kind. http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=60311&cat=1,43072,43078&ap=1
The second (cheaper type) is sold by many including Lie Nielsen.
The LV model clamps the chisel or plane blade from the top -- the elipse from the sides. If the tool's sides are not parallel then the side clamping doesn't really work.

[Maurice Ungaro]

Lee Valley Mk2 - hands down winner.

[fred west1]

Lee Valley Mk2 - hands down winner.

I have to agree with the last two posts. I have tried just about every jig known to man and women and none of them compare to the MK II. :D At this point I have successfully used the MK II to sharpen approx. 30 plane blades and 40 chisels and I swear by this jig. I wish I could say I can sharpen by hand without a jig but it just ain't so. :(:D

Fred

[jay case]

super input. thanks. Ill get the Veritas.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

hold it freehand.
Not hard to learn and impossible to forget or misplace.

[John Keeton]

Cliff and others have mastered the art of hand held sharpening. But, for the rest of us, the MK II is a sure thing! Get the camber roller, and the blade extender if you have any spokeshave blades to sharpen. The skew jig works great for skewed blades, too.

[Mark Roderick]

Definitely start with the MKII.

If you later move to a wet, large-diameter grinding wheel, I guaranty you'll EASILY be able to hone by hand after grinding.

Honing by hand is faster because you don't have to spend the minute it takes to put the tool in the jig, but it doesn't make the tool any sharper.

[Don C Peterson]

I'll second Cliff on the freehand sharpening.

Jigs, for me, were kind of a security blanket. When I started out I didn't know what sharp was, I didn't know what angles "felt" like etc...

As I grew in neanderhood, I realized that the fuss and bother of setting up jigs was keeping me from sharpening as often as I should. Now I can touch up an edge in much less time than it took me to just get the tool in the guide.

If you must have a jig, I agree that the Veritas MkII is the way to go, but freehand is REALLY the way to go IMO.

[Wilbur Pan]

I have this device with one wheel that clamps a chisel in place to maintain the angle while the chisel is rolled over a flat stone or sandpaper on glass (scary sharp method). THe rolling device does a very poor job of holding the chisel in place and it difficult to set the chisel in it.

Are you talking about one of the Eclipse jig clones? They look like this.

http://www.lie-nielsen.com/images/jig_lg.jpg

One problem with the clones is that the paint on them is pretty thick, which leads to the issue you are having. You can tune them up by doing two simple things. First, get a triangular file, and file out the pain in the dovetail grooves that are supposed to grip the sides of the tool. Second, take a file, and file the large flat area that would support the plane blade so that it is smooth. Your jig should work better, especially in holding the tool firmly.

[Jerome Hanby]

I think my method requires the least amount of work. I acquired plate glass, various grits of sand paper, spray adhesive, the MK II jig, a slow speed grinder, plans to construct a Wolverine semi-clone, a Worksharp 3000 with wide blade attachment and honing plate, and a set of cheapo HF chisels to practice on. So far I've spent exactly ZERO time sharpening :p

[lowell holmes]

I have the Veritas MKII and I like it. I also use it.
If you will view the Norton dvd about hand sharpening, I assure you that you will be able to free hand sharpen.

Actually, it is essentially the same method Mike Dunbar teaches. Your strokes are across your body instead of away from your body. You loack your hands and arms in place and rock sideways on your feet.

It sounds silly, but it works! :)

[jay case]

I think my method requires the least amount of work. I acquired plate glass, various grits of sand paper, spray adhesive, the MK II jig, a slow speed grinder, plans to construct a Wolverine semi-clone, a Worksharp 3000 with wide blade attachment and honing plate, and a set of cheapo HF chisels to practice on. So far I've spent exactly ZERO time sharpening :p

LOL. Sounds like my typical hobby.

[Ron Petley]

I have only used the Eclipse jig, and i have not really had any problems. Course I bought it pre MK II, can't seem to chuck it out and get something else. Cheers Ron.

[Richard Dooling]

As one who is also struggling with sharpening and honing,
IMHO and subject to change:

I have found that I can only get the Eclipse type jig to hold well if I use something other than my fingers (i.e. a screw driver) to tighten it.

The MKII jig is superior but it is easier to camber a blade with the Eclipse because of the narrower roller – unless you get the camber roller for the MKII.

All of these jigs can be tricky to set properly if your blades do not have parallel sides. All my replacement blades have parallel sides but I think all the older ones taper.

I absolutely believe that freehand sharpening is the way to go – but I have a ways to go. :o It’s a learning process and I practice a little every shop session, but I don’t want to spend all my time being frustrated with poor results when a jig will get me a beautifully sharp edge. Having said that, I’m getting better and have all but stopped using guides for my chisels.

It helps if you can keep your hone, strop or whatever close by. I just touch up the edge every so often and keep going. Others here have said it before me, but the more often you sharpen the less time you spend sharpening.

Thicker blades have more surface bearing against the stones. This makes it easier to avoid rocking the blade and rolling the edge. Thinner blades are more of a challenge for me. So while I have been able to get good results freehand sharpening and honing most of my chisels, I still have mixed results with my plane blades. Among those, the newer, thicker replacement blades are easier than the older, thinner Stanleys. Start out with reasonably achievable goals and then move on to more challenging blades. Give yourself time to learn.

The hardest challenge for me has been to try to freehand sharpen and hone camber into a smoother or jack. Currently, for the extra trouble, I can’t see the point of camber in a fore or jointer plane.

It’s a lot easier to start out sharpening with “older style” steel like O1 rather than newer, tougher steel like A2. O1 gives a very nice edge with much less work than A2 but the edge doesn’t last as long. That’s OK with me because I’m not a production shop and I just like the ease of keeping the O1 edge. Maybe that will change with time.

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