Chisels & sharpening equipment

[Roger B]

Im trying to get serious about building & want to by some chisels & sharpening for a start. What I've been using are generally just various hand me downs, though i do have a set British-marked Marples which seem pretty good. Im no expert at sharpening them though.

What do you guys use & what type of stones etc do you use to sharpen them?
Roger B.

[borderdogs]

Hi Roger
I have used just about every method you could name and for a long time I used various stones then started using Japanese water stones which put a good edge on going though the grits. I use to keep them in a 5 gallon bucket in water. Then I got a Tormach which I think is great. If you start with just chisels you can get razor edges. There are a ton of video's online to watch and likewise a lot of different jigs to go with the grinder. They are expensive but for me I like it a lot. By the way I still use my hard stones and even sandpaper on glass plate once in a while but I use the Tormach more than any other method.
Rob

[Woodland]

I have never been good at sharpening anything, but I use a cheap amazon chisel sharpening guide on sandpaper stuck to a glass tile.  my chisels all have  mirror edges that cut like butter!  I just work through the grits from 320 to 2500.  For chisels, Pheil works well, but are expensive.  I have had the best luck buying older chisels at antique malls and repairing the edges.  My go-to chisels are all from antique stores.

Jon

[sdilts]

Hi Roger
I have used just about every method you could name and for a long time I used various stones then started using Japanese water stones which put a good edge on going though the grits. I use to keep them in a 5 gallon bucket in water. Then I got a Tormach which I think is great. If you start with just chisels you can get razor edges. There are a ton of video's online to watch and likewise a lot of different jigs to go with the grinder. They are expensive but for me I like it a lot. By the way I still use my hard stones and even sandpaper on glass plate once in a while but I use the Tormach more than any other method.
Rob

Rob, which Tormek jig do you use for gouges?

[dogcatcher]

I use sandpaper, the "Scary Sharp" method.  I also have made some sharpening jigs, most of the ideas come from various YouTube videos.  For me getting the angles correct was my stumbling block.  The jigs solved most  of that, my impatience was the other problem.  The last sentence also applies  to graver sharpening for engraving.  I solved part of that problem by trying to do any sharpening and stropping just before I close the shop for  the day.   I tend to spend more time sharpening if I am not going to be carving or cutting. 

[borderdogs]

Sdilts,
I use Tormek SVD-186R Gouge Jig which works pretty good but at least for me it took some time to get good results. I found that you can use the grinder free hand especially gouges. Once I get a good edge on the gouge I just hone it frequently you would be surprised how long before you have to grind the gouge again. But you have to hone often to keep the tool sharp. My advise is when practicing with the gouge jig use an old gouge and a magic marker  to locate the ground surface and a loop or magnifier to look at the surface you are grinding. It took me a while to get a handle on this jig and I still don't have it just right yet.
Rob

[Sidelock]

I have for several years now used 8" DMT stones, corse to XX fine grit - a little pricey for a set but, you get what you pay for - they are worth it.

https://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/DMT-8-Dia-Sharp-Diamond-Kit-P405C24.aspx

[Scota4570]

I have always had a knack for sharpening blades. 

I use diamond laps 280 thru 2000 grit and follow with a leather strop.  I have the diamond laps for engraving tools.   I do not use any jigs or guides other than my fingers.  All that matters is making a wire edge, moving to the next grit and finally stropping it with leather and jewler's rouge.   I can make any reasonable piece of steel sharp enough to shave hair. 

Pick a reasonable angle with the coarser grits.  Clean up the edge,  Use the finest grits at a steeper angle.  The increasing angle stresses the material being cut and the razor sharp edge glides through.  I use steeper angles when the material being cut is tougher or harder.  A gradual angle cuts easier but is less durable, there is a trade off. 

For knives I kick up a burr with 120 grit polish-o-ray on an 8" wheel and finish with a sharpening steel.  It take about a minuet.
 That is plenty sharp for any knife task.  If I want to get fancy I finish up with the strop and jeweler's rouge.  At that point the knife will shave arm hair. 

[Clark Badgett]

I am one of those former "I'm not that good at sharpening" guys. I now know why I used to not be good at it and it was due to me buying the cheapest stone options, usually too small and cheaper made and with big gaps in the grits. I have since spent the time and resources to buy some quality and large stones, India, Arkansas, Water and various slips and strops. They all have their place with me, even if the water stones are bit less messy. I also made myself sit down and learn to sharpen freehand. It takes time, but I've yet to ruin one of my good chisels, and they are quite sharp now. I have various stones from 80-8000 grit.

[Scota4570]

Do the DMT diamond stones last as long as the one Lindsay sells?

[TommyG]

I have the Lindsay stones, 240, 600 & 2000 and use them in series with a DMT 1200 I have.  The DMT I have had quite a few years and does a great job.  Same height as the Lindsay stones from the engraving set he sells.

[Cory Joe Stewart]

Like many of you I have tried a lot of different things.  I have had the best results with sandpaper laid down on a ceramic tile.  I rarely get a stone out anymore.  I generally only use stones if the chisel actually has a ding or some damage to it. 

Cory Joe Stewart

[Mike Brooks]

They less sharpening impedimenta you need the better off you are.

[Roger B]

I really appreciate everyone's responses. Great information as always. Im going to try to keep things simple 'cause i probably have too much impedimentia to start with.
Roger B.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I use my 6 x 48 belt grinder to cut the hollow grind in my chisels and finish with a "Surgical Black" oil stone and a leather strop with French rouge.  Your chisels should be sharp enough to cut cleanly leaving a hard polished surface, even across the grain.

[Cory Joe Stewart]

Another thing to keep in mind is to avoid letting your tools get dull to begin with.  This is a bad habit for me.  I tend to work a tool until it starts to have issues and then sharpen.  A friend of mine is a luthier and when he is carving his finest stone is on the bench next to his work and he runs his chisels across it after two or three passes on the wood. 

Cory Joe

[borderdogs]

Cory is so right about that. For a long time I did the same thing it didn't matter what way I sharpened. I strop my tools ever so often its surprising how long an sharp edge last.
Rob

[TommyG]

Another thing to keep in mind is to avoid letting your tools get dull to begin with.  This is a bad habit for me.  I tend to work a tool until it starts to have issues and then sharpen.  A friend of mine is a luthier and when he is carving his finest stone is on the bench next to his work and he runs his chisels across it after two or three passes on the wood.

Not only that, I found that I can be my worst enemy, dropping, mishandling, etc..  I never let my tools(chisels, gouges, files, scrapers, etc.) accumulate into a pile on the bench and protect the edges with some sort of covering.  I found small lengths of cut vinyl fuel line work well for this.

[Not English]

I don't like water stones. They require to much maintenance! For a long time I used any type of what I think of as a hard stone. I am now switching over to diamond stones, made by Ultra Sharp. They have a lifetime guarantee. Best Sharpening Stones has an 8" X 3", 3 stone kit for $130. At this point I am going through my stones to  downsize the number of stones. A wood  mdf circular disc coated with rouge mounted on a grinder will also give surprising results. D Taylor Sapergia and Mike Brooks have the right idea.

Dave

[Kmcmichael]

I am a devotee of water stones but come from a different background ie. knives and straight razors. Nothing is as fast but they do have to be flattened. I have to use a guide with chisels as I will round the bevel if freehand very many times.

[JohnnyFM]

They less sharpening impedimenta you need the better off you are.

Whatever method you settle on, keep a leather strop(s) next to your work and offer it to your edge quite often.

[borderdogs]

I agree with Mike that less is better but you have to find what works for you. For me I started out with Arkansas stones and still have a black surgical stone that was given to me when I worked in a machine shop. But over all the trials on different methods sharpening I think I the Tormek works best for me I have a Super Grind 2000 that I have had for more than 20 years. I upgraded mine with a new stone, new shaft, new bushings and a new micro adjust bar and it is even better. I use it for chisels, gouges, plane irons, and knives and get mirror edges. I just bought their Japanese Water stone (which is very expensive $400!) which is suppose to be 4000 or better. Should have that maybe this Saturday I am looking forward to seeing what kind of edge it will produce.

I am not trying to sell anyone one on one of these but from my experience over 40 some odd years its one of the easiest ways to get great results quickly and repeatedly.  There is nothing better than having a super sharp chisel when working on a muzzle loader.
Rob

[Clark Badgett]

$400 for a 4000 grit water stone? I'll stick to my manual method.

[GANGGREEN]

Someone else mentioned the "scary sharp" method and that's what I've been using too.  Until I got it (glass plates and paper of various grits that's reasonably inexpensive), I NEVER had sharp chisels and fumbled with various stones, wheels and systems.  Now my chisels are really sharp and building has become a lot easier for me.  I still haven't discovered how to do the gouges and v-tools, but straight chisels are a piece of cake.

[borderdogs]

Gangreen,
I never figured that out either before the Tormek I used slip stones and radius stones which worked ok. But with the Tormek I get consistent results that equal and surpass the scary sharp method. It's easy to do chisels but equally easy to get great results with gouges too which are repeatable. If I didn't already have the machine I might have to consider the overall cost but I have had it a long time so the cost isnt a big deal. Spending $400 on a wheel is a lot but based on the history I have had with the machine and the process I expect good results.
Rob