Planer Blade Sharpening

[orren countin]

Ive looked at many options to sharpen my 12.5 and 6.5 inch pairs of planer blades as I paid $60 last time with a week downtime.
I made a DIY jig from online guides, like the Deulen, moving the blades keeping a 45 deg angle over increasing grits of sandpaper on glass sheet.
But didnt get a sharp blade so wondering if a machine solution is best for me.
After looking at various machines, Grizzly, Tormek, Seems the Makita 98202 Blade sharpener is specific built for flat blades. And while expensive at $350 is 1/2 or less the price of a Tormek and jig.
What do you do to keep your blades sharp? DO you have advise willing to offer?.
Thanks!

[Charlie Jones]

I have had good success using a shop made Duelen type holder with three groves to hold the blade set. I clamp them in with end blocks then makes light passes with a ROS with 220 paper. After that I hone them on three grades of oilstone. You can shave with them.

[orren countin]

I have had good success using a shop made Duelen type holder with three groves to hold the blade set. I clamp them in with end blocks then makes light passes with a ROS with 220 paper. After that I hone them on three grades of oilstone. You can shave with them.

Maybe im using the wrong type sandpaper. I just what I had laying around, cheap paper but same grits as the comes with the Duelen. My jig is just like the Duelen. Was is ROS?

[Matt Day]

Easiest is to have a sharp backup set of knives to use while the others are out getting sharpened.

I have a Makita 9820-2 which I got for around $150 used. Ebay has a couple under $200 and there are a few on CL, but you’d need them shipped likely.

[Matt Day]

ROS = Random Orbit Sander

[orren countin]

ROS = Random Orbit Sander

OK. I doesnt seem like using a ROS on the edges would keep a straight edge.

[Darcy Warner]

My sharpener charges me .32 an inch to grind knives.

Just picked up 4 sets of 16s and it was 60 bucks. One day turn around.

I guess my point is find a better sharpener.

[John TenEyck]

I use Japanese water stones to sharpen my jointer/planer knives. They are scary sharp when I'm done. You should be able to do just as well with wet/dry sandpaper on a glass plate.

John

[Jim Dwight]

I bought a Ryobi AP-10 about 10 years ago. I got it cheap because it barely worked. When I looked at the blades, I understood why. It looked like they had never been sharpened. Some butter knifes are sharper. I ordered a new set but decided to see what I could do with the old ones while I waited on delivery.

I have a WorkSharp and that would be my first choice but I don't remember if that's what I used or if I used a motorized wet stone. Whichever I used did a good job. I still haven't put on the new set I bought. I didn't use a jig, just put them on the sharpener and held the edge flat to the abrasive. I will do the same when they need sharpened again. I haven't been using it much and not on critical things, I should sharpen them now but for what I've done recently they worked well enough.

[Charlie Jones]

Maybe im using the wrong type sandpaper. I just what I had laying around, cheap paper but same grits as the comes with the Duelen. My jig is just like the Duelen. Was is ROS?

I use Klingspor discs. Take light passes making sure you are engaging all the blades.

[ernest dubois]

The biggest problem is what Darcy Warner writes, your sharpener.
It seems most commenters have one way or the other of self-sharpening so if you are inclined to go with such a consensus
I would suggest that at least now and then taking the cutters to that new sharpener for truing just to maintain a good balance.

[John TenEyck]

If you weigh the blades you can make sure they stay balanced. A set of verniers to measure the width of the blades will get you close, but a gram scale good to +- 0.1 gm will get you dead nuts equal.

John

[Martin Wasner]

My sharpener charges me .32 an inch to grind knives.

Just picked up 4 sets of 16s and it was 60 bucks. One day turn around.

I guess my point is find a better sharpener.

I'm paying somewhere in that ballpark, and I agree the original poster needs to find someone else to do it.

[Mel Fulks]

I've noticed in balancing knives that the high grade steels can be balanced just by getting all knives in a set to exact same length. With the too common low grade stuff a set 7 inches long ( like for a moulder) one knife can be a 1/8 inch off when balanced.

[Roy Turbett]

I have a Tormek and it is very slow sharpening HSS with the stock water wheel unless you're just doing a light touch-up. So I added the BGM100 bench grinder attachment to my Delta v/s grinder and got very good results with a 220 grit diamond wheel. A 180 grit CBN wheel would probably be best. I did have to remove the left wheel so a 15" planer knife wouldn't hit it. The BGM100 is mounted on 3" wood blocks to the right of the wheel. This lets you present the blades to the top of the wheel for sharpening. It also works well for hand plane irons and knives. This is my go-to grinder and gets used much more than the Tormek.

Balancing the knives is not an issue because the jig mounts each knife in exactly the same position and they are presented to the wheel in the exact same position until sharp. Thus, when finished they are the exact same size and weight.

The Tormek BGM100 bench grinder attachment sells for $68 and SVH-320 planer blade sharpener jig sells for $196.