Joined: May 02, 2005 Posts: 3277 Location: at the convention
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 2:33 am Post subject: Re: Re-honing chisels badly dinged by misuse
WisJim wrote:
Cheapest solution:
Buy some silicone carbide wet-or-dry paper (commonly referred to as "wet or dry sandpaper). Get a sheet each of 60, 80, 100, 120, 320, 400, 600, 1200 grit paper. Get a scrap piece of 3/8 inch to 1/2 inch think plate glass, a foot square or bigger, unless you have a table saw. Tape half a sheet of the coarsest paper to the glass (or to the table of the table saw) so it is flat. This is your substitute extra coarse sharpening stone. Use it to take the nicks out of the files. Then do the same with the next finer sheet of abrasive paper, and the next, going through all the grits in sequence until you have a nicely polished edge on the chisels. You can go to finer grits, but you may have to get the finest papers at a shop that sells supplies to body shops (that work on auto body repairs).
Google "scary sharp" for better explanations. I use this method, but usually start with a bit of time on the grinding wheel if something has big nicks. I use WD40 or kerosene sometimes as a lubricant--it helps the paper last longer. Each sheet of sandpaper can be used over and over again if it doesn't get clogged with metal bits, so that is why you use a lubricant. Some people use contact cement in a spray can to glue down the sandpaper strips, with them lined up side by side on a piece of plate glass. Scary sharp
Also good stuff! When I'm going after that level of quality in an edge, I always build a jig because I can't hold a consistent angle by hand.
Funny though; I can hand sharpen a drill, which has complex curved surfaces, just about perfect every time. _________________ "Don't ever become a pessimist... a pessimist is correct oftener than an optimist, but an optimist has more fun, and neither can stop the march of events."
Robert A. Heinlein
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 2:51 pm Post subject: Re: Re-honing chisels badly dinged by misuse
Well, folks..I did it.
Just finished up on the largest and most-damaged of the 3 chisels. Decent steel, for sure. it was a set of 1/2", 1", and a 1-1/2" chisels.
I began on the 1/2", as it was more damaged than the 1", less than the 1-1/2" and the smallest.
I adhered to the advice to grind the edge flat, then to re-grind and hone only on the beveled edge. Tho, on all 3, I did lightly hone on the flat side only to remove the burr that developed.
Got all 3 sharp enough that if I ran a finger along the edge, I'd have been cut. I did remove a little skin testing the edges with my finger tip, lightly testing back and forth.
The best part is that I did it by hand using files and a stone!
I invested appxly 2-1/2 hours total. if it'd been a mere sharpening, would have taken far less than that, but there were some dings more that 1/16 inch...real serious abuse..requiring a fair amount of metal to be removed.
So, I'm sure it would have taken a jiffy if I'd used an electric grinder, but then I feel I learned a lot about the metal, and plus, didn't have to worry about wrecking the temper of the metal since I'd have to stop and rest way before enough damaging heat had developed.
Thanks for the advice...next is to make a set of shelves I'd been wanting to make using those same chisels.
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