We all have chisels. They are some of the most used and under-valued tools in our shops. They can range from a cheap set from the local big box store to very expensive sets from boutique makers.
How do you restore them?
What's your preferred method of sharpening them?
Share your tips for using them.
Let's see your collection.
Andy -- Old Chinese proverb say: If you think something can't be done, don't interrupt man who is doing it.
I'll start with a simple sharpening tip that I don't think I've seen anywhere else.
Often when you buy a new set of chisels, the maker will state what angle the primary bevel has been ground at, but when you buy secondhand chisels you have to find out yourself if you want to try and replicate it. Sure you can buy angle gauges that can tell you, but they can't keep you honest when you're freehand sharpening and ensure you stick to the correct angle. Recently I thought of putting an angle finder which has a built in magnet on the back of the chisel. It even stays put while you're sharpening, so you can stop once in a while and check you're maintaining you're chosen angle.
You basically zero the device on a known flat surface, stick it on the back of your chisel and raise the chisel to your desired bevel angle. Don't get hung up on the numbers to the right of the decimal point, the angle isn't that important.
Works with plane irons too of course.
Good idea? Bad idea? What do you think?
Andy -- Old Chinese proverb say: If you think something can't be done, don't interrupt man who is doing it.
Mr. Brit, This is a good topic for discussion as there are as many ways to sharpen, and it can be confusing & frustrating at times.
I had a difficult time at sharpening when first starting to do woodworking. Maintaining a consistent angle during the process was my number one problem, and I had a tendency to create a convex hump on the slope. I know there are sharpening tools available, like the clamping device with the roller on the back, and I purchased one. I wasn't a fan of it, sometimes didn't insert the iron at the proper location to get the full slope flat on the stone, and for touchup during use it delayed my work.
After experimenting methods, I've been using the sideways method. This can be seen in a YT video by Stavros Gakos: https://youtu.be/lj9Dr8kvnOo?si=DdLkuxEEWH0KZvsQ This method allows me to quickly touch up irons and chisels while in use, because I find it much easier by hand to maintain the angle, and because of the width of the tool preventing tipping, I no longer get the rounding or convex slope.
Well, that's my two cents worth, maybe someone can find this useful. Thanks for the topic of discussion, I'll be following for ideas.
I have two methods for sharpening depending on how bad the edge is.
When a chisel has gotten a ding and I need to remove a bunch of metal, I’ll take it over to the hand-cranked grinder Tony gave me. I’ve got the tool rest on that set at what seems to be a good angle for most of my lathe tools. I may move my little angle finder over from the table saw, since I still haven’t fixed that so I can actually zero the blade.
When tools need a quicker touch-up, I use a sharpskate with the older set of wheels rather than the skate. This does sideways sharpening as Tom recommends, and I agree that it’s an easier way for me to work and maintain the angle, though I sometimes won’t get a narrow chisel in exactly straight and will start making a skew. I generally catch that pretty quickly by looking at the scratches on the face. I use Arkansas oil stones for this sharpening now, since that’s what I grew up with and I can get good results. I do have a coarse friable stone which I’ll use when I’m changing a bevel angle or removing a ding and don’t want to use the grinder. That’s the fastest stone/hone I have other than the grinder.
I know it’s cheating since this is a hand-tool discussion…but I use a WorkSharp 3000 and MkII sharpening guide. I reset all my bevels when I get a new tool, and usually label the blade with the angle. By using the gauge, I get the same repeatable result and it takes less time to get the blade sharp the next time.
That said, I strop almost constantly. IMO, it reduces the need to sharpen by more than half. That is, I get double the life out of the edge before I have to go back and sharpen. Stropping is a superpower as far as I’m concerned.
Good topic!
Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".
I'm too wobbly for using an angle gauge like that. I use my WorkSharp3000. I do have the roller-skate thing from Veritas, too. Part of my reason for the WorkSharp was for honing my carving tools. I use a piece of cardboard glued to one of their glass platens. With the abrasive side up, it's simple to hone the gouges.
I use the leather coated disc on the WS for stropping. It lives on the WS and is right next to the bench, so stropping take less than 10 seconds and I’m back to work.
Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".
Interesting idea using the digital angle gauge to set the honing angle. I suppose you should zero it out on your stone and bench as those might not be level.
I bought a set of unhandled Narex Richter chisels over a year ago with the intention of turning my own handles. I even bought a set of figured maple turning blanks when I spotted them on sale but have yet to muster up the round toit. Part of my procrastination is deciding what shape to make them. Anyone have a shape that they really like?
--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.
White wheel and the Veritas grinder jig on a bench grinder to establish the preliminary angle on beat up chisels, otherwise, my Veritas power sharpener makes very quick work of sharpening, establishing secondary bevels etc. Works excellent. I of course like many of you have waterstones, diamond stones and a variety of other tools stones etc. for everything from gouges to small blades to knives.
I cheat 😁 I don't care what the existing angle is, I use 30 deg for bench chisels and 20 deg for paring chisels and I sharpen on my Worksharp so I just set the jig and let it do the work.
I will add that in addition to the bevels, I give attention to the backs when I first acquire a chisel and flatten them. For wider chisels I also flatten the backs on my Worksharp. For narrower ones that are hard to hold flat against the spinning wheel, I use diamond plates. Unless they really need a lot of work then I put some 60 grit sandpaper on a granite surface plate.
Nathan, for bench chisels I've become fond of the Stanley 750 style handles. They're comfortable to hold while hitting the butt. If I were making my own I think I'd keep the basic geometry but make them a bit longer so my fat paws aren't so close the the mallet. For paring chisels I like EA Berg handles. They're big enough to hold comfortably while applying force and strong enough to take a mallet tap if needed. The rings indicate they're intended for mallet duty but I like them for hand use.
Great input chaps. @Ryan - Not cheating to mention Worksharp machines. I don't have one, but that is only because they weren't available here when I was in the market. I have a Tormek T8 with the standard stone wheel, the three diamond wheels and the Japanese polishing wheel. I have a lot of their jigs too and I love that machine. I also have other sharpening machines. As far as hand sharpening goes, I have a set of Naniwa splash and go stones, DMT diamond stones and oil stones. I use them all. My all time favourites though are my Shapton ceramic stones. They are the bee's knees.
Andy -- Old Chinese proverb say: If you think something can't be done, don't interrupt man who is doing it.
Seems like there are enough levels of how-to sharpen discussed here to give everyone ammunition to consider applying to edged tools. I'm a hand sharpener and will not bore this group with the steps I use. It can be a burden when others find out (or you volunteer) that you can sharpen chisels, knives, scissors, crowbars, etc. Here in the village where my shop resides many (it seems) have rooted through the great grand-whosenames old tool chests and have presented me with so many mushroom topped no-handled socket chisels that melted down would create a damn fine anchor. Because their usefulness as a chisel ended around the turn of the last century. Although some were recognized as products of makers that were still in demand. These were re-stored and new handles were turned and installed. I show this particular set which are beveled for paring not so much because of their rarity but more because the handles are turned from off-cuts of Ipe. Leftovers from the carlins of a hatch on a fishing schooner I was working on. Polishes up nice and gives a comfortable grip. With just a bit of added weight so with a tap of your palm you get the same result that with other chisels might require a mallet strike. Work a treat for fine tuning dovetails or box joints. Exposed dimensions; 150mm L, with 30mm Dia. ends & 25mm mid. Just my thoughts for those that mentioned new handles. I think I'm going to hijack that digital protractor idea. Thanks for sharing it Brit..
Some of my most creative moments have been when I've had to cover up an error in my woodworking.
One caution on chisel handles - socket chisels, which many people think are the greatest thing ever, are extremely frustrating in the desert. My LN socket chisels sit mostly unused because I can't keep the handles in the sockets. We get a little humidity and the handles swell and back out a little. Then things revert to normal and the handles fall out.
Dave, I wonder if something like Briwax ChairRX would help? It supposedly swells the wood fibers to tighten joints. Maybe that would make them shrink less during dry periods? I used it once on a table and it seems to work for the short time that I had it, though I do not have the table anymore so I cannot give you a long term assessment.
--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.
I like the looks of both of those styles of handles, Kenny. I've considered adding some rings like the Japanese style chisels sometimes have but I may reserve these for non-mallet work.
--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.
