Sandpaper Sharpening

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woodnick

New User
Nick
I spent today sharpening a new set of chisels. If anyone has not used the “sandpaper” method for sharpening, chisels, plane irons, etc. I can highly recommend it. I used a piece of ¼” plate glass fastened to 2” solid cement block. I fastened it with liquid nails. I then put the whole thing in a dishpan half full of water. The abrasive paper will stick to the glass by the capillary action of the water. I used a Veritas honing guide and angle jig to hold and set my chisels. If you have not tried this method for sharpening, “Try it, you’ll like it”.
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junquecol

Bruce
Senior User
Welcome to the "scary sharp method" of sharpening. Current issue of Popular Woodworking has an article by Mike Dunbar on sand paper sharpening. For a final polish, try some "Tormek Paste" on a piece pf MDF- incredible! For about seven dollars a tube, Tormek Paste is a bargin! Not only will you be able to shave hairs from your arm, you can split those hairs.
 

pcooper

Phillip Cooper
Corporate Member
I tried that method too, and I was sold on it first time!! I have several chisels that were very used and abused, after about an hour I had them all sharp as razors and they resharpen even faster now. I did get a guide to hold the angle right so now the job is even easier. I'd recommend it to anyone that uses chisels very much at all.
 

erasmussen

RAS
Corporate Member
I got me one of thies $12 sharping guides not too long ago:)
Best $12 I spent in along time, all my chisels and plane blades are really sharp now, if fact they scare me:rolf:
Useing it I was able to get the right angle on my home made plane blade and get it super sharp, it cuts as good as my #4 stanley now:lol::lol::lol::lol:

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KC7CN

New User
Don
I've had good luck with sandpaper technique. I like your idea of using the water bath.

Question. When you sharpen a plane blade, what's the procedure for removing the burr after sharpening the blade?

-Don
 

Gofor

Mark
Corporate Member
I've had good luck with sandpaper technique. I like your idea of using the water bath.

Question. When you sharpen a plane blade, what's the procedure for removing the burr after sharpening the blade?

-Don

I use both sandpaper and at times my Arkansas stones (they still put a finer edge than 2000 gr wet/dry) I usually don't remove the burr until I am down to at least 600 grit, and most times to 1000. I then do a quick side-to side with the back flat on the paper with the 600, 1000 and 2000 as I get to that grit. (This is assuming the back has been previously flattened and polished to at least 2000 g) The side to side seems to remove the burr quickly without dulling the edge or rounding it up, a problem I have had with a front-to-back motion.
I have found that using the coarser grits to remove the burr just puts deeper gouges in the flattened back, which causes considerable more work and loss of metal to polish them out. I have also found that the side to side motion also will eliminate most burrs if I do it on the bevel side as the last few strokes with all grits. I do still get some burr down thru 320 when getting out nicks, etc, but wait until I get to the 1000 to knock it off.
I use the same method with my bench chisels. I am currently chopping out half-blind dovetails out of 2" white oak for the skirts of the workbench I'm making, and it only takes a few licks to get them back to "scary sharp". The plane irons took just a little more time when I was in the jointing/flattening stage.

Just my experience

Go
 

sapwood

New User
Roger
I like the scary sharp method. It's cheap, it works, and helps build those Popeye muscles :lol: But I confess to lusting after a very large, coarse diamond stone to flatten the soles of old handplanes. Even with 80 grit wet/dry paper it takes a gazillion passes.

Roger
 

LeftyTom

Tom
Corporate Member
erasmussen, did you get that guide off Ebay at a deal? I found mine there.

What do my fellow forumites use as a guide for round spoke shaves?
 

Gofor

Mark
Corporate Member
I like the scary sharp method. It's cheap, it works, and helps build those Popeye muscles :lol: But I confess to lusting after a very large, coarse diamond stone to flatten the soles of old handplanes. Even with 80 grit wet/dry paper it takes a gazillion passes.

Roger

You and me both!! I bought a 10" sanding plate for the TS but haven't quite gotten to the point of reckless desperation to try running a plane sole by it!! Makes me pine for the days I worked in a machine shop that had a large water-cooled surface grinder.:lol:

Go
 
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