Completely Confused About Grinding Plane Sharpening

[mike stenson]

I use WD40, because it's easy to wipe up and I like the smell.
.

Really as valid a reason as any other I've heard. Actually, probably more so.

[Tim Best]

Read this, it'll keep you grounded:

http://www.richardjonesfurniture.com...harpening.html

That’s a great article, especially for those of us that have taken up the dark art of sharpening...err wood working, more recently than others.

Theoretically, sharpening is not that difficult. In reality, as I think the author getting was getting at flippantly, it is more difficult, but can be learned. (Perhaps more quickly with a cigarette smoking Scottish cabinet maker standing over one’s shoulder?)

Most days I can attain a sharp enough edge to do what I want the plane or chisel to do. Is it hair shaving sharp? Some days, yes. Some days, no, but it will do the work. Would I like to get my hands on one of Derek, Warren, Tom, or David W’s plane irons to see if my “sharp” is actually sharp. Yes, yes I would!

Long winded response to OP, keep at it, follow the sage advice you have already received on this thread and you will get there.

Also, take it from me, even in a small workspace, planes, chisels, and saws tend to multiply.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I am trying to pick up some hand tool skills, and I understand that sharpening correctly is very important for getting the best performance out of the tools. I have been reading -- arguably too much -- about how to sharpen plane blades, and I am now totally confused about the grinding part of the sharpening process. Some discussions of sharpening start with someone taking the iron to a grinding wheel, while other discussions start the process with oil or water stones. Can a plane blade be properly sharpened without using a grinder?

If a grinder is required, how often do you need to regrind the primary bevel?

I have a Stanley 5 that I purchased off of Craigslist that I am trying to learn on. I do not have a bench grinder, and given my limited space, I would really prefer to not have to use one. So far I have been trying to get by using a cheapo two sided sharpening stone from Amazon. Results have been meh. I just ordered this set of oil stones (https://www.bestsharpeningstones.com...&product_id=77) and got a strop. I have also been using a honing guide.


Apologies if this should be obvious. Sometimes there is too much information on the internet.

Given that you are just starting out, if you feel like you are getting into a pickle, drop me a line and I will happily put an edge (a straight edge, not cambered, that is a bit outside my comfort zone) and I will put a hollow grind on the blade. From there, it is pretty easy to freehand sharpen the blade.

I will then send the blade back to you at my expense (a little postage won't break me).

The disadvantage is that I will use a Tormek and that will leave a hollow grind on the blade and some people prefer that and some people do not.

For me:

Step 1: Flatten the back. I usually use sandpaper because that seems to be the fastest way to do it. After it is flat, then I can move up the grits to something finer. This makes a huge difference and it might fix your "meh" edge.

Step 2: Throw it on the Tormek and put a hollow grind on it. If you send it to me you need to specify the angle you want.

Step all: Take a peek at the edge with a magnifying glass, it can be enlightening.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

One final thought. Given that you have ordered the "Best" stones, which are Arkansas stones, be sure to "chase" the wire edge. It makes a big difference with Arkansas stones. These stones are much slower than my water stones and my diamond stones. I am working on a small knife blade and I decided to try to do it using Arkansas stones and it is taking a long time. I am using a magnifying to take a close look at the edge so that I can watch the progression.

I think that I prefer Dan's Arkansas stones, but I am not sufficiently good with Arkansas stones to say anything categorical. I have sets from Best and also from Dan's. I assume that you also have oil to use on the Arkansas stones.

By the way, "chasing" the edge means that you get progressively lighter as you do something to one side then the other to work off the wire edge. It is easier to keep it sharp than to get it sharp.