What do you use for sharpening of hand tools?

[mouppe]

Good point about the stone length. I have never had a problem with the Norton stones, but avoid the King stones as they are way too narrow. Norton stones are 2 3/4" wide and 7 3/4" long.

 

[jmbfestool]

Reiska, this is just my opinion so others may well disagree.

I would not use the diamond plates as the basis for my sharpening system. I do use a diamond plate for flattening my waterstones, and I also use it for kitchen knives, but not my chisels and plane blades. I prefer the waterstones because they cut smooth and fast, and the water lubricates the cutting action. Waterstones are also preferable for more advanced sharpening techniques such as cambering the blade- if you use a diamond plate for this it is possible to dig the corner into the holes and it makes the process more difficult.

Regarding grit numbers, I don't know how a 1200 diamond stone compares to a 8000 waterstone in terms of results, but I can tell you that I use a DMT duosharp diamond plate equivalent to 220 grit to flatten my 1000 and 4000 stones. The flip side of the 220 grit (DMT refer to it as extra coarse) is 325 grit (coarse) and this is what I use to flatten my 8000 stone.

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

If you do go down the waterstone route, buy the individual stones, not the conmbination ones. Yes, it is more expensive but they last much longer per grit so that works out the same. You also have two faces per stone so you can sharpen for longer between flattenings. (I dropped my combination stone on the floor and it split in half, so I ended up with two stones anyway but I do not recommend this!)

Lie Nielsen have two great videos on sharpening with waterstones on youtube which I highly recommend.

The Veritas honing guide is terrific, but with two drawbacks. The first regards the registration jig you attach to it to set the blade length. This is made of steel and the depth stop on it can damage the edge of your blade when you remove it from the jig. Remove this depth stop and use a marker to draw a line instead. Second, always remember to set the microbevel back to zero so you do not inadvertently but a microbevel where you don't want one when you next sharpen.

Hope this helps.

I only have that problem with very small chisels.  Anything above 1inch never catches.  But just incase you didnt know you can also get solid diamond stones which have no holes in them. 

JMB

 

[promhandicam]

I use a worksharp 3000 and waterstones. I had a T7 but sold it as it and bought the worksharp which for what I want to sharpen - chisels and plane irons is a much better system.

Can you describe "better" from your thinking? Can't see that from my perspective other than maybe quicker and cheaper - but not ultimate edge quality.

For touching up a chisel, you turn it on push the chisel in and it is done - 10 seconds. If a chisel is badly damaged you can start with 80 grit to quickly establish an edge and then go up through the grits 400 - 1000 - I finish on 3600. No water all over the bench, no dressing the stone, no grading the stone no fiddling about setting the chisel to the right angle - what more do you want to know? With regards to edge quality, you can go up to 6000 solid micro mesh abrasive for fine honing but for me 3600 is quite adequate - enough to shave hairs. At the end of the day I want to spend my time woodworking with sharp tools not spending my time sharpening.

 

[Kev]

I use a worksharp 3000 and waterstones. I had a T7 but sold it as it and bought the worksharp which for what I want to sharpen - chisels and plane irons is a much better system.

Can you describe "better" from your thinking? Can't see that from my perspective other than maybe quicker and cheaper - but not ultimate edge quality.

For touching up a chisel, you turn it on push the chisel in and it is done - 10 seconds. If a chisel is badly damaged you can start with 80 grit to quickly establish an edge and then go up through the grits 400 - 1000 - I finish on 3600. No water all over the bench, no dressing the stone, no grading the stone no fiddling about setting the chisel to the right angle - what more do you want to know? With regards to edge quality, you can go up to 6000 solid micro mesh abrasive for fine honing but for me 3600 is quite adequate - enough to shave hairs. At the end of the day I want to spend my time woodworking with sharp tools not spending my time sharpening.

Nothing there I didn't know about WS3000. Just your want to be quick and avoid setup and "mess" for a quick edge.

There will no doubt be conjecture - but I won't use the WS on expensive chisels and other blades as I still feel if heats the blade in ways the Tormek doesn't. Until somebody does a control test, this is simply opinion. But I would use any manual sharpening method before WS on "the good stuff".

All said I may still grab a WS to sharpen the knock abouts (Marples, Stanley, etc) if I get lazy, that depends on how much cerimony I find myself performing with the Tormek over time v's the fact that this is all "therapy" for me ...

 

[Kev]

This looks interesting ...

http://alisam.com/

The have a blade sharpening sleds (there's several for sale on Ebay).

 

[RONWEN]

This looks interesting ...

http://alisam.com/

The have a blade sharpening sleds (there's several for sale on Ebay).

A clever design but a problem with it is unless all of your stone grades are exactly the same thickness (very unlikely) the blade is presented at different angles as you progress up the grits.

 

[RC]

Uhm, this might be a really stupid question, but does the Worksharp sold in the UK have a 220V motor? (Since I've learned that some tools actualy use 110V there... just to be on the safe side  [cool])

 

[neeleman]

Hello Reiska,

A few years ago when Rutlands had an offer on the Worksharp 3000 I bought the machine and it comes with a 230V motor.

Only the connector is English but that is simply solved.

Back then it was 30% cheaper then in Holland shipping included.
Now it's also on offer at €273 with Rutlands and costs £100 less. (Worksharp offer)

 

[Davej]

Uhm, this might be a really stupid question, but does the Worksharp sold in the UK have a 220V motor? (Since I've learned that some tools actualy use 110V there... just to be on the safe side  [cool])

As a general rule all workshop equipment in uk is 240v and 110v is for site use , so equipment meant for workshop usually only available in 240/220 v

 

[hrrb]

Uhm, this might be a really stupid question, but does the Worksharp sold in the UK have a 220V motor? (Since I've learned that some tools actualy use 110V there... just to be on the safe side  [cool])

The one I bought less than a month ago was a 230V model. I wrote to Rutlands and asked before I ordered it and was told that all WS3000's that was sold in UK was with 230V motors.

Kind regards
Henrik

 

[jmbfestool]

Uhm, this might be a really stupid question, but does the Worksharp sold in the UK have a 220V motor? (Since I've learned that some tools actualy use 110V there... just to be on the safe side  [cool])

As a general rule all workshop equipment in uk is 240v and 110v is for site use , so equipment meant for workshop usually only available in 240/220 v

+1  what Dave said

Pretty much every tool in UK is made for 240v in the UK and then their will often be a 110v version available if its considered a tool which would likely be used on site.  A worksharp is not likely to be used on site so  ill be very surprised if their is a 110v available in UK 

 

[RC]

Well, this is seriously not becoming any easier... Thanks for great advice, but I'm seriously torn between the WS & T-3.

Both are on sale with the base machine costing about £200 and both come with a knife jig and jig for plane blades up to 2" width. And to add to the pain once you get a few accessories for either machine (knife kit, the wide attachment + extra leather disk + extra glass disk + fine honing abrasives for the WS and the hand tool jig kit for the Tormek to match features) their prices still pretty much match at around £370. Which then irritatingly puts both of them very close to the starting price of £489 for the base Tormek T-7 machine with the basic blade jig.

Seeing that all I really need to sharpen are my batch of Stanley Bailey & Bahco chisels, two Stanley 2" plane blades and the occational knife, axe or scissors I guess I could get away with either system, but I'm torn between the convenience of not needing water with the WS and the known Swedish quality & engineering and endless possibilities of the Tormek jigs that don't need today.

Since you can now get a toolbar addon for the WS to use all the Tormek jigs on one I'm wondering wouldn't that make it the more versatile gadget without the water related storage problem and more grits available via the sanding disks than the Tormek two grits on the stone + leather wheel?

 

[Michael Kellough]

Well, this is seriously not becoming any easier... Thanks for great advice, but I'm seriously torn between the WS & T-3.

Both are on sale with the base machine costing about £200 and both come with a knife jig and jig for plane blades up to 2" width. And to add to the pain once you get a few accessories for either machine (knife kit, the wide attachment + extra leather disk + extra glass disk + fine honing abrasives for the WS and the hand tool jig kit for the Tormek to match features) their prices still pretty much match at around £370. Which then irritatingly puts both of them very close to the starting price of £489 for the base Tormek T-7 machine with the basic blade jig.

Seeing that all I really need to sharpen are my batch of Stanley Bailey & Bahco chisels, two Stanley 2" plane blades and the occational knife, axe or scissors I guess I could get away with either system, but I'm torn between the convenience of not needing water with the WS and the known Swedish quality & engineering and endless possibilities of the Tormek jigs that don't need today.

Since you can now get a toolbar addon for the WS to use all the Tormek jigs on one I'm wondering wouldn't that make it the more versatile gadget without the water related storage problem and more grits available via the sanding disks than the Tormek two grits on the stone + leather wheel?

Does it help to know that on this side of the pond the T-3 costs almost twice as much as the WS 3000?
Mechanically I think the T-3 is a good bit more machine than the WS but the WS is probably more convenient. Also, there may come a time when you can no longer get the authentic accessories for the WS. I'd guess that time would come before it happens with the T-3 but who knows. However, you can make disks of MDF to hold conventional PSA backed abrasives so even if all the other accesories dissapear you can still sharpen, and as you said, if you get the Tormek adaptor bad for the WS you should be able to sharpen most anything...

 

[jacko9]

Ray,

Keep in mind that for your purposes after the initial sharpening and honing,  you won't need to do a lot of sharpening.  I want to emphasize that I see you doing home projects on a "as you have time basis" and I really don't think you need to worry about sharpening on a steady basis unless you get into some heavy duty construction.  My initial suggestion I think is the right solution for you a minimum investment in stones or flat plates and a good guide, you'll save a lot of money that you can use to buy the XL 700 Domino Joiner (which I ordered earlier last week).

Jack

 

[Kev]

Normally I'd push the purist barrow and say get the Tormek ... but I know you have the issue of getting tools in and out and that you'd probably stick with mid grade chisels generally ... so I'd say go Worksharp for a smaller, lighter, easier to move unit with less mess.

When I got the T7, I was looking T7 system, with hand tool jigs and drill sharpening jigs v's a WS3000 and a Drill Doctor 750. I could have gone with a step down transformer and got the WS+DD from the US and spent a third of what I did locally on the Tormek locally ... but I'm just fussy and would alway tend towards the higher end stuff - even though my skill doesn't justify it.

Kev.

 

[Alan m]

personally if it all boils down to usability and eaase of use then i would go for the worksharp. tyou can leave it there set up adn just flick a switch and away you go no water no water spray,no drying wheels or waiting for the water to soak in.

i find that i wait too long to sharpen chisels because of the hassel of setting up the tormak.

 

[RC]

Thanks all, I guess I'll have to put some serious pricing excel & Google to work and figure what is the analytically best choice.

Looking at 3x large enough waterstones & Veritas angle jig seems to match the T3 & WS discount prices of about £200. 

So I guess the only really cheaper option is the granite tile with water sandpaper DIY version. I actually just might try it out since I have some left-over granite floor tiles in the shed from re-tiling the downstairs floors.

I must admit that I'm very much a machine guy and I only use hand tools when I have to and therefore I can't see myself buying even the 'double cherry' quality/price chisels much less the super tasty stuff from down-under or Switzerland...

If I had unlimited space & budget I'd so be into CNC & 3D printing on a large scale [drool]

 

[Kev]

If I had unlimited space & budget I'd so be into CNC & 3D printing on a large scale [drool]

I was in a funny place in my head the other day ... thinking "semi artificial wood". Imagine setting up something like a piece of formwork and laying in a substrate (a bit like you effectively do with carbon fibre) and introducing something that grows in the mould. I don't know exactly how this could work, but if it could it would bring larger slabs back into the affordable world. C'mon science ... this'd be a good one to solve ... yeh ... along with cancer, hunger, poverty ,etc.  [embarassed]

 

[jacko9]

OK,  I have the answer - the new Festool Power Chisel with self sharpening!  Ya better pre-order now because these are going to selling very quickly [wink]

 

[RC]

Now that would be something [big grin]

Maybe throw in a hand held auto-leveling laser guided plane that will level arbitraty sized and shaped objects to selectable spec without human intervention - just fire and forget like modern robotic hoovers  [wink]