The Very Last Remake of Beau Gest (a sharpening thread)

[Tony Wilkins]

Since all the cool kids are doing sharpening threads, I decided to do another one too...

Since I have finally gotten around to getting a grinder (8”), I now have a choice to make. I can (and by mechanics will?) have a hollow grind. Since I started, I have been using the Charlesworth method (microbevels & Ruger trick) as discussed in the ‘Bevels’ thread recently. But if I grind, I can dump the guide (or all 3 I have lol) and use the Cohen method.

so why would I? The Charlesworth method has worked fine for me. However, since it involves so many moving pieces, I probably don’t sharpen as often as I should.

I know this is a very subjective but I would like the collective wisdom of the horde.

[john zulu]

Both methods have their merit. It really depends on what you are using. If bevel down. I would use a hollow grind and free hand. If bevel up I would use flat grind and secondary bevel. It is about speed for me. I sharpen when I need to. For hand planes depends on the steel. If stanley it would be mid way in the day. For PM V11 2 days max. For T10 that is finicky but it works well enough for a few days. It is about the wood you are working on and how you are using it. Hitting knots is a sure way of sending it to the station more often.

[David Eisenhauer]

GIVEN THAT THE RESULTING EDGES ARE EQUAL, I'd think that anything that removes some steps or reduces the amount of time/aggra/effort in anyone's sharpening routine should result in that person sharpening a little more often. Chalk it up to some kind of human nature? Only that individual can make the (subjective) call on the preferred method. Why did you purchase the grinder if not to try it out? If you compare the two methods, one method might will appeal to you more than the other, or there may not be much (if any) subjective difference at all. A fly in the ointment that I see is if the question is if there is an advantage/disadvantage to a flat bevel vs. a hollow bevel. Another fly could be the frequency of sharpening performed - if a person does not sharpen very often, they could tell themselves that a little extra time required for a particular method would not matter much at all in the greater scheme of things.

[Tony Wilkins]

Except for one pmv11 chisel the rest are A2. I have one bevel down pmv11 custom 5.5, one LN A2 #4, one LN A2 #7, one LN A2 #62, an old O1 jointer with chip breaker, and a single iron OS O1 coffin plane. Most of my joinery planes are LV PMV11. I do have a PMV11 blade for the #4.

and thems the steels I need to sharpen.

[Tony Wilkins]

With my new shop I’ll have a place for a dedicated sharpening area; that should make it MUCH easier to sharpen often. Right now I have to either clear my bench or more often than not I save up the tools I use and bring them in at the end of the session. Then I sharpen them sitting in my chair sharpening on a TV tray before bed.

[Jim Koepke]

This really comes down to what each person finds for themselves to work in their own shop.

For me there are two small benches in one part of my shop holding my Power Sharpening set up and my water stones.

Across the shop is a small area set up with oilstones.

When living in California, my stones had to be hauled out and set up to sharpen a blade. This made sharpening less likely to be done as needed.

When my water stones are being used, they are placed in the pond when starting the day. About the only time a slightly dull tool is being used is when chopping a mortise. Even then my tendency is to 'get thee to thy stones.'

A hollow grind makes it a lot easier to maintain a single bevel.

Depending on the work some of my blades are sharpened a few times during a day in the shop.

Sharpening is not something to dread if one is going to work wood.

jtk

[Bob Jones 5443]

Tony, I was going to ask if you have a dedicated space for sharpening, and then you addressed this.

All the moving pieces? To continue to use the Charlesworth method, all you need are the Eclipse-style jig, a mm ruler, your stones in watertight containers (or just a bath for one day's work) with a little Nagura, some way to measure the angle in the jig, a way to flatten the stones (glass or granite plus wet/dry paper), and good light. I fit all this plus a Tormek T8 on a 42" x 20" table –– my dedicated station. My sink is across the garage, maybe 12 steps away, and I go there every time I flatten a stone.

Time consuming? Where does all the time go with this method? The greatest amount of time is spent getting the angle right in the jig, but once you measure the angle once, you can mark the iron with the mm extension that corresponds to, say, 33º and 35º. After that, the little 6" steel ruler does the job, and does double duty in the ruler trick.

So simple and fast. Like everything, it takes a little practice, and it doesn't hurt to tape the sequence of steps on the wall.

After a few sessions the process works its way into memory. David is correct; if you sharpen three times every day you will want to look for every efficiency available. For me, I usually sharpen when I am not cutting, but if it's during a session it's usually only once and then back to the bench. In that case I leave the cleaning up and final stone flattening to the end of the day.

Some day I'll resist the urge to weigh in on the Charlesworth method, I hope. It typically yields less than a yawn here. I just value it so highly that I want to share it with those who haven't discovered its virtues.

[Thomas Wilson]

... Hitting knots is a sure way of sending it to the station more often. Yes to that. I mostly play around with hand tools using spruce construction lumber. The edges on O1, A2, or PVM-V2 all last about the same, i.e. to the first knot. Of course, I cut out the big knots but a few pin knots survive. Steeper angle helps but not much.

[Robert Hazelwood]

However, since it involves so many moving pieces, I probably don’t sharpen as often as I should.

Well, there you go.

Sharpening freehand is like riding a bike without training wheels. Sounds a lot harder than it is.

[Jim Koepke]

Well, there you go.

Sharpening freehand is like riding a bike without training wheels. Sounds a lot harder than it is.

Besides, once you get 'holding the angle' worked out it doesn't matter if you are a member of the flat bevel society, the secondary - tertiary - quaternary camp, in the fellowship of the hollow bevel or whatever, you can get 'er done quicker with less fuss.

If only Paul Sellers could make a holder for his convex bevel sharpening system. He could get rich.

jtk

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I surely sharpen more often if I have my stones set out. If using my Shapton stones, I can spritz with water, free hand, wipe off the "wet", and be back to sharpening very fast. Similar with my Oil stones. If it can be done fast, I can keep them tuned up. I think that some people claim that they can do this "maintenance" sharpening using just a strop.

[harold schmonz]

Speaking of knots. My latest projects are with Rustic Doug Fir - which means lots of knots ...and lots of sharpening experience.

[ken hatch]

Speaking of knots. My latest projects are with Rustic Doug Fir - which means lots of knots ...and lots of sharpening experience.


I just finished a table using some Knotty Alder expecting it to be tough on my irons. I was surprised at how easy it was, both the knot and the reversing grain around the knot.

ken

[steven c newman]

Just finished sharpening an iron.for a Jack plane..
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Might be sharp enough for a jack plane?
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