Sharpening on a tight budget

[Kevin Rector]

Ok, so I'm on a crazy tight budget for my hobbies (really just a tight budget for everything too). I'm also really new to woodworking. I have some chisels and some planes but they are pretty much useless to me because they are dull dull dull.

I need to know what's the cheapest method for sharpening chisels and plane irons. It should also be relatively easy for a beginner. It should also be something that will last a while.

Can I get sharp tools for less than $50? How about less than $30?

Thanks!

[Lloyd Parker]

Do a Google search on the Scary Sharp method. A few grits of sandpaper and a piece of glass and you are off and running.

Good Luck.

[Jim Koepke]

Ok, so I'm on a crazy tight budget for my hobbies (really just a tight budget for everything too). I'm also really new to woodworking. I have some chisels and some planes but they are pretty much useless to me because they are dull dull dull.

I need to know what's the cheapest method for sharpening chisels and plane irons. It should also be relatively easy for a beginner. It should also be something that will last a while.

Can I get sharp tools for less than $50? How about less than $30?

Thanks!

Welcome to the Creek Kevin,

The cost will depend on what you already have on hand.

The scary sharp method using sandpaper is the least expensive for start up.

If you have a dead flat surface to adhere the abrasive papers to, then your starting expense is in the cost of the sand paper and spray adhesive.

Over the time, this method has continuing costs for new sandpaper and the adhesive used to hold the sandpaper to what ever surface is being used.

NOTE: If the sandpaper is not glued down properly, it will tend to "bubble" in front of the blade. This will cause a round edge, not a sharp edge.

Also be careful about using just any glass. Some glass is made flat, some glass is made by rolling.

Check out the thread at the top of Neanderthal Haven, Neanderthal wisdom/FAQs, this thread on sharpening is linked there:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...1062936&page=2

When you start moving into the area of stones and diamond plates, the costs can go up. Water stones tend to wear and will need replacement over time. The worn stones are likely usable for making slip stones for gouges and other tools.

Oil stones take a little more time to cut than water stones. Good quality and size in oil stones can be as expensive as water stones.

Woodcraft did have an oil stone set for about $40 at one time. Water stones have much finer grits available than the finest of oil stones.

jim

[David Keller NC]

"Can I get sharp tools for less than $50? How about less than $30?"

Generally speaking, the answer is "no" if you need to buy everything (in other words, you don't have it lying around).

As Jim mentions, the cheapest initial cost method is sandpaper and stropping. But this method will be more costly than stones over time.

Generally, you need:

coarse (150 grit), medium (220 grit), fine (400 grit) and extra-fine(800 grit) wet-dry sandpaper (note- those are my definitions of "coarse/medium/fine" - others may look at those definitions differently). You can generally buy these in packs of 10 sheets each.

A flat surface of reasonable size where the sandpaper can be repeatedly pulled off, the surface cleaned, and a fresh piece re-attached. That generally means a piece of "float glass", though a piece of thick tempered glass may do the trick. You want this to be a minimum of 3/8" thick so that it will not appreciably flex as you put pressure on the blade running over it. You can also use a cheap granite surface plate from Woodcraft (about $30). I'm skeptical of granite countertop scraps - those are generally polished and flattened to look good cosmetically, but not necessarily flat enough for flattening the back of a plane iron.

A can of 3M #77 spray adhesive (about $10 from one of the home improvement stores).

A leather strop glued down to a flat hardwood scrap. Theoretically, you could use an old belt if you've got a wide one. Otherwise, plan on paying $10-15 for a scrap of saddle hide from your local Tandy store.

Stopping compound - depends on the source, perhaps $10 for a tube.

My guess is the total for the above will be a bit more than your upper budget - perhaps $75.

A better plan as far as long-term costs would probably be picking up a combo 1000/4000 grit waterstone combination, a few sheets of 220 wet/dry and a cheap granite surface plate to flatten in on. You will probably still need the strop - most of us are not satisfied with the edge that a 4000 grit waterstone will leave behind. Total cost for this setup is going to be about $100.

Both of these estimates assume that you can do this freehand without a guide. Some can, some can't. If you fall into the latter category, add anywhere from $15 to $60 for either the cheap side-clamp honing guide or the Veritas MKII honing guide (which is quite nice, BTW).

One thing that will greatly facilitate your ability to free-hand sharpen your tools would be to find a local WW that has a grinder and the ability to use it. If you can talk him into grinding your tools for you, you can hone/strop them for at least another 5 sharpenings before they need grinding again.

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Kevin

Is 10 cents too much? I'm not kidding ...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Woodwor...%20System.html

At a more advanced level (and especially if you freehand the blades), you only need two waterstones if you first hollow grind your blades. Hollow grinding removes most of the metal, so you have less area to hone and can do this easily with these two grits. Have a look at King 1200 and 6000. They are relatively cheap.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Danny Thompson]

Yes. Here is a $37 (+ tax and shipping) method.

<$5: Buy two granite tiles from from Lowes or Home Depot, (check if for flatness in all directions using a miter square from the tool deptartment) < $5

< $5: Buy 220 wet/dry sandpaper from the Auto Supply Store ~$3

< $5: Buy 1 can of 3M Super 77 adhesive spray.

<$12: Buy one or two "3M Microabrasive Film for Scary Sharpening - PSA" kits from www.toolsforworkingwood.com (currently $11.55 for the kit; the kit contains 2 sheets each of 15, 5, and .3 micron sharpening sheets).

http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/M...egory_Code=THS

$10: Buy the honing guide sold by toolsforworkingwood or lie-nielsen:

http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/M...egory_Code=THG

Procedure:

Cut each sheet into two long pieces (4.75" x 11"). Spray the back of the sandpaper with the adhesive spray, then attach one each of the 220 sandpaper and the 15 micron sheets to one tile, and the 5 and .3 micron sheets to the other, being sure to smooth all four sheets from the center out.

Flatten the backs.
Squirt some water on the sheets, then flatten the backs of your plane irons and chisels progressing through the 220 and 15 micron microabrasive sheets, and polish them to a shine on the 5 and .3 micron sheets.

Grind the primary angle.
Then, put your iron in the honing guide set for the angle that matches the primary bevel on the blade and grind it evenly on the 220 and 15 micron sheets (keeping them wet enough to prevent clogging).

Hone the secondary microbevel.
Readjust your iron or chisel in the guide to increase the bevel angle 2º and quickly hone a few strokes to produce a secondary microbevel with a mirror finish using the 5 and .3 micron sheets (you may find the .3 micron is all you need to use). At this point, you should feel a burr along the back of the cutting edge. If you don't feel one, continue honing until you do.

Remove the burr.
Take the blade out of the guide and, in a few quick strokes, remove the burr by rubbing the back of the blade against the .3 micron sheet for a few strokes (1 or 2 is often all that is needed), making sure to keep the blade flat against the sheet.

And you are done.

There are many other things to learn (e.g., when and how to camber a blade) with time (Derek's site is a great resource), but the above will get you started.

[Adam Cherubini]

Norton makes a blue or purplish belt sander belt, norzon? I think it's a zirconium oxide grit. These belts cut steel so fast you can almost get away without a grinder. 220 cuts too slowly to shape a really dull bevel. If you try to free hand hone (what I recommend) you will probably round the bevel long before you get the nicks out. So these belt sander belts really work Otherwise, I'm with Derek. You can get a piece of marble tile from your local home center. It will be flat enough. You don't need to glue the belt down. But it wouldn't be a bad idea. Obviously, slice the splice open and lay the belt flat. I would only do the bevel with the Norzon belt. It will leave deep scratches in a back that will be difficult to remove.

Lastly, I wouldn't worry too terribly much about getting the backs perfectly flat. They need to be polished, but dead flat is not a requirement. You can spend a lot of time flattening chisel backs and wishing you had better gear that made the process faster (there is no better gear, btw). So don't get wrapped around the axle. And if you are just starting out, you'll only need an 80 grit belt, 220, 600, and 1200 Wet and dry Si-C paper from the auto parts store. You can get the spray adhesive there. You'll need some mineral spirits to clean up later and maybe a razor blade. Should be able to get all you need for about $20.

Adam

[John Keeton]

I am sure there are much better setups out there, but this is my scary sharp board. It is nothing more than a piece of single strength glass from an old window, cut to size, and mounted (spray adhesive) on a piece of hardboard (beadboard) that I had laying around. I did attach some retainer strips just for safe measure.

I lay it on my tablesaw, and it is flat enough and doesn't give. The grits are 150, 220, 320, 400, 600, 1200 and 2,000. On the left is a block of MDF with mineral oil and green compound. The 2,000 leaves a mirror finish I can see myself in, and my edges easily cut the hair from my arm. I just finished sharpening all my chisels - 3 sets, and some odd chisels - on the paper that is on the board, and it still has plenty of life in it. I can get a new angle on a chisel in about 5-8 minutes on the 150, and then progress from there with about 5-6 strokes on each grit. I wipe the edge off after each grit. My only added investment was the sandpaper.

I do use the Veritas MK II honing guide, however, as I just don't think I am good enough for hand honing.