What do you guys use to sharpen your cutting blades, chisels, gouges?

[PECVD2]

I have used my 6" grinder with a med wheel (with limited success) but am looking to purchase a dedicated grinder for this purpose.

I have watched many a youtube video on sharpening, attended a local artist's sharpening workshop but I don't want to spend a kilobuck on a sharpening system.

I am looking for ideas.

 

[RivennHewn]

I do my rough shaping with a fine wheel, then on to my Cratex rubberized wheel, and final honing on sandpaper and a marble slab with oil.

Time consuming, but I could shave your eyelids when I'm done.

 

[skruft]

Mostly oilstones.

No topic is more controversial among woodworkers, who argue sandpaper versus waterstones versus "systems."

 

[srmofo]

I just picked one of these up for my axe and mower blades.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000B8FW0Y/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[lilredex]

I use a disc sander for many things, including center punches, lathe (wood) chisels and use a 1 X 30" belt sander for the smaller more delicate items such as drill bits. Never did use a grinder...found it too agressive and rough.

 

[bobcatdan]

Bench grinder and then hand file for most things. A buddy has a high end knife sharpen and love of sharpening so he does all my knifes. I have a work sharp, that thing is a POS.

 

[darkk]

eh...couple swipes across the grinding wheel and I'm good.

 

[BreeStephany]

I do a lot of restoration work, so I generally start out with a belt sander to take out the nicks and gouges in the blade, bench grind if its REALLY bad, use a set of diamond hones to give it a nice edge and then generally maintain it with a set of oil stones.

I try to stay away from bench grinding, as I find its just too aggressive and generally gives you more work in the end if you not extremely patient, but thats just me.

I know a lot of people that use systems that have pretty good results, I'm just not in the position to drop $500 ~ $1000 on a good sharpening system when my current method seems to be working pretty well

 

[PECVD2]

Mostly oilstones.

No topic is more controversial among woodworkers, who argue sandpaper versus waterstones versus "systems."

Exactly why I asked here.

I seen this question asked over at x, y and z woodworking websites only to have it end up about HF, COO and you know...we've got the whole PVC issue here.

I have tri stones, a 6 " grinder with a pink and white wheels and other sharpening tools.

I just trust this group for good info.

Thanks for the posts guys.

 

[Dieselbutterfly]

as stated above but finish with buffing wheel and compound

 

[PECVD2]

I use a disc sander for many things, including center punches, lathe (wood) chisels and use a 1 X 30" belt sander for the smaller more delicate items such as drill bits. Never did use a grinder...found it too agressive and rough.

Lilred,

do you sharpen your bowl gouges by hand on the disk?

If you do...is it totally free hand or do you have a jig or other type of edge to set bowl gouge on?

I was thinking about making some type of tool rest to set in front of my grinder.

 

[PECVD2]

as stated above but finish with buffing wheel and compound

I believe this may be the solution.

I have a nice set (not best) of Crown HSS gouges.

They work good but it seems like I need a better finish.

nothing is more fustrating than trying to turn a block and have the tool start chattering after only a few hours of turning.

I know my technique is not perfert but I can tell pretty quickly when the tooling edge is gone.

I also would like to sharpen my 15" planer and 6" joiner blades instead of shopping it out.

 

[coolreed]

I use Diamond Sharpening Stones (for lack of a better term). I have five sizes up 6000 grit. This is what I use on my Planes and Chisels.

For my Knives I use my Baldor with a 1000 grit on one side and strop on the other. Also have a ceramic Vee for touch up.

Would like to get some Japanese Water Stones in the future.

 

[RCStocker]

The Tormex is good. I have one but they are 5 arms and a leg. Grizzly, HF, Jet all make a copy that is not very much money. Then again you can do it the old fashion way and use stones. There are jigs that you can buy for your chisels. They are used with a bench grinder. If you buy an 8 inch bench grinder get a slow speed or variable speed grinder. It works much better on woodworking tools. I like the Tormex because it des such a good job with the hand plane blades. They also make little jigs to hold chisels for getting the proper angle on stones and sandpaper. If you use 400 grit sand paper or finer put it on a small sheet of glass. The galss if very flat and smooth. It give you room to roll the gig around. Three are a lot of woodworking sites like the Woodnet and Woodweb. You can join and look up all the information on sharpening tools. One is a good home owners site and he other it he professional site form industry. The WoodWeb had professors from all over the country, engineers, professionals and the best hobbiest in the world on it.

I like the TormaX because I shapren all the kitchen knives on it and I buy and sell tools. They go out razor sharp and it does not take me forever to sharpen them by hand. The after market sharpeners many times have stones that are out of round and not true.

For Sharpening stones they make a diamond tool that is flat. It dress the wheel all at once streight across. I don't like the stone dressing tool that comes with any of the Tormex type sharpeners. They are about $30. No matter what system you go to you will end up with several hundred dollars in to everthing with the jigs. Good stones are not cheap unless you find them second hand and cheap.

 

[smithcarloso]

I was thinking about making some type of tool rest to set in front of my grinder.

 

[pattenp]

For honing my chisels and plane blades I use a Veritas guide with wet sand paper on a piece of granite top. The rough sharpening I do it on a benchtop disc sander the same as lilredex does.

Veritas Honing Guide:

 

[woody 73]

I use a just about everything out there,Tormek,sandpaper,belt sander,water stones,files,bench grinders etc. The best luck at least for me is that I use a slow speed grinder with a softer stone grit wheel (white stones as opposed to the gray wheels).

Unfortunately the op does not wish to spend a lot of money on a system and the better systems out there go for the high dollars. You can save a ton of money building your own system but that takes time and patience.

 

[lilredex]

Lilred,

do you sharpen your bowl gouges by hand on the disk?

If you do...is it totally free hand or do you have a jig or other type of edge to set bowl gouge on?

I was thinking about making some type of tool rest to set in front of my grinder.

It is all free hand, find your angle and gently twist. But I do use one of those inexpensive drill jigs on the belt sander most of the time. Don't spend much time sharpening anything under 1/4" as they come by the box so cheaply these days.

 

[WallynSC]

I use a Delta 1" x 42" belt sander for pocket knives, gouges, chisels, hand plane blades, kitchen knives, all free hand. You would probably need to make a jig for planer and jointer blades. Stones are above my skill level. Once I get to the 15 micron belt it will shave, finish with a leather and white compound.

http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/776367/tp/1/

 

[strutaeng]

I have a nice 1700 RPM Baldor grinder with a course and fine stone. I use the course for nicks or to re-establish the angle. Although this type of grinder is much slower and generates less heat, you still want to be careful not to draw the temper.

I learned reading from reading CHRIS SCHWARZ's articles on Popular Woodworking. He is hand-tool guy. I also watched some videos from Lie-Nielsen. The following advice is for sharpening hand tools:

I think you should learn technique. Whether you use oilstone vs. waterstone, etc. is not that important.

I do a little grinding, sillicone carbide sandpaper on a piece of granite up to 1500X and then do a few swipes on a 400X/8000X Norton stone. I do this freehand. Once the angle is set from the grinder, you use your tactile senses to follow that. The advantage is that you can do cambers on plane irons, gouges and even microbevels quickly and without fancy "jigs."

Remember, your goal is to sharpen quickly and get back to woodworking.

If you really love sharpening (or just want to spend big bucks) buy a sharpening machine...

If you love woodworking and want to spend more time woodworking, learn technique...

Good luck

 

[carterbeauford]

Norton fine grinding wheel and double sided japanese water stone. would really like a slow speed wet grinder.

 

[Outlawmws]

The biggest issue with most grinders is they are WAY TOO FAST and will burn up the edge. You need a slow grinder and preferably a wet one for edges. That is for basic angle and edge conditioning. After that you need one of those roller guides PattonP showed to get he final edge.

 

[Zeke]

Wet stone or oil stone for my wood chisels and plane irons with a guide.

 

[PECVD2]

Thanks for all the input.

As mentioned above I need a technique and need to finish with (as mention above) with some leather or buffing compound.

I get a decent egde the HSS just doesn't hold it very long.
I am either not finishing the tool properly or not using it properly.
I am going to get this!

 

[mbatarga]

For my lathe gouges, I made myself a copy of a jig based on the Wolverine gouge sharpening jig. Plans on the site below are similar to what I made - but not exact.
http://www.aroundthewoods.com/sharpening01.html

For chisels themselves, I use waterstones. I've got a set that goes up to 6000 grit and will sharpen them to a razor sharp edge.

 

[PECVD2]

For my lathe gouges, I made myself a copy of a jig based on the Wolverine gouge sharpening jig. Plans on the site below are similar to what I made - but not exact.
http://www.aroundthewoods.com/sharpening01.html

For chisels themselves, I use waterstones. I've got a set that goes up to 6000 grit and will sharpen them to a razor sharp edge.

Very nice set up, just what I need.

Thanks