I read that PM-V11 steel can be sharpened down to 20 degrees. Has anybody sharpened it down that far?
hopefully this doesn’t turn into another sharpening thread.
I read that PM-V11 steel can be sharpened down to 20 degrees. Has anybody sharpened it down that far?
hopefully this doesn’t turn into another sharpening thread.
Maybe we need a conference just for sharpening. We have about six currently.hopefully this doesn’t turn into another sharpening thread.
My PM-v11 blades are sharpened with a 25º bevel.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
FWIW, I like to see the topics broken up if they are unique enough questions. Makes finding old posts easier.
20 degrees? You are talking about chisels used for paring, right?
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jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
A lot of my projects are done in pine or similar firs. My paring chisels are mostly ground closer to 15º. The only way to really discover for yourself if a lower angle will work is to try it on your chisels.
It is very easy to put a higher angle on and edge. That is shown clearly by the use of a secondary bevel. It is a lot of grinding to take the angle lower.
You might want to try with the lowest bevel angle you imagine to be useful. Then if it fails too quickly you can step it up a few degrees at a time.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Although I not tested my PM-V11 chisels at 20 degrees, they are claimed to work just fine at 20 degrees
https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop...-bench-chisels
I have seen Derek Cohen claim on at least two different occasions (woodcentral and on woodworkers forums) that you can sharpen them at 20 degrees, but he generally sharpens them at 25 degrees as do I.
https://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolRe...sCompared.html
You are specifically discussing paring, so not hitting it with a hammer, in which case I would not sharpen at 20 degrees.
Interested in what you choose to do and the results. I hollow grind at 25 degrees then I free hand sharpen from there.
When my grinder arrives, which is waiting on the shop to be finished, I will make the decision whether or not I’m going to try it. I have one PM-V11 chisel (3/16th) and I don’t want to ruin it with a poor grinding job. I’ve been looking at O1 chisels too — both AI and Veritas. The majority of my chisels are A2 from Lie-Nielsen and BS so I know I don’t want to take them down to less than 30*.
I will keep everyone apprised of what direction I go. I might go back to trying just plain sharp but every time I watch Cosman pull out his 17* chisel for softwoods this thought sinks in again.
I know some will think that vintage chisels would be an option but they are thin on the ground out here, I don’t have the energy to chase them locally, and I’ve had terrible luck online.
It tolerates 25 degrees pretty well, much better than A2. 20 might be pushing it, but for gentle use it might work.
Some varieties of pine actually have very hard growth rings and are actually harder on the chisel than many "hardwoods". SYP can be a real bear, for example.
This is the problem with many firs and pines. The soft wood gives way and the harder growth rings give a little (or a lot). The softer ring gets compressed and looks a mess when the hard ring springs back.Some varieties of pine actually have very hard growth rings and are actually harder on the chisel than many "hardwoods".
Speaking of "looks a mess" my solution is to have different chisels for different tasks. My Buck Bros. bevel edge chisels are set up for paring softwoods. My Witherby bevel edge chisels have a steeper angle. These were often used for chopping dovetails. Now a fret saw is used for removing waste on dovetails.
Flat sided chisels are used more for chopping. My steepest chisel may be at 35º. Mostly 30º is as steep as is needed.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Tony, if you don't visit Wood Central you might go over and check out the hand tool threads on a "unicorn bevel." David Weaver and others are testing out a quick method for sharping chisels that starts with a 20 degree bevel.
Eric