When Tracy and
I were using chisels to cleanup some half-blind dovetails, I realized that the job was
made easy because the chisels were so sharp. They are very good chisels, but the real key
was that I have been using the "scary sharp" method for over a year now. Scary
Sharp is not my invention but one that had been around for years.
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One of the reasons I haven't reported it is that my system, so far, was less
than perfected. Sure, I got great, sharp edges, but I hadn't gotten my "act
together."
My system was to place a sheet of pressure sensitive 600 grit paper on the
table saw top and work through the paper grits until I got to 2000.
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I would leave the 600 grit
paper in place and add sheets of 800, 1000, 1500 and 2000. These sheets would stay in
place by being on top of the 600 grit paper. It worked, even if it wasn't the best looking
system.
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About a year ago, Rockler put together a sharpening system that did the
same as mine but was organized. Just this week, I had opportunity to put it all together.
First they have two kits: the "Coarse" has grits of 220, 320, 400,
and 600 and the "Fine" has 800, 1200, 1500, and 2000 grits. If you had to pick
just one, certainly it would be the fine. I got both.
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Each system starts
with a piece of 12'' square 1/4'' thick plate glass. Three sheets of each of the grits are
included. I have started putting it together by placing one piece of each grit paper on
the glass and marking the grit. There are 4 grits per glass, so the other side has the
other two pieces.
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I
have placed a "non-skid" pad on the table saw. I am starting a complete
sharpening of the 1/2" chisel. I start on the flat back. I let the glass overhang the
table slightly so I can move the chisel back and forth over the sandpaper.
Since I have done this chisel before, the back is already flat so it takes
just about 2 minutes to "renew" it.
I work through the grits spending about 2 minutes on each one until I reach
2000 grit. At that point, the flat should have a uniform, "mirror" like surface.
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Now, I am
placing the chisel in the honing guide so that I can sharpen the beveled side. I have
placed the chisel in the guide by eye at this point. I measure the distance that the blade
protrudes. Once I find the exactly right angle, I will measure this distance and record
this measurement so that at future times, I can repeat the honing setup by just setting it
at this measurement.
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When sharpening the
beveled edge, I only move the chisel back, as the arrow indicates, not forward, . Moving
forward will cause the chisel to dig into the paper and ruin it.
In the photo above, you can see an old paint brush. I have dedicated this
brush to cleaning off the sandpaper. At all the different grits, very fine dust will
collect on the paper. I use the brush quite frequently to dust off the surface.
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Setting the correct angle
is very important. I have used a black Sharpie marker to blacken the bevel of this chisel.
After a few strokes, I take a look at this edge. You can see that I do not have the right
angle yet. I shift the chisel in the guide and repeat this test until I am sharpening the
entire beveled surface. I use the adjustable square to measure that position in the guide.
It should be the same for all of my chisels.
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About 15 minutes
later, and I have worked through all the grits. At this point, I remove the chisel from
the guide and take a few more strokes on the flat, back of the chisel. That is to remove
any burrs that might have developed in the sharpening of the bevel.
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The chisel is now so sharp
that it is quite easy to pare the sides and back of the roughed out pin. With poplar this
is a particularly easy task. In the next week or so, I will use it on oak and other
hardwoods. I am now ready for them.
In future updates, I will use this method for sharpening planes and
planer/jointer blades. It works well.
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