Fine Woodworking sharpening tip

[Frank Ketchum]

In the new issue #164 on the top of page18, they show a drawing of a jig for sharpening a scraper plane blade. It basically holds a diamond sharpening stone at an angle of 30 degrees to a surface that the blade is laid flat upon. Then the blade is moved back and forth along the length of the edge being sharpened. This keeps the angle being sharpened constant. I have some problems sharpening my chisels freehand and was considering something like this to help.

Questions

1) Does it matter that the sharpening direction is along the edge instead of perpendicular to it? 2) Could this be adapted for sharpening chisels and plane irons?

Thanks Frank

[Dr. Rev. Chuck, M.D. P.A.]

Perpendicular produces a stronger edge. Honing produces sets of fine scratches. If the scratches are parallel to the edge, the edge is weakened. It's not a problem with coarser grits _if_ you polish out the scratches with a couple of strokes square to the edge.

Spend ten dollars on a jig. The cheapest ones work as well as the most expensive.

[Kim Whitmyre]

Frank, get one of the cheap jigs that clamp the chisel/blade and have a wheel: you set the angle and then just roll the affair back and forth. Makes it very easy to get consistent results.

Kim

[Ed G]

I bought the Lee Valley jig and combination water stone set-up and never looked back. I intend to get one finer stone for finishing, but my plane irons and chisels all gleam like mirrors.

Ed G.