Best way to grind initial bevel?

[jonathan snyder]

Hi Folks,

I'd like to pick your brain for a moment. I have been picking up vintage Stanley planes to build my arsenal of hand tools. Most of the time the bevel on the blades is in bad shape. I use the LV MKII and the scary sharp method for sharpening. I am getting good results, once I get a good bevel established, but it takes forever to regrinding a bevel with wet/dry paper and the MKII. What is a better method. I would consider a bench grinder with a cool wheel, but I'm wonder about starting with a hollow grind and then using micro-bevels. Would this pose a problem? Perhaps a very coarse diamond stone? How about the Woodcraft horizontal whetstone grinder (http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=4866). This would give a flat grind rather than hollow, and give me the added ability to sharpen planner & jointer blades. A jet or Tormak is out of the question!

Thanks, any and all advise would be appreciated.
Jonathan

[Jake Darvall]

Lots of ways and opinions.

My way is with a normal speed bench grinder with white wheel (frequently dressed) with a bar fixed accross it somehow, and a cheap eclypse honing guide holding your blade running along it......burrs the edge at the angle you like ready for your stones or whatever.

If interested, get some pictures.

[Maurice Metzger]

I use 120 grit Klingspor PSA (Pressure Sensitive Adhesive) backed aluminum oxide sandpaper on a glass lapping plate. I got both from Lee Valley, but you can get them elsewhere. The sandpaper does wear out pretty quick. In my experience it cuts better than the silicon carbide in wet/dry sandpaper.

I've used a Norton 220 grit diamond stone with good results, but the stone wore out. If I had A2 blades, I would get another diamond stone as the sandpaper doesn't cut fast enough. But I only have high carbon steel blades.

HTH,
Maurice

[Wendell Wilkerson]

Before I bought a bench grinder, I used to use coarse sanding belts glued down on a long piece of 3/8" thick glass. Worked pretty well and I never had to worry about overheating the tools.

Wendell

[Eddie Darby]

I have a slow 1725 RPM General grinder, with the white Norton wheels that Lee Valley advise using, and it works great! Just one problem, I don't use it that much since I got the 1" x 42" belt grinder that Lee Valley also sells. I like the ability to go from a heavy grit to a light grit, or from doing metal to doing wood, in just seconds. The fine 9 micron and 15 micron belts are superb, I wonder how I managed before I got it.

[Steven Wilson]

A bench grinder certainly works but you might want to use a belt sander instead. A 1x42 belt sander with decent belts works very well, you can also use your regular woodworking belt sander to grind a new bevel. After you get that rough initial bevel established then on to whatever method you prefer.

[John Schreiber]

I second the suggestion of a belt sander for rough grinding of the bevel. I use scary sharp to maintain blades, but when I need to repair an edge, the belt sander does much quicker work. I find that it doesn't heat the steel as quickly as a grinder either, but I'm still dipping in water frequently.

[John Meikrantz]

I will add the belt sander recommendation. A while ago I picked up a 2 x 42" belt/disc sander from Sears. It is fabulous! Much less heat generated during grinding. Since then, my grinders hardly see any use. I have rigged it up to use Tormek jigs for shaping, but it works great for straight grinding of chisels and plane blades. The range of grits available for belts is extensive, all the way from coarse ceramic abrasives through 9 micron SC. I also have a 2 x 42 leather honing belt, and a hard felt belt on the way.

John

[John Kain]

Hi Folks,

I'd like to pick your brain for a moment. I have been picking up vintage Stanley planes to build my arsenal of hand tools. Most of the time the bevel on the blades is in bad shape. I use the LV MKII and the scary sharp method for sharpening. I am getting good results, once I get a good bevel established, but it takes forever to regrinding a bevel with wet/dry paper and the MKII. What is a better method. I would consider a bench grinder with a cool wheel, but I'm wonder about starting with a hollow grind and then using micro-bevels. Would this pose a problem? Perhaps a very coarse diamond stone? How about the Woodcraft horizontal whetstone grinder (http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=4866). This would give a flat grind rather than hollow, and give me the added ability to sharpen planner & jointer blades. A jet or Tormak is out of the question!

Thanks, any and all advise would be appreciated.
Jonathan

I have the woodcraft horizontal sharpener. Great buy. It takes only a minute or 2 to sharpen up a poor blade. For resharpening a good blade, it takes only a matter of seconds then finish up on a waterstone (I have the veritas sharpening jig as well)

[Zahid Naqvi]

Another vote for the belt sander as a quick and relatively cold method for establishing the primary bevel. The only thing you want to watch out for are the hot sparks, DAMHIKI. I'd suggest you take off the collection bag. BTW I am talking about a regular hand held belt sander clamped upside down inside a bench vise.

[Steve Beadle]

Jonathan, I use a slow-speed grinder with a shop-made accessory table which I built from plans I found in either ShopNotes or Woodsmith. This table adjusts for the bevel angle, has clamps to hold the plane blade firmly at a right angle to the wheel, adjusts in or out, and has a left/right sliding groove so you can move the blade across the face of the wheel. It does a great job on plane blades and chisels. I think I can make a sliding table to accomodate jointer and planer knives also. If you're interested, I can find out exactly which publication has the plans for this excellent grinder accessory. I think I can attach this picture of it:

[Ken Bryant]

I'm facing the same quandary, only coming at it from a slightly different (and self-inflicted) direction. I prided myself on my freehand sharpening ("don't need any guides") until I had freehand sharpened most of my blades for the first thousand times or so...and then learned, to my humiliation, that I had rounded most of them off to the point that they would no longer take a microbevel. Now I use the LV MkII, but those most-used blades take FOREVER to get back in shape. I use Norton stones; but using the 220 grit, and trying to restore a rounded-over blade, I have to reflatten the stone about ten times in the course of beveling one blade. (I sit down and promise myself 1000 strokes, then come back the next day for another thousand, then...). A diamond stone is a little better, but...

So I'm interested to hear the consensus on belt sanders. Just one question: has anybody had experience with the LV horizontal turntable system for rough-grinding of the main bevel (as opposed to honing)? (My blades are mostly A2, from LN; that may be slower grinding than carbon steel?)

[jonathan snyder]

Thanks Folks,

I'm going to look into a belt sander. I see the one LV sells, does not come with a motor. What does a motor cost? I will have to decide between a belt sander and the woodcraft sharpener. I like the idea of being able to do planner & jointer blades also.

Jonathan

[Robert Rozaieski]

I just keep some water close and cool the blade every few seconds.