WOODWORKING GUIDE:
SHARPENING
Dull tools won't get you very far. So give yourself an edge.
There's no question that sharp tools are a requirement for
quality work. And the tools that are most apt to dull in
frequent use are chisels and planes. These tools are also
the easiest ones for beginners to sharpen. Of course, saw
blades of all descriptions will also dull over time. But they
are more difficult to sharpen and require specialized tools
and techniques not normally at the disposal of the
beginner. Renewing these blades is better left to a
professional sharpening service.
The tools required for sharpening are pretty basic. First,
and by far the most important, is the stone. For best results,
we recommend man-made waterstones instead of the more
familiar oil stones. Waterstones are soft and therefore cut
faster. And they don't clog as easily. For both reasons,
they're the logical choice for the inexperienced. These
stones are available either in single grits or as combination
stones of two grits, one on each side. A good stone to start
with has a combination of 220- and 1000-grit surfaces.
As the name implies, water is used as a lubricant on these
stones. The stone must be soaked in water for about 15
minutes before you use it. And it must be kept wet while
you're sharpening. The water prevents the metal filings
from becoming embedded in the stone and glazing the
surface. When you are done working with a stone, you
should rinse it off and dry it before putting it away. If you
store the stone in water, it will decompose over time.
Sharpening chisel blades and plane irons requires that you
hold the tool at a fixed angle while moving it across the
stone. The bevel angle for chisels and plane irons can vary,
but for general work a 25 degree angle is a good
compromise.
It is possible to work on a stone holding the tool by hand.
Indeed, some experienced furniture makers take a great
deal of pride in this skill. But for the beginner, it makes
more sense to use a simple honing guide to keep the tool
at the proper angle. The guide we show is manufactured by
Veritas Tools and is available from Lee Valley and other
mail-order tool companies. It comes with a companion
angle guide that makes setting the bevel a breeze. One of
the best features of this guide is that it rides directly on the
stone, allowing you to move from stone to stone without
readjusting the guide. It also has a fine adjustment for
honing a secondary, micro-bevel on the tool edge that's 1
or 2 degrees steeper than the primary bevel. Because
you're taking off less material on the micro-bevel, it's easier
and faster to renew the cutting edge when it gets dull.
Be aware that sharpening can be a messy procedure. The
process creates a slurry that must be wiped off the tool
often to let you check your progress. It's a good idea to
place a piece of scrap plywood or rubber under the stone to
contain the mess.
Flattening The Back
Sharpening a chisel or plane iron begins with
flattening the back of the blade. This side of the
tool is rarely flat when it comes from the factory.
But flatness is crucial if you want to achieve a
razor-sharp edge. Just place the blade flat on the
220-grit side and repeatedly rub the blade across
the stone (Photo 1). Try to cover the entire
1 Begin sharpening a chisel by flattening
surface with your strokes, to maintain even wear
the back of the blade on the coarse side
on the stone. Continue until you see even of the waterstone.
scratches across the entire blade surface. Then
repeat the process on the 1000-grit side.
Primary Bevel
Next, place the blade loosely in the honing guide
and adjust its position to create the proper
primary bevel (Photo 2). Remember that 25
degrees is a good all-purpose angle. Also, check
that the blade is square to the edges of the
2 Place the chisel in the guide and set it
on the angle jig. Once the angle is
honing guide, using a combination square (Photo
adjusted, tighten the blade in the guide.
3). If the blade isn't square, the sharpened edge
won't be either.
Next, carefully examine the edge of the blade. If
it's extremely worn, start sharpening on the 220-
grit side (Photo 4). If the blade just needs a little
touching up, you can use the 1000-grit stone.
With your fingertips, place light pressure near the
blade's edge and stroke the blade back and forth
over the stone. Once again, be sure to use the
whole surface of the stone so that the wear is not
confined to one area. And be sure to keep the
3 Check that the chisel is perfectly
stone soaked with water while you work.
square to the edges of the honing guide,
using a combination square.
Continue until you see a small burr on the back of
the blade. This burr is sometimes called a wire
edge, and it indicates that you are ready to move
onto a finer grit. If you started with the coarse
stone, move to the 1000-grit stone and follow the
same procedure as before (Photo 5). When
you're done with the bevel, remove the edge burr
by lightly rubbing the back of the blade on the
stone. Be sure to keep the blade flat. When you're
satisfied with the edge, dry off the tool completely.
4 Place the chisel and guide on the
Secondary Bevel
coarse side of the stone and lightly move
the blade back and forth.
If you want to hone a secondary bevel on the
edge, simply adjust the honing guide by turning
its spring-loaded knob for an angle that is 1 or 2
degrees steeper than the primary bevel (Photo 6).
Move across the stone as before until you
achieve a good edge like the one shown on the
chisel page. This secondary edge should extend
back about 1/16 in. from the tip of the tool. Use
the same techniques to sharpen a plane iron.
Flattening The Stone As mentioned earlier,
waterstones work well because they are soft. As a
result, their surfaces wear quickly, which means
5 Once a uniform bevel is created on the
that new cutting material is exposed almost
blade edge, turn over the stone and finish
sharpening on the fine side.
continuously. Unfortunately, this softness does
make them susceptible to gouging and uneven
wear. Occasionally, you will have to flatten a
stone to keep it performing well.
To do this, take a piece of 1/4-in.-thick plate glass
and lay a sheet of 220-grit wet/dry sandpaper on
it, abrasive side up. Wet the paper, then place the
stone over it and rub the stone back and forth
until any gouges or scratches disappear (Photo
7).
6 To create a micro-bevel, adjust the
knob on the side of the guide, then work
the blade on the fine side of the stone.
7 Flatten a worn stone by rubbing it
across a piece of wet/dry sandpaper on
top of a plate glass base.
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