The EDGE TOOL Thread

[Gilmourisgod]

Smithcreek
I actually have a 5 chisel Marples set, 1/4" to 1", probably early 90's vintage. I havent lapped the backs in a while either, so I may be getting a bit of round over on the back, hard to tell. I mainly use them for paring, though I did a bit of chopping with the 1" while cutting my inlays into a bubinga fingerboard. The blade didn't chip, but it sure dulled up quick.

 

[arctur]

Here's my current sharpening "arsenal", collected over years of trying different techniques. In the lower left, I have some DMT diamond sharpeners, and a wood jig that gives me a place for the roller guides to run. In the middle I have a Veritas angle guide and a leather disc strop I chuck into my drillpress. In the upper right are two chisel roller guides, one no-name, and one Veritas.
In the bottom right I have a piece of float glass with a set of graduated papers from Rockler Tools. This side is coarse, with progressivley finer grits on the other side. In the upper left I have a super-fine Gold japanese waterstone I use for final polish. I think I trashed the coarse float glass grit trying to flatten it on the lower left. D'oh!

I use the DMT stones only to re-grind a chipped edge, takes forever, but I don't have a bench grinder. I use the float glass for "scary sharp" technique. They definitely get scary sharp, but it's a very fragile edge that gets micro-chips in it and dulls quickly. The roller guides are frustrating, the one on the left has a "dovetail" notch in each side, supposedly to hold the chisel square, but it doesn't. The Veritas works well, but is has no provision to align the chisel to 90 degrees, and even with the thumbscrew tight on the blade, it tends to drift a little.

Here a shot of my biggest and smallest Marples blue handle chisel backs. I spent a good bit of time getting them flat, used to be a mirror polish, but it's dulled a little.

And here's the front, 25 degree initial bevel, then a micro-bevel dialed in on the Veritas. I can shave hairs with these, but it doesn't last long.

Here's the 1/4" chisel that always seems to "wander" away from a 90 degree edge.

I think I have all the right gear, just not the right technique. Advice appreciated!

For what it's worth, here is a quote from the manual for the Veritas mkII deluxe (which, by the way, works great):

"Note: the section between the primary bevel and the micro-bevel can often be skewed in relation to the edge; however, this is not a concern. While the geometry of the quide is sensitive to even the smallest influences, the geometry at the edge of the blade is not nearly as sensitive. The guide will create a square edge, even if the section between primary and micro-bevel appears to be skewed."

They are discussing the narrow holder of the mkII, but still it seems that the skewed transition may not be a problem except cosmetically.

One general thing I have noticed when sharpening... stuff, is that it is very easy to not do it symmetrically. Especially when sharpening curved blades, like (good) kitchen knives. I have found that it helps to deliberately position yourself square to the table and make sure the stone is as well. While sharpening, I constantly have to control myself lest my right hand (dominant hand for me) push down with more pressure.

 

[Christopher DBG]

A good post with pics on scrapers and scraper handles/holders: Wenge tearout

 

[chinjazz]

Hey Smithcreek,

Thanks for starting this thread (just about 2 years ago) . I’m getting my first hand plane in a few days and your insights will come in very handy.

Cheers!

 

[T_Bone_TL]

Huh - I missed this two years ago - may have been during one of my "looking at stuff other than TB" phases, particularly since I was not playing much then.

Suffice for the moment to say that I got into CNC and hand tools at about the same time - they pull me in different directions but either can get work done. I happen to be a Millers Falls fan on the hand-plane side, but I won't kick a Stanley to the curb. I also have a bunch of woodies. Lie-Nielsens are nice but too rich for my blood. I have chisels ranging from cheap hardware store modern Stanleys, the same Marples blue-chips that others mentioned, and a random assortment from elder mortise-chopping pigstickers and nicer wooden handles to various colorful clear-plastic numbers. Also the finger removing device I mentioned over in Bruce's thread (guillotine mitre trimmer.)

And, while I do like my battery drill, I also was amused one day (probably the NiCad era, it's less common in the Lithium era) when everybody was down for a recharge, and I put mine on the charger, reached in my bag, and went right back to work with my bit-brace.

Aside from peace and quiet, there's also the "rotary toolmark free surface" in favor of the planes, etc.