By Jed Dixon
Sharpening tools properly must be one of the
hardest learned lessons in carpentry, yet the path to success
is simple and, unless you're a tool junkie or Gary Katz, it doesn't
require fancy or expensive equipment.
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| Step One: Sharpness is nothing more than two flat surfaces,
polished mirror smooth, meeting at an angle. Use a grinder to
establish the angle. Thirty degrees is about right but you'll
soon learn to get it right by eye. Pointier will cut more easily,
shallower will be stronger. Grind the bevel side hollow. You will
have ground enough when sparks start coming over the top. |
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Step Two: Check the chisel for square frequently and use
a gentle touch. Dip the tool in water or oil often to cool it.
If it gets hot enough to discolor you will have ruined the temper.
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Step Three: Hone the bevel on an oilstone or water stone(
I use a medium India),secured in a clamp or fixture. If you hold
it in your hand you will probably be wearing a bandaid soon after.
Rest the tool on the bevel and don't tip it up or down as you
sharpen. Use small circular motions and move over the entire surface
of the stone so you don't wear it hollow. All you are doing is
removing the coarse scratches made by the grinder— it doesn't
take a lot of pressure, just a little patience.
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Step Four: Hone the backof the tool. Hold the back absolutely
flat on the stone. You are polishing out any scratches or pits
on the back, making sure the back is flat, and removing the burr
left by the earlier steps. This step may take a few minutes on
a new tool, but only seconds to retouch a tool that has been properly
sharpened before.
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Step Five:S tropping is the step most carpenters skip, which
is why most carpenters are working with dull tools. I use a piece
of leather glued to a block of wood. Charge the strop with buffing
compound. My favorite is Herb
Dunkle's Yellowstone.
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| Step Six: Strop the tool by pulling it backwards over the
leather— back side first, then the bevel. Hold the tool
flat on the leather so you don't round the bevel over. In a moment
you will be able to see your reflection in the edge of the tool. |
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Step Seven: When you can shave with your chisel or plane
iron, then it's sharp enough to cut wood—even curley hardwood
or across redwood end grain.
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