sharpening hollow mortise chisels

[John Piwaron]

I'd like to find a stone or stones to sharpen the inside conical part of my hollow mortise chisels. I thought I'd once read that Lee Valley had them. What I mean is a cone shaped stone with a small diameter shaft sticking out the end for attachment to a drill press. I went to the Lee Valley site and don't see anything like that.

What I don't want are the cone shaped bits of metal with a diamond coating. I got a pair from Rockler and the instant they touched the chisel the coating pulled away. They're totally useless.

Therefore, actual stones are what I think I want.

I have a Tormek, I've got the faces polished nicely, but the edges that do the cutting look pretty ragged, it seems obvious some cleanup of the interior conical surface is needed.

Where I can I get those conical stones I'm looking for?

[Jim Becker]

Lee Valley carries the two-piece set of sharpening hones for the hollow chisels. They have worked very well for me. You never want to touch the outside of the chisels outside of polishing; only the interior cutting edges. This should even be done on "new" chisels... ;)

[Phil Pritchard]

At one time firms like Wadkin used to supply them. Have you tried Woodtech Enterprises (http://www.woodtechtooling.com/) or a grinding wheel specialist such as Norton for these? Possibly General as they still manufacture square chisel mortisers

Clico in Sheffield still make the sharpening tools which work in a brace

Phil

[John Piwaron]

Lee Valley carries the two-piece set of sharpening hones for the hollow chisels.

I saw those. They appear to be the same as the crummy Rockler supplied ones. I'm not going there.

I've done the polishing, and it really does help.

Still looking for the real stones.

[John Piwaron]

At one time firms like Wadkin used to supply them. Have you tried Woodtech Enterprises (http://www.woodtechtooling.com/) or a grinding wheel specialist such as Norton for these? Possibly General as they still manufacture square chisel mortisers

Clico in Sheffield still make the sharpening tools which work in a brace

Phil


Woodcraft did have the Clico cutter when I was there earlier today. But there's 2 problems with it. I don't have a brace and it costs $99.

I'm still a little raw from spending money on a new TS and a few other things at their sale 2 weeks ago. And putting in some new wiring in my shop, er, studio ;) to support that.

I do have the long conical stones one uses for dressing small gouges and other tightly curved sharp edges. I may have to use that, but then there's the problem of inadvertently changing the shape of the cutting edge.

Surely I am not the only guy that wants to sharpen a hollow mortise chisel!

[Allen Bookout]

Here is the link to the Lee Valley large cone sharpners:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=53252&cat=1,180,42240,53317

I just received mine but have not tried them yet. They have been reported to work well.

[Dick Bringhurst]

Lee Valley has them. They work just fine. Dick B.

[Reg Mitchell]

John,
First where did you get your chisels. There is where I would look first. Second there should be two bevels inside the hollow to be sharpened. It's akin to sharpening a stright chisel. The very small 2nd micro bevel is the one you would want to work with. I have the ones I will be useing but I will also be turning my own sharpeners out of castiron and useing dimond lapping compound.
But I would first try the same company i purchesed the chisels.
Reg :)

[John Piwaron]

John,
First where did you get your chisels. There is where I would look first. Second there should be two bevels inside the hollow to be sharpened. It's akin to sharpening a stright chisel. The very small 2nd micro bevel is the one you would want to work with. I have the ones I will be useing but I will also be turning my own sharpeners out of castiron and useing dimond lapping compound.
But I would first try the same company i purchesed the chisels.
Reg :)


The chisels are the ones that came in the box with my Delta mortiser. I bought it at Elliott's Ace Hardware in West Allis, WI. I will certainly go back there to look around, but I won't be holding my breath. They've got lots of tools, but they're no Woodcraft.

The diamond lapping compound is an interesting idea. How do you make it stick to a conical shape that will be plunged into the chisel?

The thing is, I do have the conical "stones" Rockler sells. When I used them the first time, the coating began stripping away from the conical shape. Perhaps it's my faulty technique, but I'm still not that impressed. The ones I see on Lee Valley's page look like them. Getting back to the lapping compound, if using some compound on those crummy Rockler stones would work, I could maybe get my chisels sharpened.

Now, back to the chisels that came with the mortiser. Before everyone says they're Chinese junk, I'm not entirely in agreement with that. I did buy a single Austrian made (Delta branded) chisel sometime after that. On the first plunge, the drill in the middle broke. When I looked at what happened, I saw that the shank running down the middle of the drills spiral was very very thin. The Chinese made drill was a lot heavier in cross section. So I put the chinese drill into the Austrian hollow chisel. It worked.

I did go back to the store and got a replacement drill for the Delta hollow chisel. They're sold in sets of 2. I guess they expect them to break. I would think so if they're so thin.

So the bottom line - I might have to get that Clico tool, expensive or not. I'd rather have an actual stone than the diamond coated thing. But the diamond coated thing IS the right shape, so if a slurry or paste of lapping compound can be put on it, then maybe that'd work.

But as it is, I don't have any confidence in the precoated diamond stones sold by Lee Valley or Rockler.

[CPeter James]

I must have gotten lucky, at least so far. I have the ones from Rockler and they have worked great. I do a lot of work in red oak and my cheapie chisels go right into it. I touch them up with my Rockler stones. My set was two stones and a handle that you can use with other 14" hex bits.

CPeter

[Reg Mitchell]

I will be mounting my chesils in the lathe in a collet and the cone in the tail stock of the lathe. You can find lapping compound at automotive stores just ask for lapping compound. Just put it on the stone or what ever your useing and make sure it lines up to fit stright into the chisel, that is why I am useing the lathe. Its a paste so it will stick but you will have to resmere it to keep the compound in touch with the chisel.
Reg

[John Piwaron]

I must have gotten lucky, at least so far. I have the ones from Rockler and they have worked great. I do a lot of work in red oak and my cheapie chisels go right into it. I touch them up with my Rockler stones. My set was two stones and a handle that you can use with other 14" hex bits.

CPeter

I don't know about lucky, maybe you're using them right and I didn't.

No matter, I still have to find some way to sharpen mine. I think I got a few good ideas here.

[CPeter James]

I chuck those "stones" in my cordless drill and put the chisel in the vise and go at it. A few seconds and I'm done. I maybe am not doing it right , but it works.

CPeter

[Jim Becker]

CPeter, that's exactly the way I do it, too.

[Mike Cutler]

John.

I use a set of "Mortising Chisel Sharpening Kit" from Woodcraft. Catalog # 144385. The sharpening tool resembles a countersink bit, as does the Clico. These in conjunction with those $6.00 dollar honing cones from Lee Valley that Jim Becker is steering you towards work great.
The $99.00 dollar set of Clico's wasn't going to help you. The grind angle is different.
I use the cordless drill method as outlined by CPeter also.
I've been pushing my chisels, also from Delta, through Brazillian Cherry.
Don't forget that the bit needs to be dressed, and sharpened also. The bits on my set of Delta chisels were sadly in need of attention right out of the box.

[John Piwaron]

John.

I use a set of "Mortising Chisel Sharpening Kit" from Woodcraft. Catalog # 144385. The sharpening tool resembles a countersink bit, as does the Clico. These in conjunction with those $6.00 dollar honing cones from Lee Valley that Jim Becker is steering you towards work great.
The $99.00 dollar set of Clico's wasn't going to help you. The grind angle is different.


I found that part number late last night on Woodcraft's website. I think I'll be buying it.

When I was at their West Allis store yesterday afternoon, no one there knew much about them. They remembered them as something they "used to carry." I'm understanding that as not many people take time to at least get an acceptable edge on their tools.

Anyway, thanks to all the good advise and assistance and I'm on my way.