Folks, I have been using a grinder and white aluminum oxide stone to hollow grind my chisels, then taking them to a couple of Japanese waterstones to finish honing them. I have been removing the hollow grind when using the waterstones, but it is an awful lot of work and I am wondering if I need to. What is your opinion? Should I just grind them to the approximate shape (until I get a good burr on the back edge), then just hone them slightly on the rougher of the two waterstones, then changing the angle a bit and giving them a microbevel on the finer of the two Japanese stones? Thanks so much in advance for your help, Richard
Question when sharpening chisels and plane blades
Feb 20, 2006
5 Replies
You don't need to grind the hollow off the bevel. Just get a flat surface (approx. 3/32") (guys?) along the cutting edge. That surface should have a mirror image along the back side of the bevel, leaving the hollow in between.
-Zz
Once the blades are shaped properly, using the grinder should be a rare event if you keep them sharp ont he waterstones.
Right!
The advantage to teh hollow grind is that only a small bit of metal needs to be removed when touching them up. Grinding away the hollow defeats the advantage of hollow grinding.
Good advice below. Also, there should be no need to grind them often. Once the bevel is established, maintenance shouldn't require anything more than the stones.
That's the way I was taught, and it's worked well for me.
Remember to frequently touch up on 4000 & 8000 stones during use, and you'll rarely have to reshape the edge.
Barry
Join the Discussion
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Didn't find your answer?
Ask the community — no account required