How to sharpen bench chisel

[Dick Heifner]

Hi People,
I`m looking for the best way to sharpen chisels. How do i go about it?
Do i need to get a tool to hold the chisels at the right bevel and what sandpaper do i need?
Thanks, Dick

[David Weaver]

This is the best video I've seen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Hm4HiN2Lww

I can't speak to using sandpaper to sharpen, I think it's an inferior method for many reasons. Not that you can't get good results with it if you do everything right, but that it has disadvantages and screwing around that other methods don't have.

if you choose to use it, make absolutely sure it is uniformly adhered to the surface it's on or you'll dub the edges, and especially the corners, of whatever you're working with.

[Andrew Gibson]

Boxers or Briefs?
Republican or Democrat?
TP over or under?

These question may be easier to answer.

[David Weaver]

Yeah, this thread is headed toward tons of unorganized material that will not probably answer the question.

[george wilson]

Do a search on sharpening. Then,you will become completely confused with all the conflicting opinions.:)

[Jim Kirkpatrick]

If you have nothing invested in tools so far, I recommend the Work Sharp 3000 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZNLd-Fi75Y&feature=related). 1:50 in starts the chisel tutorial. I've tried many methods over the years with mediocre or poor results. The Work Sharp 3000 made me an expert on the very first try. It's just that simple!

[Rick Erickson]

Buy or rent Rob Cosman's DVD on Chisels. It's a step by step on how to sharpen them.

[Frank Drew]

TP? Gotta be over, no question. :D

[Roger Newby]

Do a search on sharpening. Then,you will become completely confused with all the conflicting opinions.:)


Better self inflicted confusion than asking for multiples of confusion from everyone here:p

[Don Dorn]

Buy or rent Rob Cosman's DVD on Chisels. It's a step by step on how to sharpen them.

I agree - for along time, I struggled with chisels even though plane irons were no problem. Since I did away with the honing guide and started doing it per Cosman, I get them done both quickly and far sharper than I ever thought possible. Material doesn't cost much, - it's all in the techniqe and consistency. That tertiary bevel business works incredibly well.

[Tom Hartranft]

Dick,

I read and read ... and read books, woodworking articles, SMC, WoodNet. You name it and I bet I read it in order to decide exactly what was the right way to sharpen chisels and plane blades. My take on all of this research is there is no 'right' way. Below are some thoughts all premised on using an existing bevel angle on chisel or plane blade.

1. Don't invest in high-priced equip right away ... hand sharpening is quite doable and good sharpening is doable inexpensively.

2. Try one method and stick to it ... at least for awhile

3. Don't fret too much on mastering sharpening like the pro's; good enough is good enough when it comes to sharpening. A shiny mirror finish is sexy but not essential to decent chisel use or plane use.

So, where to begin. I have two books that are equally good at distilling the basics of equipment options, sharpening techniques, and best practices:

"The Complete Guide to Sharpening" by Leonard Lee, 1995

"The Perfect Edge" by Ron Hock, 2009. Since Hock's book is newly published, it addresses the newer cutting steels and equipment that have come out recently.

Either one by itself is sufficient to get you up and running. Searches on SMC, WoodNet, and online magazine articles would round out your knowledge if you wanted more knowledge about sharpening after reading either or both books. If / when you decide you want to change your bevel angle, then you'll need to up the ante on equipment described below. Both books offers you 'how to' on bevel refinements.

A get-me-started kit might include:

a. Simple sharpening / honing guide ($12) ... I wound up freehanding so a guide certainly isn't necessary. The two books describe sharpening either with or without a guide.
b. Combo 1000 / 4000 waterstone ($30 - 40). Can use 1000 to get chisel back sufficiently flat then polish with 4000. Use 1000 to sharpen existing bevel; 4000 to polish off. For plane blades, would still use 1000 for sharpening, but then would use 8000 in lieu of 4000 for polishing.
c. Lastly, figure out how you are gonna keep your waterstone flat. I use a coarse DMT diamond plate. That's a bit pricey when you are just stating out. Using a glass plate and say 200 grit wet / dry sandpaper will be suitable ($10). You will dish out your waterstone after 50 - 100 back and forths especially when working on the chisel back. So, be regular at reflatening your stone(s).

If, after you play in the water while sharpening, flatening, getting your fingertips raw from scraping on the waterstones, etc, you get the itch to refine your sharpening, SMC, WoodNet, books, etc will tell you how to do just that. They'll also tell you how you can spend hundreds of dollars getting more and more sophisticated gear going down the slippery slope of handtool sharpening. LOL.


Best,

Tom

[Robert Rozaieski]

There's no such thing as one best method for everyone. Everyone has their own best method that works for them. That's why these types of threads often result in more confusion than clarity. Everyone has their own way of doing things, and they all work if you take the time to learn the system well, and practice a little. The trick is to find something that works for you, that allows you to sharpen quickly and easily, or you will avoid sharpening. You don't want to avoid sharpening.

Once you find something that works for you, stick with it and get really good at your chosen method. Don't jump ship thinking that another way will be better. It's a common case of the grass being greener on the other side. It's not. The best method is the one you are most comfortable with that will allow you to sharpen quickly and get back to work. There's no magic bullet. It just takes a little practice.

Here's my chosen method. It's the best for me. It may not be for you, but it's an option. I'd suggest trying it and if it doesn't suit you, then find something that does and stick with it. Good luck, and have fun!

http://www.logancabinetshoppe.com/1/post/2009/08/episode-5-sharpening-part-1.html

[Jim Koepke]

This is as others have said a frequent subject of conversation.

One of the better threads is archived in the "Sticky" Neanderthal wisdom/FAQs:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=1062936#poststop

I would suggest reading that and especially the David Charlesworth article that is linked in the third post.

If you are new to sharpening and have no equipment, I would suggest acquiring a tool holder or guide. One of the cheap ones like the eclipse is very effective.

My experience is only with about 4 of the many ways to a sharp edge, so I can only comment on those.

Sandpaper

Advantages - Inexpensive initial investment, easy to find supplies in hardware and automotive supply stores.

Disadvantages - If the paper is not well adhered to the surface being used, it can bubble up in front of the blade and round it instead of sharpening. If one has a lot of blades to sharpen, the abrasive sheets can start adding up in cost. The finer the abrasive sheet used, the more difficult to acquire and also more costly.

Water Stones

Advantages - Larger size stones available in extremely fine grits. Fast cutting.

Disadvantages - Water stones are fast to wear. They need to be flattened regularly and eventually replaced. They can also be messy.

Oil Stones

Advantages - Stones do not wear as fast as other methods.

Disadvantage - Difficult to find in larger sizes. Some say all the good translucent Arkansas stone is long gone. Not available in grits as fine as water stones. Oil stones do not cut as fast as other methods.

Also note: I find Oil stones work well for gouges. Water stones being soft causes them to become grooved easily by a gouge.

Diamond Stones

Advantages - Diamond stones can be used dry.

Disadvantages - These can also be costly to acquire.

My experience with a diamond stone is limited to sharpening my kitchen knives. I can get them sharper on my 8000 grit Norton water stones.


The need for a power sharpening system is a different question all together. If you buy a lot of used tools it could be a good investment.

My current set up for hand sharpening is a long strip of 80 grit abrasive paper for getting rid of nicks and oil and water stones for the rest. Because of the cold weather, I tend to not use the water stones as much.

I also use red and green sticks of lapping compound on leather to strop my blades. These are available at a good lapidary supply house.

There is a lot of wisdom in what Bob says about finding the method that works best for you and sticking with it.

For a long time I suffered frustration with oil stones. A co-worker gave me a couple of tips and I still had some problems. Then I tried water stones and found their faster action more to my liking. After getting good results with water stones, one day I tried using one of my oil stones for some reason. It is amazing how much that oil stone improved during the time it just sat in a drawer.

jtk

[Andrew Gibson]

TP? Gotta be over, no question. :D

Glad someone got that one.

I think it is inevitable that if you are an over person, the person you fall in love with will be an under person. Probably falls into that opposites attract thing.

[Steve Schoene]

For an excellent, and detailed, set of instructions go to www.toolsforworkingwood.com (http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com) There is a sharpening section written by Maurice Fraser, who I first encountered at the Craft Student's League giving classes at the 52 street YWCA. Sharpening was the first evenings topic, and he was able to take students, some who had never even seen a chisel, through the process for getting shaving sharp edges, with no honing guide. An amazing teacher, and a real craftsman--having apprenticed with Jere Osgood.

[tico vogt]

Take a look at this video: http://www.ticovogt.com/?page_id=383.

I've worked out four projections for chisel honing using 3 M paper. It's simple, effective, repeatable, and economical. As a professional cabinetmaker, I've used water stones and other media for twenty five years before this.

When you ask about sharpening, there are two processes: grinding and honing. This addresses honing, which you do ten times more often (at least) than grinding.

[steven c newman]

IF and When one of my chisels get a bit dull, I use a different system than has been said here so far. I have a beltsander, one of those with a "D" handle on top. I set the D in the 90 degree position, and clamp the D in my vise. Sander is set up so that the belt run away from me. There is a trigger lock so I can leave the sander running with no hands on the trigger. Next, I set a chisel in by Veritas Honing guide to the angle I need for that chisel. Now, with the sander a-running, I use both hands to hold and guide the chusel and honing guide on the belt. if the chisel gets too warm for a fingertip, I just raise things up and wait a minue. The belt was about 150 grit, NEW, but after a while it gets "used" enough for this sharpening system. With the edge "sanded", I then go over to the oil stone. It's one of those two grit jobbies. A few swipes on each side, with the chisel still in the honing guide, does the rest. last step before i remove the guide, is to run things on an old leather work belt. After all of that, it's back to chopping out spaces for more Dutchman patches.

[Terry Beadle]

David Charlesworth has a video on how to prepare chisels for precision woodworking. It really shows how to get a sharp edge. He uses water stones.

He also has a video on precision jointery work using said prepared chisels. This an really excellent practical approach to learning good technique.

Of the two, the precision jointery video is really highly recommended IMO. The sharpening video is good if you've never had a good bit of training on sharpening but the jointery video is just the cat's meow IMO.

[john brenton]

Briefs.
Independent.
Under.

Anything else is just wrong.

[Zach England]

I think almost all roads lead to waterstones in the end. When I got my first hand tools I balked at the mysterious waterstone and bought a number of gizmos in my attempts to do something cheaper and easier, but really I just made sharpening more expensive and complicated. I wish I had bought the waterstones in the beginning. I don't anticipate ever sharpening any other way.

[Greg Portland]

it's all in the techniqe and consistency+1. Even expensive machines (Tormek and on up) require technique. There is no "one right way" but there are plenty of wrong ways. Go to a local flea-mart and buy some old used chisels for practice. I would try to avoid buying a bunch of tools and jigs and work on freehand honing (shown in the 1st video link posted in this thread).

[Dick Heifner]

Thank's for all the opines for sharping my chisels, I will go back and start from the bottom work my way up to see what work's
best.
Thank's, Dick

[Jim gormley]

Glad someone got that one.

I think it is inevitable that if you are an over person, the person you fall in love with will be an under person. Probably falls into that opposites attract thing.
Aint that the truth!!! It drives me crazy(under)

[Bryan Morgan]

If you have nothing invested in tools so far, I recommend the Work Sharp 3000 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZNLd-Fi75Y&feature=related). 1:50 in starts the chisel tutorial. I've tried many methods over the years with mediocre or poor results. The Work Sharp 3000 made me an expert on the very first try. It's just that simple!

I second this. Step 1: Put on correct disc Step 2: set angle Step 3: Turn on machine. Step 4: Insert chisel Step 5: change disc and repeat. From butter knife to shaver in just a couple minutes.

[glenn bradley]

Worksharp 3000. Cured 99% of my sharpening ills. Scary Sharp, slip stones and the usual cluster of paraphernalia cured the rest. Sorry purists but, for bench chisels the Worksharp 3K is all you need.

[Jim Koepke]

LOML and I are both over persons unless there are cats or small children who like to bat at things in the house. Then we will go under. In the master bath, we are vertical with it loaded like an over. In the other bath, it is usually up to me to load the holder, so it is over.

jtk

[David Weaver]

TP over or under?



Under, there's just no other way to be unless it's a tight toilet paper roller (quite the problem at work, I think someone at kimberly clark did that on purpose).

[Mike Brady]

Re: Worksharp 3000. Not saying how you should spend your money, but that's $200 plus all the expensive paper for a neophyte sharpener to lay out just so he can (maybe) sharpen (just) his chisels? Sorry. that sounds like a way to discourage a guy rather than help him get started. How about $30 to purchase either Ron Hock's Perfect Edge, Leonard Lee's similar book, or Thomas Lie-Nielson's version ? All are good and will serve him for as long as he has questions about sharpening. Maybe his local library will even have one of these books that he can borrow.

Anyway, $200 should buy enough sharpening equipment to handle every hand tool he ever owns, not just his chisels.

[Bryan Morgan]

Re: Worksharp 3000. Not saying how you should spend your money, but that's $200 plus all the expensive paper for a neophyte sharpener to lay out just so he can (maybe) sharpen (just) his chisels? Sorry. that sounds like a way to discourage a guy rather than help him get started. How about $30 to purchase either Ron Hock's Perfect Edge, Leonard Lee's similar book, or Thomas Lie-Nielson's version ? All are good and will serve him for as long as he has questions about sharpening. Maybe his local library will even have one of these books that he can borrow.

Anyway, $200 should buy enough sharpening equipment to handle every hand tool he ever owns, not just his chisels.

I use mine to sharpen all my lathe tools (with the included view through disc) and plane irons as well. Dunno what else you'd sharpen on it... I don't sharpen pocket knives on it as I have some ceramic sharpeners that work fine in the kitchen.