Save time and Money with Sharp Tools

Sharp Tools Saves Time and Effort

As a woodturner, I am constantly sharpening, or honing in between sharpening to keep that edge for the best possible cut and finish of a piece. Once I sharpen the tool and put it on the wood, the edge starts to disappear almost immediately. A sharp tool will give you a good, clean cut, whereas a dull tool will just tear the fibers and leave you with a poor-quality surface. Also, a sharp tool is safer because the force necessary to create the cut is lower, allowing better control and less fatigue. If you have a poor-quality surface, you will start your sanding process at a much lower abrasive and work on getting to the final surface for finish application in a longer period. I have had inexperienced turners in the shop who have my studio space come to me after sanding with 80 grit for over an hour and still have tear out in their piece.

Sharp blades apply to all woodworking tools, planers, jointers, saw blades, drill bits, chisels, and turning tools. When sharpening, you are looking for a balance between cut quality and an edge that will last a reasonable amount of time between re-sharpening. The goal of sharpening is to create a near-zero radius between intersections. The type of steel that is used will make a difference in how long that “edge” will hold its sharpness, and the hardness of the material that is being cut.

Speed is another area to think of when sharpening. If you are using a powered sharpening system at too high a speed, depending on the metal, you can take the tempered structure out of the metal and soften it. It will have to be retempered to retain any lasting edge in future use. Slow speed is always best, and make sure not to overheat or discolor the metal. That is a sign that the temper has changed.

Smaller abrasive particles produce small scratches or “teeth” at the cutting edge. This reduces the interesting radius. Honing also makes a difference at the end of the sharpening process on the stone(s). I have seen videos on social media of woodworkers using a chisel or plane and taking off micro-thin layers of wood from booth end grain and side grain that you can almost see through. That is a sharp blade, leaving a quality surface to finish on.

Jigs are another area that has been bantered about, especially in the wood-turning community. Older turners think that jigs are not a necessary piece of the sharpening process and that you should learn to do it freehand. On the other hand, a jig gives you repeatable results every time and shortens the learning curve to get a blade sharp and back to what we love doing: shaping the wood.

Chisels and plane blades

Good

A file or sharpening stone is good for damaged tools with nicks. Start on the back flat side before moving to the angled side. Finding the correct angle to keep the edge the same as the manufacturer designed is where a honing jig can be very helpful. Self-adhering silicon carbide paper rolls, some in fine grits from 240-1200 grit. These are the finishing touches or a quick way to keep good tools sharp. Getting a good piece of double-strength glass to mount your paper on will help you achieve a flat surface.

Better

The WorkSharp 3000 system has a rotating disk that makes it easy to get razor-sharp edges. There are different disks to choose from, along with a built-in jig with preset angles. The leather wheel stands out because it is forgiving when you make a mistake, creates a finely honed edge, and requires no discs to change. The two-inch opening is an important feature to remember.

Best

Tormek Wet Grind System is a very slow-speed and water-cooled system that will not take the temper out of the steel. It also takes less steel to get a sharp edge, so your blades and tools will last longer because you are not removing as much metal. There are also many jigs that can be used to sharpen everything from carving chisels to woodturning tools. The Tormek also has a honing wheel that can be used to put a highly polished edge on any of your tools.

Drill Bits, Router Bits and Forstner Bits

Drill bits, router bits, and Forstner bits have often been looked at as a disposable or expendable commodity in the shop. Often, that is because we don’t know how or don't have the right knowledge or tools to sharpen them correctly.

Drill bits come in a wide range of types and sizes. From twist (sometimes called a jobber) and masonry to Brad Point, auger, and spade bits. Forstner and Auger bits require a special sharpening process because of the points used to center and start drilling.

Twist or Jobber drill bits are easy to sharpen. My dad used to go to the grinder and could get the right angle without any kind of jig. He grew up in the Great Depression, so there was no throwing things away until it was a tiny bit with almost no “twist” left in the flutes. Today, we have jigs and tools, like the Drill Doctor, that can sharpen bits easily and quickly. I have had a Drill doctor for over 25 years now and can and have sharpened my drill bits when they would not even drill in wood easily.

Twist drills are used for drilling in a wide variety of materials like wood, plastics, and metals. Depending on the material(s), the most common drill point drill bit is sharpened to 118 °;. Ones that you purchase will have what is called a “Split Point” that has an additional angle, or relief angle of 135 °;. The relief angle or ones that are sharpened to the 135 °; angle are for harder materials like metals.

The Drill Doctor can be used to sharpen drill bits to either angle or put that relief angle on in less than a minute, in my experience. Tormek has a Drill Sharpening attachment and is more for a professional sharpening service or a shop that goes through a lot of drill bits.

Router Bits and Forstner Bits can build up pitch and residues from the wood that can impact the cutting surface and cause burn marks on your wood. It is a good idea to clean them before sharpening. Fast, safe, and easy to use, Blade & Bit cleaners work to remove resin, gum, and pitch as they clean saw blades, router bits, drill bits, knives, planer blades, tool tops, and all cutting tools.

Router Bits can also be sharpened and is easily done with a diamond hone and some Lapping Fluid. There are three, well, maybe two, or four easy steps to sharpen a router bit.

Step One – Remove the bearing if there is one.

Step Two – Clamp a diamond hone to a solid surface with a portion of the hone accessible to run the carbide edge of the bit along. Applying Lapping Fluid to the diamond home helps remove carbide particles during honing. Usually, a 600 Grit Diamond card (or Machinist Paddle) will work in most of your situations. If the bit is a little rough, you might have to start with a 300 Grit card. The good news is that the Diamond Card and Machinist Paddle have 300 and 600 grit on opposite sides.

Step Three – run the flat side of the bit along the hone in five to ten strokes quickly. Remember your count because you will need to do the same number on the other side to keep the bit in balance. That can be very important with the bit spinning upwards of 12,000 RPM.

Step Four – Replace the bearing if you removed it in Step One.

See two or four steps, depending on whether the bit has a bearing or not.

Use the Boesheild T-9 to lubricate the bearings and put a protective coat on the bits to protect them from corrosion. Forstner Bits are like Router bits, and they have an additional edge that you must deal with. Some Forstner Bits have a smooth outside edge that does some cutting, while others have saw-type teeth that cut the outside of the hole.

You can do the sharpening by hand using a file for the outside edge and a hone for the cutters in the middle. Those are done the same way as router bits. Fisch has come out with a Forstner Bit Speed Grinder that can be set up with your Drill Press and used to sharpen all the surfaces of the bit. It makes it easy to use a Forstner Bit and has you back in the business of boring large holes in a short time.

Saw Blades

My uncle had a saw-sharpening business where he would sharpen hand saws and circular saw blades. I would spend time with my dad in his shop in our basement, and he would often spend time sharpening his saw blades. He had a jig that would hold the blade clamped in the bench vice, and he would use a file to do each tooth. With circular saw blades now having Carbide Tips, you must send them out to a local sharpening service to get them done properly. CMT has the sharpening information etched or printed on most of its blades for optimal cutting.

Hand Saws are not in use much anymore, and a local service may be able to do them for you. Most other kinds of saw blades, like bandsaws and jigsaws, are a disposable commodity for your shop.

Ax or a Shovel

I was a Scoutmaster and taught young scouts the techniques of sharpening wood tools. I had just worked with this scout to sharpen a hatchet when a scout who had already learned to do it wanted to use it. A few minutes later, other scouts called my name, saying the young scout had cut his foot. The hatchet cut through brand-new leather boots, didn’t cut the sock or the foot, and you could see the sock.

Good

A low-grit file can take out large cuts or nicks. It is important to follow the bevel on an ax. Any change in the angle will make work in the long run.

Better

A quick ride through a grinder, safely, and just taking off the rough edges will make your efforts go farther.

Knives or Blades

This topic is covered by everyone from NASA to Matha Stewart. There are hundreds of options and reasons to have different knives. In general, regardless of the tool, slide the knife across the stone; 20 degrees is the most common angle.

Pick what works for you, and do not be afraid to ask questions. The handheld option is suitable for pocket knives https://www.mcfeelys.com/pivot-knife-sharpener-with-pivot-response-and-convex-carbide.html This small Oxide sharpening stone can get the job done https://www.mcfeelys.com/sharpening-stone-green-silicon.html A full kit https://www.mcfeelys.com/trend-diamond-sharpening-essential-kit.html Power system https://www.mcfeelys.com/work-sharp-wskts-knife-and-tool-sharpener-1.html Deluxe system https://www.mcfeelys.com/carpentry-tools/power-tools/sharpening-machines/sharpening-machines.html?brand_name=919 Finishing with a coating to prevent rusting