Buying new (first) chisels... what do I need for sharpening?

[rob.nester]

So I'm planning on ordering a new set of chisels (my first set - http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,41504&p=67707) and I'm wondering what else do I need? I watched Paul Sellers video on flattening the backs of chisels, but I wasn't sure what else to pick up to get the new chisels in good working order.

Any recommendations?

 

[Mike Davis]

I started with 3M wet & dry sandpaper that I bought at the automotive body shop supply the sheets are about $1 each and will sharpen a chisel or two depending how dull it is to start. After the first shaping and sharpening you will only need one sheet each of the finer grits a month.

That said you need several grits starting with 220 and going up to 1200.

This method is the least expensive to get started with. However, in the long run you will endlessly be buying sandpaper.


DMT diamond stones cost about $50 each, some are a little more. They last at least ten years under normal use and are dead flat. You can use them wet or dry. I prefer to use them dry and clean with WD-40 every 15-30 minutes of use.

This is the best and least expensive in the long run.

I bought the 600 grit stone first then the finer one then the courser ones. Used sandpaper until I saved up or found each stone on sale. Amazon usually has the best price if you get free shipping.

 

[rob.nester]

That said you need several grits starting with 220 and going up to 1200.

Would I need _every_ grit between 220 and 1200 or are there recommended ones?

 

[KenOfCary]

Not really - if using sandpaper get 220, 600, 800, 1200 - that should be a good mix. You could even skip the 800.

I like a Diamond Stone that Trend makes that has 300 on one side and 1000 on the other. A good compromise it you want to start with only a few stones and add later. I probably use my 600, 1200, 8000 diamonds the most. Now that the rough sharpening it done I rarely use the 125 stone although it is very handy for flattening wet stones or oil stones.

The 8000 isn't really necessary for sharpening - at that level you are really just polishing.

I expect you'll get a lot of opinions about sharpening as there are dozens of ways to do it. Find something that works well for you and stick with it. The more you practice a single method the better you'll get at it. In other words do what I say, not what I do. I have about every sharpening method available. Tend to use the diamonds mostly these days. I use them with a very very light oil. I like Trend's brand of sharpening fluid - it is a very light oil similar to camelia or something similar. It's also very cheap. Klingspor carries the Trend brand.

 

[Mike Davis]

I tend to use more different grits in sandpaper than i do with diamonds. Sandpaper wears fast and the more grits you use the less time you spend on each one. 220-280-320-400-600-800-1200-1500 only a few strokes on each grit.

For the very first set up time sharpen with 120-150-180 to get things flat and shaped then the rest to sharpen and strop. After that you shouldn't let things get dull to the point that you have to start below 600, but sometimes we get invested in our work and forget to stop and sharpen.

I have just used a 600 diamond and nothing else. The blade will cut, maybe not as slick and maybe not as long, but it will cut and probably better than anything that was used 100 years ago.

Each finer grit is only used for getting rid of the sanding marks from the grit before. The wider the gaps between grits the more time you spend getting rid of marks. Ideally you would hollow grind on a bench grinder, hone only the edge and hip of the grind on 600 diamond then 1200 to get rid of the 600 marks. But life is not always so simple and people want to sell you things.

People waste more time sharpening and also waste more time by not sharpening that it boggles the mind.

 

[Charlie Buchanan]

Those are good chisels for the money. I have several of them, But would not buy a whole set at once. Start with maybe the set of 4 at most. You will learn what other sizes you need by using them.
As Mike said sandpaper on a piece of thick glass or other flat surface is the way to go until you find out how much sharpening you need to do. A agree also that most people both waste time by sharpening too obsessively and by waiting too long between sharpenings. After I gave up paper, I went to a set of Norton water stones 250, 1000, 4000, 8000. I have not found the need for anything else in several years of use. My Narex chisels were nearly flat on the back when I got them. And they were sharp enough out of the box to go directly to a 4000 stone, then 8000 then a quick swipe on a flat board charged with green compound--more to get a polish than anything else. Don't be discouraged if they dull quickly or nick at first. After a few honings the edge will get more durable. Have fun! A sharp chisel is just a joy to use.

 

[Tarhead]

The system Mike suggested above is called Scary Sharp. Most of us can't or won't do it freehand. You can spend ~$15 on a side clamp honing guide https://www.lie-nielsen.com/product...rpening-side-clamping-honing-guide-?node=4203 and make an angle setting guide for fast setup like this: https://d3h1zj156zzd4j.cloudfront.net/pdf/AngleSettingJig.pdf If you want to spend extra money you can go with the Veritas honing guide http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.aspx?p=51868&cat=1,43072,43078&ap=1 . It offers a wider roller and an optional cambering roller for plane irons. It also grips the chisel tighter than the side clamp does without having to use a screwdriver. So one way or another you can't sharpen without hold the blade at a fixed angle.

Honing/Stropping is the last thing you do. There are options using the skin from a horse's backside, leather mounted to a piece of wood, etc. I use a piece of MDF charged with green abrasive for flat blades and custom made wooden ones for gouges. It's easy to round over your sharp edge so leave the blade in the honing guide when you do this if you don't trust yourself.

There are also motorized sharpeners that make it super easy and fast once you get the bevel established (Worksharp) or not so fast but a complete system with very little to buy for a lifetime (Tormek). Grizzly sells a copy of Tormek. You can find used Tormek 2000s w/jigs for ~$250. The Tormek's motor is spec'd for continuous duty and is pretty bulletproof so don't pass a used one over if you want to go that way.

 

[Newboy]

The diamond stones are good, but they are expensive, and do wear out. They do stay flat.

The paper "scary sharp" works well. Cheapest initially, but maybe most expensive in the long run. Buy a granite flat for $30, or a thick bit of float glass. Almost need to glue the paper down to keep it flat.

I have never used the Tormak, because I thought it was too much money. So, I have maybe $1000 worth of stones, instead. Would have been cheaper to get the Tormak initially.

 

[Chris C]

Paper. Easy and cheap to start with. You can always upgrade later.

I use 120, 220, 320, 600, 800, 1200, 2000.....then strop with chromium oxide. Like Mike said, a lot of grits and a few strokes on each does the job and seems to make the paper last longer. Lubricate with knock-off Windex.

I use 2-sided masking tape on a Formica counter-top in my shop.

I know opinions vary ....but my sharpening improved noticeably with the strop.

I also use a honing guide.

 

[merrill77]

If you are willing to trade $$ for time, look into the WorkSharp 3000 - it excels at sharpening chisels & common plane blades. Much faster (and easier, IMO) than hand sharpening. Especially for the initial grind.

 

[ehpoole]

I presently use Norton waterstones (up to 8000 grit for the final polishing pass), but diamond stones are well worth considering as well as they have come down in price over the years (a coarse diamond stone us also ideal for flattening waterstones). I have also, occasionally, used sand paper adhered (by water surface tension) to a heavy granite machinist stone (about as close to perfectly flat as one can reasonably get).

If you do choose to go diamond, buy a quality brand and not on price alone as some economy stones have undesirable imperfections. Diamond stones come in two major grades, the cheaper polycrystalline, which will wear out much faster, and the more expensive monocrystaline, which wear much more slowly and have a greater service life -- so when comparing prices it is important to keep in mind which type of diamond crystal has been used in the stone, especially if you will be using them heavily.

I very much like the Veritas Mark II sharpening jig for consistent sharpening results as it makes consistency so much easier (I don't sharpen often enough to do a satisfactory job by hand alone, though some can). I really think this is one of the best jigs for sharpening most chisels and hand plane irons ever invented (my $0.02).

 

[Hmerkle]

Rob,
Ethan's advice is spot on!
I will only make one suggestion.

If you choose tapered chisels (think old Stanley socket chisels) the Veritas MarkII does not hold them very well. (don't ask how I know this...)

The simple "side clamping sharpening guide" (see below) works VERY well for chisels and your future bench plane irons!

 

[rob.nester]

If you are willing to trade $$ for time...

For the moment, the equation is definitely time > $$ but that does look like an interesting system.

 

[Jeff]

Lots of good advice given. Here's a few more recommendations.

1. Buy a few good quality chisels for general use as starters (maybe 3/4" and 1"). These from Lee Valley are excellent quality and made by them for them to their typically exacting standards. They'll be pretty much good to go right out of the box!

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=69847&cat=1,41504

2. +1 to the Veritas MK-II honing guide for ease of use and consistency. It also works nicely with typical width plane irons.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=51868&cat=1,43072,43078,51868

3. The DMT DuoSharp diamond stones have 2 grits in one stone and they won't wear out or lose their flatness. The largest stone is 10" l x 4" w and that's plenty of surface area to work with. The accessory holder elevates the whole setup and minimizes knuckle dragging.

http://www.dmtsharp.com/sharpeners/bench-stones/duosharp/

4. Last but not least is a box of band-aids and a can of ground black pepper as a coagulant.

Spend more time woodworking and less time sharpening with an up-front investment. ccasion1

 

[Mike Davis]

I've heard of using ground cayenne pepper to stop bleeding but haven't heard of using black pepper.

Not sure if either one works but at least with the cayenne you will remember the experience.

 

[Jeff]

I've heard of using ground cayenne pepper to stop bleeding but haven't heard of using black pepper.

Not sure if either one works but at least with the cayenne you will remember the experience.

Both work as coagulants but what actually does it may differ between the two.

http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2010/10/04/no-studies-on-black-pepper-for-cuts/

 

[Halfghan]

I followed the suggestions of Marc Spagnuolo. If it works for him, it's good enough for me!

Veritas MKii honing guide

DMT duosharp stone Course/Extra Course - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004WFUL?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s01

Shapton Pro ceramic 1000 & 5000 grit stones
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007U8RXNW?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s01
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008NPL1U2?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00

This definitely gets the job done. I want to pick up an 8000 stone as well at some point when budget allows.

 

[Gofor]

....

If you choose tapered chisels (think old Stanley socket chisels) the Veritas MarkII does not hold them very well. (don't ask how I know this...)

The simple "side clamping sharpening guide" (see below) works VERY well for chisels and your future bench plane irons!

I have found this guide http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UQ5PGC...29923385a09673b17f05_1941_5316_883050391_1314 to work better for the tapered chisels. The wider roller keeps it more stable. I bought mine at Klingspors in Raleigh. I use the Mk II for my plane irons, but had the same results as Hank on the tapered chisels.

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