So, I’ve gotten into the groove of sharpening.
My steps in sharpening are:
- Get a smooth surface using rough grit (260).? This is the most important step, I’ve found.? If it is not done right, you don’t find out until the last step and you have to come back to this step.? It is important to get all the scratch marks all in the same direction and across the entire surface that you are trying to get smooth.? This can apply to smooth the back of a blade (chisel, plane blade) or the primary bevel or even the secondary bevel.
- Use finer grit (1000) with 7-20 passes.? Again, it’s important to get scratches across the entire surface you are going for.? It can be hard to tell though unless you messed up the first step then you can sometimes tell that things are going wrong.
- Use finer grit (4000) with 7-20 passes.? Scratches are not what you are really looking for as the finish at this point will be mostly dull.? You do want it to be even across the entire surface.? Again if the first step is done wrong, it may be impossible to get even.
- Last Step!? Use finest grit (8000) with 7-20 passes.? The result should be approaching a mirror finish and should once again be across the entire surface being sharpened.
- Possible bonus step: if you are doing the secondary bevel, you will need to run the back side of the blade on the finest grit for 5-10 passes to rid it of some sharp shavings that can happen.? The mirror finish on the back should remain.
I have really learned that first step can take quite a long time depending on the shape of the chisel or blade.? Books and web tutorials do not really mention that.? Once that first step is done correctly, you can get a great result.
I have read that some people can do their bevels without jigs but I wonder why would you.? I am using the Veritas Tools Mk II jig and it is just so darn simple to use, adjust and then do it again on another blade.? Jigs make your life simple so why make it harder.
I only have one more chisel to do but it actually has a broken tip so I have to find a way to get a new edge without over heating the metal.
My next project will be to sharpen plane blades and then tune up the planes.? That will be an interesting project.