Hi all,

I am new to woodworking and am just getting a collection of hand tools. As a result I am learning to sharpen. Having done a bit of reading and thinking I have decided to go the freehand route, using a bench grinder when necessary, oil stones, then stropping on clean leather.

I had a few questions regarding bench grinding (and it's technique), which I wanted to ask here. I've done a search for other threads and haven't found any answering this particular question, so apologies if this has been asked before.

I was reading this article: http://www.planemaker.com/articles_grinding.html by Larry Williams and Bill Clark about grinding and am confused by the two step process they outline. I have an understanding of what it means to grind the bevel, but I not sure I have the right understanding of what it means the 'establish the edge.' I know this is probably really obvious but I'm a beginner and don't want to get in the habit of a bad technique. In grinding a chisel/plane blade the article states that you should first 'establish the edge' with the blade 90 degrees to the tangent of the grinding wheel. Have I understood this correctly if I did the following given a nick in my chisel: first grind the blade at 90 degrees to the tangent of the wheel until I've ground past the nick, then set the appropriate angle for the bevel and grind the bevel? I.e. is 'establishing the edge' something I would do only after damage like a nick, not as part of the set up of a new chisel (I have my first chisels on their way to me now, so it's not an academic question, lol =).

If I have the right understanding of what it means to 'establish the edge,' should I have the tip of the bevel up, like when grinding a bevel, or down (or is it immaterial)?

Another question was regarding grinding wheels. I know the article states that using the stock grinding wheels is doable, and I've read enough of the threads about grinding here to get a sense that the general preference is the buy a soft white alox wheel (to save bluing the steel). I am trying to decide which way to go here, and had a question regarding the type of steel I will be grinding. My chisels are O1 and my plane blades are HSS, do either of these steels dictate a particular wheel type (I understand the higher risk of bluing the edge with the regular wheels vs the white)?

I also see that many grinders come with a water tray for dipping tools - is this a good idea or is it better to let it air cool?

One final question is the size of bench grinder - I have pretty much settled on a 6 inch grinder, my understanding is that they are desirable for grinding a steeper hollow (and are cheaper). All I've be doing is grinding chisel and plane blades - I just wanted to check if these was a strong reason to go with an 8 inch before I buy.

Thanks a lot for taking the time to read this, I know there are a lot of questions here. I appreciate anyone who takes the time to answer.

Matt