[JIMMIEM]

I have some wood chisels that I need to sharpen. I plan on doing the sharpening with various sand paper grits. But the edges have some small nicks and I don't have a grinder. How to remove the nicks without a grinder? I thought about trying to remove them with coarse sandpaper....36, 60, 80?

 

[JIMMIEM]

When I'm sharpening in "damage control" mode... 80 grit is my go to starting point...

Do you sand the edge head on with the 80 grit or flat to get the back and on angle to get the bevel?

 

[JIMMIEM]

@jimmieN

What I'll do is, assess the damage first off. Is it a compression ding or just a chipaway nick (clean break). If its a compression ding, gotta do the back to start off. BUT a good 220/340 will make quick work of that little lip...keeping in mind that the better polished the back of the blade/iron is, the better the resulting edge. If the nick is within the micro bevel and does not go very far up into the meat of the blade I'll try some 100/150 to get a feel for just how much work lays ahead. If the 100/150 looks like its going to do a good job in relatively short order, then I just go for it. Eliminate the nick then proceed thru the grits (I use the scary sharp method) quickly. When the nick is a nasty lil bugger, welp, I just go and grab the 80, redo the primary bevel until the nick is gone and proceed from there. I like to keep my micro bevels something like 1/32" give or take a hair or two..
Essentially, IMHO there's no dancing around putting an edge on. Though the method may vary, the process is relatively consistent regardless of the method used. You have got to have a perfectly flat/polished back, a very well executed primary bevel (the primary bevel doesn't have to be polished, but if you got the time and patience, it certainly doesn't hurt), and finally a clean polished micro bevel, if you use one

Thank You.
No micro bevel on these.
I've got the back and bevel flat and polished. I did a little stropping. The chisel feels sharp to the touch but the nicks are still there. Shall I just keep doing the back and bevel or do the edge head on. I loaned my belt sander....maybe just get it back and grind the nicks out with an 80 grit?

 

[JIMMIEM]

@JIMMIEM

Once you got the back flat/polished, unless you created some kind of burr on the back side, you really never have to mess with it again. Thats always a good thing. Less to do

Yep, just go about your business on the primary bevel, get rid of the nicks as quickly as you can...then take your time working your way up thru the grits until you get where you wanna be. One thing some folks tend to do is not giving the hogging away of material its proper due. Even though all your doing it just working your way down to the next point, one must take care to insure that the grind (sanding) is square to the blade/iron. I've come to learn how to read the scratch patterns as I move along. Seems to have saved me an awful lot of unnecessary time with a particular grit. Once you've eliminated all of the scratch marks from the previous grits, time to move onto the next.

I've got all the nicks out except a 'deep' one near one edge. I was able to shave hair off my arm.....shall I quit while I'm ahead?

 

[JIMMIEM]

Nope! finish it up and be done with it so it don't come back and bite ya.... down the road, you'll be glad ya did. at least that just my 2 cents worth on it....

sounds like your pretty comfortable with your process,,,just add a lil more patience

OK..I'll keep at 'em. I saw your next post and my one and only set of chisels are Craftsman from many years ago. I had a beater that disappeared.....maybe I'll get a set of HF cheapos....25% discount coupon this weekend.

 

[JIMMIEM]

Jim...

I was hoping you'd say that

those craftsman I have got the black handles with the tang that goes straight thru. Didn't mean to imply they were garbage chisels, in fact they arn't to bad at all. I've been hammering and beating on em for over 20 years I'd guess and they still have alot of life left in em. I'm not familiar with what HF may have, but I'd put those Craftsman up against em any day... I've got a 2" Stanley relatively new model with the yellow/black handle..those arn't bad chisels either..

You have inspired me. Thank You. I've heard people talk about shaving with a sharp chisel and now I've seen it for myself ...the bald spot on my arm is proof. I was in a local ACE hardware store yesterday buying some supplies for the job and when I told the worker bee what I was doing and that you could shave with a sharp chisel I got a 'Yeh, right' look.

 

[JIMMIEM]

Jim...

I was hoping you'd say that

those craftsman I have got the black handles with the tang that goes straight thru. Didn't mean to imply they were garbage chisels, in fact they arn't to bad at all. I've been hammering and beating on em for over 20 years I'd guess and they still have alot of life left in em. I'm not familiar with what HF may have, but I'd put those Craftsman up against em any day... I've got a 2" Stanley relatively new model with the yellow/black handle..those arn't bad chisels either..

I did the back and then the bevel on a grit and then proceeded to the next grit and did the back and bevel there, etc, or do you recommend doing the back on all grits and then the bevels on all grits?

 

[JIMMIEM]

I'm thinking Jim got his groove on, and spent the night in the shop, sharpening everything in site

Sure did. My wife was wondering what I was spending so much time doing in my basement workshop. She was skeptical when she saw the bald spots on my arm and wanted to know who came up with that idea. I told her it came from one of the Router Forum experts.

 

[JIMMIEM]

wasn't there,,,

didn't do it...

don't know nuttin!!!!

:grin:


Now, if you'll pardon the pun.... "Keep on honing your skills"

I will. It's back to the workshop this morning.
Long sleeve shirts for a while.
Thank You, again!!!

 

[JIMMIEM]

Prove it to her by shaving some off her arm.>

I'll run it by her but if things go south and she dials 911 will you folks pass the hat at Router Forums and raise my bail $?

 

[JIMMIEM]

Now THAT was funny

You'd be lucky to get away with bail, round here, it be to cover funeral expenses!!

If you folks agreed to the bail then that was going to be my next request. Way back when I worked for a lumber company and had always planned to build my own coffin.....in recent years I've seen coffin plans in some magazines. Alas, I never got around to it. So, if it wouldn't be too much to ask do you think you folks could build one for me? We could post plans and anybody interested could work on a board or two. Now that I know that you are a chisel master I have no doubt that you could make all the boards fit perfectly.

 

[JIMMIEM]

kind of a cool idea in a creepy sorta way *L*

I had to help pick out a casket a few years back. Some are really expensive. Car sales people should take a lesson from these guys....they really play on your sympathies....'you want to give (fill in the blank) a nice send off don't you?' What could be better than a home made one?