Just got back from the blacksmith's

[Federico Mena Quintero]

I found the only remaining blacksmith in the town next to mine and asked him to make a few things.
178747


Two plane blades, 2" and 1.5" wide, from spring steel.
Hewing hatchet, 4" head. Spring steel.
Two wedges for splitting logs, from a drive axle.
Six pinch dogs, about 2" wide and 1.5" long.

The cost was 820 pesos, or about USD 68. The blacksmith was quite happy to make woodworking tools; he normally makes tools for builders.

The cutting tools are all raw and still have the coat of burnt oil from hardening; they'll need dressing and honing. I only have waterstones, no grinder - I hope that will be enough!

[Leigh Betsch]

They look pretty cool but you're gonna get a workout flattening and sharping with waterstones only!

[John A. Callaway]

wet/dry sandpaper... maybe 100 or 120 grit... and a flat surface.... and a lot of time....

[Dan Hintz]

Very cool to see hand-made work like that.

Maybe now's a good time to make up a peddle-powered grinding wheel and slap on a waterstone wheel.

[Pam Niedermayer]

Ah, reminds me of my 1-1/2 year sojourn in San Blas, where anything could be made by someone in even that tiny fishing village, and cheaply.

Pam

[Dan Andrews]

Federico, How about using files for shaping? I use files to sharpen my axes and hatchet. Finish up with a whet stone. I find my grinder too awkward to use for axe sharpening.

[Jonathan McCullough]

Nice! My pop had some machetes from when we lived in Yucatan. They were made locally by the blacksmith from old truck springs. They were (and are) the best damn things. Heavy, sharp, well balanced, high carbon steel. Cut through anything.

[Tony Shea]

Like has been stated above, you're going to have one heck of a time with just using your waterstones. I also would reccomend using files if you've not got a grinder of some sort. Coarse paper would be the next option but even that will wear out very quickly and need replacing often. I think you'd sink a big dip and have to flatten a good chunk of your stones away if you plan to sharpen the axe head with your waterstones. And for the plane blades sandpaper on a flat surface is def the way to start out with the initial shaping. Just pay attention to keeping the wear on the sandpaper surface very even. Uneven wear on paper can cause an out of flat surface in no time. Uneven wear is ok as long as you never pass the blade across the spot of no wear. Have had personal experience with this and an Stanley blade. Took forever to get the blade flat again.

[Federico Mena Quintero]

Files and sandpaper over glass - that's how I'll start. Thanks, everyone.

[Aaron Rappaport]

For heavy duty flattening - as it looks like you're facing - one good but inexpensive method is loose grit sprinkled on a mild steel plate. While the traditional grit is silicon carbide, aluminum oxide has some things going for it because it lasts a lot longer than silicon carbide. Take a look at Cedarslayer's posts to the thread Diamond Stones - Too good to be true? over on the hand tools forum at woodnet. He seems to be facing the same problem you are: the flattening of blades just after they've been heat treated. HTH

[David Weaver]

Love the pinch dogs!

[Charles McKinley]

Hi Fredrico,

Do you know anyone with a BELT SANDER? Antything from a large stationary one to a small hand-held one will save you a lot of time in initial profiling and clean up. It is the first step in cleaning up the knives I have made.

It looks like you have the makings for some great tools!