Author Topic: Sharpening Chisels (Read 8908 times)

Andy A · « **on:** October 17, 2012, 07:42:09 AM »

I am sure this has come up at some other time----

I would like to build a few guns. Right now I am working on a Track Leman kit and would like to build a Chambers kit after this one.

What do yall recommend for a chisel sharpening set up???

That seems to be my biggest hurtle at present.

Andy

Joe Schell · « **Reply #1 on:** October 17, 2012, 10:52:14 AM »

Wallace Gustler covers this pretty well in his carving video. I use an old india stone and a few ceramic rods for the inside of gouges.

coutios · « **Reply #2 on:** October 17, 2012, 04:00:51 PM »

Andy, Sharpening tools is a skill set all to itself.. Many do not take the time to learn what sharp is when it comes to cutting hard maple.. Using dull tools will directly reflect in the quality of your work in my opinion.. I like to use natural stones but have tried all the others to some degree... Ceramic,water,scarry sharp method and diamond.. As Joe mentioned ther are tapes out there along with online videos to help you...Whichever "stone" you settle on practice your sharpening skills before starting in on a $300 chunk of wood.............

Regards
Dave

mark esterly · « **Reply #3 on:** October 17, 2012, 04:43:09 PM »

p m sent regards flat chisels

Rootsy · « **Reply #4 on:** October 17, 2012, 04:45:30 PM »

I have a whole stack of sharpening stones, films, strops, rouges, guides yadda yadda. I rarely have to use the majority of them. Once tuned up I generally only have to use a strop (leather and wood) now and again and if I need to flatten or remove material slightly I have some DMT films on a surface plate that work well for the job and some profiled water stones for gouges. If I am bringing old chisels, etc back to life I have a guide and a couple of DMT full size diamond stones of varying grades for fast and intermediate material removal. I rarely use power tools unless I am reshaping / sharpening wood lathe tools.

I have the most trouble with profiled tools. Sometimes I can get them off the bat, other times I struggle.

Dr. Tim-Boone · « **Reply #5 on:** October 17, 2012, 05:26:46 PM »

http://toolsforworkingwood.com/store/item/ST-MAF.XX

http://www.bestsharpeningstones.com/catalog/Lapping%20Film.htm

PSA film for scary sharpening

QuanLoi · « **Reply #6 on:** October 17, 2012, 05:47:08 PM »

Currently, I'm on my fourth gun. To build my previous guns, I used traditional stones and achieved good results. However, for this particular gun, I purchased a sharpening machine called a "Work Sharp". Google it.

Using this tool makes sharpening chisels so much easier. The edges of my chisels and gouges are razor sharp and they slice through maple like a hot knife through butter.

Decker

Mark Elliott · « **Reply #7 on:** October 17, 2012, 06:10:55 PM »

I have a Tormek that I sometimes use for sharpening, but mainly, I use it for honing. I have been using Diamond stones/hones for a couple of years now and they have revolutionized my sharpening. They cut so fast, even the higher grits, that you can put a new, fine, edge on a chisel or graver in just a few strokes. Actually, I can shape up a graver tip in just a short stroke or two. I have a DuoSharp (600/1200 grit) "stone" on my bench that I use all the time. I also have an assortment of diamond grit hones from 200-300 up tp 2000, but it is the DuoSharp that I use all the time. It is a continuous stone that is particularly good for small edges and gravers. Use one or more of these diamond stones and make yourself a leather strop for honing and that is all you need.

I should also mention that natural and some synthetic stones wear creating uneven surfaces in the stone that make accurate sharpening impossible. You don't have that problem with diamond stones. The diamond stones stay flat and even because nothing will wear away the diamonds.

Jerry V Lape · « **Reply #8 on:** October 17, 2012, 06:37:49 PM »

I tried most of the manual systems for sharpening, not interested in power sharpeners. Thought I had sharp chisels until I used a couple chisels belonging to the instructor in a longrifle carving class. The biggest problem for me was to learn what constitutes a really sharp chisel. I now use the PSA films (made by 3M) on a granite plate. 40 Micron grit for the initial sharpening and then down through 30U, 15U, 5U, 1U and finally .3U. For the inside of the gouges a piece of the same material wrapped around a dowel of appropriate diameter/shape is used. Don't need to go back above 5U once the edge has been honed. Also there isn't any need to strop the edge to get off a wire edge as that is removed by these very fine grits.

Clearly there are multiple routes to the sharp edge. Most of the route is developing the skill with whatever system seems to work best for you.

Eric Smith · « **Reply #9 on:** October 17, 2012, 07:11:27 PM »

I would say that learning to sharpen chisels, drawknives, plane blades, and spokeshave blades is a skill best acquired/pursued before learning to build a longrifle. Sharp tools and the ability to make them so makes the process of cutting hard maple into a gunstock a much less daunting task.

Gaeckle · « **Reply #10 on:** October 17, 2012, 07:30:12 PM »

Where can you find "Duosharp" stones?

rich pierce · « **Reply #11 on:** October 17, 2012, 08:29:41 PM »

By Googling it, Amazon, Woopdcraft, etc has them.

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #12 on:** October 17, 2012, 08:33:31 PM »

David Price did a tutorial some years ago on this very subject. He's a fantastic carver, and his sharpening tutorial was very extensive, well thought out.

Tim Crosby · « **Reply #13 on:** October 17, 2012, 08:39:55 PM »

Here it is: http://americanlongrifles.org/old_board/index.php?topic=33.msg153#msg153

Tim C.

T*O*F · « **Reply #14 on:** October 17, 2012, 09:25:24 PM »

I have one of the Crocker tools designed for sharpening graver tips. It was never worth a $#@* for doing that, but I discovered it is excellent for setting angles and holding flat chisels for sharpening. Makes it easy to maintain the same angle when progressing thru various grits. To resharpen an existing chisel, you leave the adjustment loose and press the bevel until its flat on your stone and then lock it in place.

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #15 on:** October 17, 2012, 10:46:26 PM »

Thanks, Tim. I couldn't find it in the new tutorial section.

Meteorman · « **Reply #16 on:** October 18, 2012, 03:35:04 AM »

that is indeed one of the most helpful and important tutorials I've ever seen.
not sure why it's dated 94 years in the future, but it'll probably still be valuable then too.
/mm

WadePatton · « **Reply #17 on:** October 19, 2012, 09:58:04 AM »

magnification can be a great help when learning to make a proper edge, but isn't necessary. i sometimes use a 30/60x lighted loupe to see exactly what is going on, but a Sherlock Holmes spyglass is ample.

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #18 on:** October 19, 2012, 03:44:03 PM »

I use magnification when sharpening parting tools. It's very easy to think you have a hone-able edge, but it's just a sturdy burr. Without magnification, I can't tell.

rich pierce · « **Reply #19 on:** October 19, 2012, 03:47:40 PM »

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #20 on:** October 19, 2012, 04:09:11 PM »

Duller with age? Or just more burrs?

WadePatton · « **Reply #21 on:** October 19, 2012, 05:09:56 PM »

i think he means the sharpening stone _ages_.

yes, fresh young arkansas is my choice for shop tools. belgium for whisker whackers.

stone age.

Acer Saccharum · « **Reply #22 on:** October 19, 2012, 05:20:27 PM »

Rich, does your edge improve with age?

rich pierce · « **Reply #23 on:** October 19, 2012, 06:37:52 PM »

Age is supposed to mellow but so far, no sign of that.

Dr. Tim-Boone · « **Reply #24 on:** October 19, 2012, 09:21:59 PM »

It gets me a little more on edge... too much to do...too little time!

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Author Topic: Sharpening Chisels (Read 8908 times)

Andy A

coutios

Rootsy

Meteorman