Academy Notes and Tips
JULY/AUG
2003
Volume 46/Issue 4
IN
THIS ISSUE
Project
Articles
•
Knock-Down & Store-Away Table
• Home Shop Workbench
• Rolling Pin & Dried Flower Vase
DEPARTMENTS
•
Ask Smitty
• Owner’s Gallery
• Letters from Owners
Academy Notes
Clean
Cuts - Pt. 1
Service Pointers
Bandsaw
Service Pointers
Safety Tips
Hoirzontal Boring Safety
What's
New
Shopsmith
and Lowe's Team Up
EDUCATION
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A Shopsmith Woodworking Academy Near You
• National
Woodworking Academy in Dayton, OH
ONLINE
CATALOGS
• Online Accessory Catalog
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Printed Accessory Catalog
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Replacement Parts Catalog
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V INFORMATION
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MARK V Demo Near You
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MARK V Information Package
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Copyright
2003.
Shopsmith, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
From
the Shopsmith Woodworking Academy
Clean Cuts
-- Part 1
Printer
friendly PDF copy of article
Like Diamond stones, they're also ideal for sharpening carbide tools and are available in a wide range of sizes and shapes. So, which stone is really best? Which should you own? The answer to this question is simple...each type of stone does what it's supposed to do best. Silicon-Carbide and Waterstones cut fast and are best for removing deep nicks and gouges from steel tool edges. Coarse India stones can also accomplish this task and a Fine India stone can also hone an edge quite nicely. A Soft Arkansas stone cuts about the same as a Fine India stone. Hard Arkansas stones are a great choice for honing razor-sharp edges.
It's important to note that oil is used on “Oil Stones”, NOT to reduce friction, but to suspend and carry away the “swarf” (a nice little Norwegian word that means “little flakes of metal”). Light machine oil, sewing machine oil, honing oil (which is mostly mineral oil) or kerosene (alone or mixed with any of the above) all work quite well. Don't use vegetable oil, as it will clog the stones very quickly.
The
sharpening process
For a chisel, plane iron or other bevel-edged cutting tool, start by flattening
the back side of the tool on a fairly coarse stone. Be sure to push the
tool over all of the stone to be sure the stone wears evenly. Turn
the edge over, bevel side down and rock it forward till the oil (or water)
squishes out from the front lip of the blade - this is typically the correct
bevel angle. Using a stiff wrist, move the edge over the full stone's
surface to ensure even wear.
The ideal bevel angle for chisels and plane irons is about 30-degrees. Hone an edge too thin and although it becomes very sharp, it also becomes brittle and breaks prematurely during use. Make the bevel angle too steep and you'll get a wedge that will be sharp, but difficult to work with. It's usually best to maintain the bevel that comes on the tool when you buy it...providing that angle works well for you. A rule of thumb - the length of the bevel should be about twice the thickness of the blade. Special Bevel Gauges are available for checking the accuracy of your sharpened bevel angles.
Check the squareness of the blade frequently as you sharpen it - it's easy to apply sharpening pressure unevenly and end up with a blade that's not square to the handle (in the case of a chisel). If you must, use a try square or combination square to check this squareness.
Once the edge is properly honed, turn the tool back over to the flat side and with a few light strokes, remove the small burr on the back side. Failure to do this means this film if thin steel will simply flop over and cover up the sharp edge. Stroking too many times on the flat side will also ruin the cutting edge.
