Skew Blade grinding jig.

[Raymond Stanley]

When needing to put a new edge on a roughed up skew blade, what does everybody use?

I am getting a cheap slow-speed grinder just for the rough initial bevel, and need to figure out what I'm going to do about getting a skewed edge. The wolverine flat jig gets great reviews, but don't know if I can get a skew with it. Also considering a Lee Valley grinding jig. I would maybe consider a shop-built one but mostly like to spend my shop time on the gift and honeydo list.

This is just for the initial bevel - I prefer to do honing freehand.

Thanks!
Ray

[Marcus Ward]

Beltsander. Just freehand it or rig an arm to rest the blade on with a mark on the blade to keep it at the right angle. Dip in water frequently to avoid burning the edge.

[Zahid Naqvi]

This looks promising, and not that expensive either

Mk II, skew honing guide (http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=7764) and a review (http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib/dCohen/z_art/LVSkewJig/index.asp) by Derek

[Chuck Nickerson]

you get to very acute angles. IME it's no help with my Blue Spruce skew chisels. How do I do them? They are the most recent object of my failed attempts to learn honing without a jig.

[Raymond Stanley]

Thanks for the tips everybody.

Not to highjack my own thread, but - Chuck, don't give up! That is why I began freehand honing, and once I got the hang of it, I've never looked back. And I am not a particularly patient or coordinated man. It may actually help to practice on flat blades to get the general hang of things, and then go back to you skew once you have a feel for it. Hollow grinds help too. It is quite frustrating to have a tool you can't sharpen that you need to use, isn't it!?

[harry strasil]

Unless its a plane blade which has to be perfect skew, a little off is not going to make a difference.

[David Weaver]

I also do most things without jigs, just because it's easier for me than it is to try to get the right projection length in a jig

Anyway, do you think you could cut a dado in a piece of thick stock, and then cut the stock to the correct angles to have a skew jig? If you do it right, the blade of the chisel could fit in it and when you sit the block on a stone, the angle of the whole deal would have the edge of the chisel on the stone with the face of the bevel just barely off the stone.