sharpening chisels

[Sam The Cat]

I have been using hand tools more often lately and can definitly tell when I am starting to loose the edge. I have a Tormek which does a nice job on "major resharpenings" but I was wondering if it would be easier to do touch up with other methods. Something along the lines of doing the major bevel on the tormek and the micro on something else.

I have been scanning for products and the shapton water stones look interesting -- the benefits of water stone but you do not have to keep them soaking wet..... Thinking that a #1000 and #5000 would suffice for touchups.

anybody else what to share their method(s) ?

[gpdewitt]

I use a leather wheel on my drill press with some honing compound on it, just freehand. Puts a mirror surface on both sides fast, works for me. Also works very well on kitchen and steak knives, between major sharpenings.

[David]

I use the 4x10" DMT stones, (all 4 grits they make), and then on to higher grit sandpaper. since I don't like raising the blades on the backstroke, I avoid the wet papers until I need their high grit (too many times I've sliced the papers). Then I polish with a 5" fabric wheel on a handheld die grinder, loaded lightly with Meguairs metal polish. The results are spectacular. Others use different techniques to arrive at equal or better results.

Dave

[stoutman]

Or worse results. :^{

[David]

:) I'm no expert. I HAVE to use the MKII guide to get spot-on straight bevels. No way I can free-hand hone a chisel or blade and get results acceptable to me and probably not to anyone else either. I use all the "crutches" at my disposal. If I had deeper pockets I'd most likely spring for the Veritas or Tormek too. It was pricey enough getting the large DMT stones!

Dave

[Tyke]

I use the Scary Sharp various grades of sandpaper method. Bought a slab of granite from Grizzly which is as flat as they come, and the Veritas MK II hoing guide which gets me the angle and provides roller support during sharpening. This is a terrific piece of equipment.

I use 11 in x 4 1/4 (1/2 sheet of standard paper) of wet and dry sandpaper, moistened under the tap, lay on the granite slab and move to finer grits. Works good enough for my needs. So far used for chisels and plane blades.

Dave Paine.

[cm]

I use the leather wheel on my Tormek. Works great.

Craig

[rickluce]

Well unless you have a ding in your chisel I certainly wouldn't use the tormek to touch up your chisel, but you probably already knew that. Once your bevel and your intial hoaning is done I would just touch it up with a shapton 5000 then go up to either a shapton 8000 or a japanes water stone. What everyone likes to say here "...depending on what your doing." If your paring, 8000 or even higher!!! If your just hacking out mortises 5000 grit is more than enough. Just make sure your stones are flat and that the back of the chisel/plane blade is flat. I read an article recently from a proffesional who has been sharpening for years, he said of all the woodworker tools he's sharpenened over his career he rarely sees a chisel/plane blade that has been flattened correctly. This is my procedure.

Tormek to get bevel course diamond stone to flatten back

1000 grit shapton to refine edge and back 5000 grit shapton to sharpen 8000 Japanese water stone to refine 15000 when I haven't taken my medication

I can easily cut a piece of paper in half cleanly. Shaving is for razors and hairy people.

[Sam The Cat]

thanks -- from what I gather you feel the 5000 and 8000 would do the job. I am mainly using the chisels for paring and desire the shapest of edges -- hence the need to touch up at frequent intervals

[AAvK]

hence the need to touch up at frequent intervals

Sam, brudda! ALL you need is a slab of smooth strapping leather. About ten strokes and see how sharp it the blade gets. Quite awesome. There is a recent post called "Stropping" and should still be in your list, I suggest give all of it a read, it isn't that much.

[jo4hn]

Coarse grit, the stucco on the side of the house. Finish off by scraping it on the concrete garage floor. Works great. Trust me. tough to type in this funny jacket, jo4hn