Reply To: Rookie Mistake-Chisel Damage
Welcome! / Forums / General Woodworking Discussions / Tools and Tool Maintenance/Restoration / Rookie Mistake-Chisel Damage / Reply To: Rookie Mistake-Chisel Damage
@boldaslove78 I’ve tried the hand cranked grinder and tossed it in the drawer. Hated it. If I’m shaping something, like a camber for a scrub plane blade, I like to have two hands to control the work, e.g., one to set a pivot and the other to do whatever it does. And, I don’t want my body bouncing around (from turning the crank) while I do it. If you found one for $10 used, that would be one thing, but at $100, no thanks.
I prefer a slower grinder and, even then, put a less aggressive wheel on it. Honestly, though, for what you need to do, you can do it on anything. Just have water for cooling nearby.
If you buy a grinder, I suggest several things. First, learn how to ring a grinding wheel and don’t start up your new grinder until you ring the wheel. Upon first start up, stand to the side, start the grinder, and let it run for 10 minutes before you stand in front of it. Few do this, but that is what I was taught. Second, buy a face shield and use it over your safety glasses when at the grinder. It doesn’t need to be fancy, but make sure it is appropriately rated. In my opinion, a grinder requires an appropriate fire extinguisher nearby, especially in a wood shop context, and requires a dust mask/respirator.
We used to grind chisels on the disk sander in a shop where I worked. Handle is up, bevel is downwards aimed at the floor, and the disk is going *down* so that you cannot catch. Touch on the heel and rock onto the bevel. You could do that on a belt sander, too. This would get rid of your nicks. Again, watch for heat so that you don’t burn the edge. EDIT: Grinding metal on a sander that has been used for wood is a fire risk because the sparks can catch the dust on fire. The dust is distributed all through the machine and the dust port.
- This reply was modified 5 years, 10 months ago by Ed.