Anyone use a jointer blade hone?

[Dan Mitchell]

I was considering getting one of these: http://www.woodcraft.com/Family/2000215/2000215.aspx (http://www.woodcraft.com/Family/2000215/2000215.aspx)
Probably the diamond one, as much to avoid having to deal with the oil the aluminum oxide type is said to require. Anyone have one? Are they effective at removing small nicks? Do you generally have to reset the blades after their use?

TIA

Dan

[Gene Howe]

They'll sharpen. I've not been successful removing nicks, however. Use the same number of strokes on each blade. No need to re set the blades.
Gene

[Dan Singer]

I use one on my Jet 6 inch jointer whenever i note some light tearout. A few passes on each blade and it is back to normal. I am sure it will not bring badly damaged blades to like new but for the small investment it will certainly extend the life of your blades.:)

[Harold Burrell]

I was considering getting one of these: http://www.woodcraft.com/Family/2000215/2000215.aspx (http://www.woodcraft.com/Family/2000215/2000215.aspx)
Probably the diamond one, as much to avoid having to deal with the oil the aluminum oxide type is said to require. Anyone have one? Are they effective at removing small nicks? Do you generally have to reset the blades after their use?

TIA

Dan

I have been looking to do the same thing. However, have you considered this:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=33002&cat=1,43072,43078&ap=1

It is a tad more expensive, but I'll bet it would be better with nicks.

[Tom Esh]

I don't know about the diamond, but IMO the AO version is almost worthless for anything but a quick & dirty way to knock down a ding. It can buy you a little time between sharpenings or enough to finish the job at hand, but it doesn't come close to a properly honed edge. Also it's likely to leave the undamaged part of the knife in worse shape than it was.

[Cary Falk]

Don't buy one. I have a new one I never used. I now have a Byrd head. It is a different brand and has a plastic handle instead of wood but is virtually the same. I will let it go for the price of shipping. PM me if interested.

[Chip Lindley]

The Delta DJ20 I bought included one of those diamond hones. That is all the previous owner had used to *sharpen* the jointer knives! I immediately removed the knives for a fresh grinding.

These hones may be useful for touching up knives to finish planing some unwiley wood, but are NO substitute for a decent sharpening. It would take an exorbent amount of *elbow grease* to remove a nick from a knife.

For 20 years I have used a white cupwheel chucked in my drillpress to sharpen jointer and planer knives, held in a slot (saw kerf) of a hard maple fixture. The wire edge is removed off the fresh knives by honing them on a fine Norton stone. IT WORKS!

[Scott T Smith]

Cary, that's a generous offer. Is your hone the aluminum Oxide model or the diamond one?

I have a Leica head in my jointer/planer and it has self-aligning knives. There is not much room on the knives for traditional sharpening, not to mention that the reduced height would require me to realign my outfeed table every time that I changed the knives.

[Cary Falk]

It is not diamond but it doesn't say what it is made of. It is this one.

http://www.woodstockint.com/products/d1123/

[Phil Thien]

For 20 years I have used a white cupwheel chucked in my drillpress to sharpen jointer and planer knives

Can you provide some specifics on the cupwheel you're using (source, size, etc.)?