Worksharp Wide blade sharpening

[Prashun Patel]

Does anyone have a method (short of buying the WS Wide Blade Attachment) for sharpening blades wider than 2" on a Worksharp 3000?

[Matt Meiser]

Build your own. Someone on Woodnet did. They basically built a box over the motor end of the machine leaving the ends open. Someone else I know bought the attachment and found he likes using his LV honing guide better than the one Worksharp includes.

[Prashun Patel]

Ok, this is really a prototype. Not at all up to the stds of the jigs I see on this forum. But I thought I'd post bkz it works well for me and was a cheaper soln than the $70 branded attachment.

A much nicer example is found on Woodnet, where I learned this.

Basically, you attach the Worksharp to a 3/4" base. Then you make a simple table to straddle the motor. The trick is leveling the top with the wheel. To do this, I just added 4 screws to the legs as adjusters. You also have to use 1/2" stock OR shim the wheel up, otherwise the motor housing causes the table to ride proud of the wheel.

[Rick Moyer]

Looks like a great idea. I don't have a Worksharp but have considered getting one. Is the table free-standing or fastened? Also, is there a reason it doesn't fit closely to the wheel, or is that not really important?

I have not looked closely at the Worksharp and often wondered what I could sharpen without having to get attachments. This looks like one good adaptation.

[Prashun Patel]

The wheel has a fixed perimeter to it that prevents a table from snugging next to it. It doesn't matter. Any honing guide you use will be an inch or two into the table anyway.

You will require a honing guide to hold the blade in a fixed position. I've had an elcheapo Robert Larsen one I got for $12 a few yrs back. Works great! But if I were investing from scratch, I'd probably get the Veritas MK now.

The legs of the table are not fixed to the base. I had to do that so I could install levelers (screws!) on the bottom of the legs to keep the table in the same plane as the wheel - which is important.

A Worksharp without any jigs will allow to you sharpen blades up to 2" (basically, chisels, block planes and smooth planes - up to about #4.) using the under-table port. It's quick and easy.

The unit comes with 2 glass discs and enough abrasives to get you started - even an abrasive cleaner.

I'm very happy with it.