Rookie Mistake-Chisel Damage
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Tagged: Chisel repair
- This topic has 10 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 4 months ago by Ed.
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18 November 2018 at 2:51 am #553313
I was making a joiner’s mallet and I had the block in my bench vise while chiseling out the mortise. What I failed to realize, until it was too late, was that I was clearing the opposite end and my chisel edge was being hammered onto the vise screw. I’ll pause for the laughter to subside… now my 3/4” chisel edge looks like the skyline of the Grand Tetons. I tried using my coarsest diamond plate, but it did not fix the damage.
Is there a way without using machinery that I can get the chisel edge square, beveled and sharp again?
Thanks!
Joseph
18 November 2018 at 4:32 am #553314I don’t know how coarse your coarsest plate is, but you could go down to 60-80 grit with sandpaper on a flat plate to get back to where the diamonds would be effective.
But things like that are why I keep an old hand grinder around…
Lots of ways. Get a belt sander belt around 36 grit at the home center, glue it down to glass or etc. Then just come up the grits.
But hollow grinding is definitely something to consider as part of your general sharpening practice, so you might want to get a grinder. In order to stay away from machines, just get a hand-cranked one:
Amazon hand-cranked grinderInstead of buying a new one, you could also restore an old one.
A hand cranked grinder is a machine. The main difference between that and an electric bench grinder is the power source.
Every hand cranked grinder that I’ve ever seen was designed to be cranked with the right hand, leaving the user with one hand–the left hand–to hold the work piece. Some of these machines (I have one.) can be set up to be cranked with the left hand. As soon as you start using it that way the nut that holds the wheel in place begins to loosen.
While I’m reluctant to recommend machinery on a handtool forum, I consider either a grinder or a 1 inch (25mm) stationary belt sander to be a a near-necessity.
Dave
While I’m reluctant to recommend machinery on a handtool forum, I consider either a grinder or a 1 inch (25mm) stationary belt sander to be a a near-necessity.
Well, well, anything that provides mechanical advantage is a machine (think of the basic simple machines: wedge, wheel, lever, screw etc..) A chisel is a wedge (and a lever?) so is a machine too. Sorry, I couldn’t help (I’m a Physicist at my day job).. I know Paul likes to differentiate between tools and machines but that’s in a different sense and I totally resonate with that sentiment.
Anyway, we need not be that pedantic. If a grinder is occasionally necessary to keep some hand tools in order, so be it. The alternative of sending out badly nicked blades for grinding is not really practical.
The amazon.com hand cranked one (the one @etmo linked to) looks pricey for what it does and has rather small 4″ wheels which may put a rather deep hollow? Rikon has a low speed electric (comes with two 8″ wheels) that looks nice and apparently “endorsed” by LV as they stock it as well. But not cheap at CAD $199 from amazon.ca. Any suggestion for a decent “low cost” alternative for occasional use?
- This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Selva. Reason: level -> lever
Any suggestion for a decent “low cost” alternative for occasional use?
I wouldn’t worry too much about the depth of the hollow unless you’re working with laminated steel, in which case you’d probably avoid the concept of hollow grinding altogether. There are several woodworkers near me who have used those, and similar, hand-cranked grinders for many tools over decades, and have only good things to say about them. The Renaissance Woodworker, Shannon Rogers, also uses one and endorses it, although supporting your position is the fact that he replaced the stock wheel with, IIRC, a 6″ Norton 3x.
But to suggest a low-cost alternative without endorsing it, perhaps something like this Tormek imitation?
The 10″ wheel would alleviate your concerns about hollow depth, the wet grinding and low rpm will eliminate any risk to the temper of the steel, and if it’s reliable, you’ve got a Tormek for 100 bucks or so. Of course, if it’s poorly made or unreliable, it might be money wasted, but such are the risks of cheap, knockoff products.
Without seeing how deep the chips are, it’s hard to say, but you may be surprised how fast you can cut with 120 grit paper. If you are only working the bevel, it doesn’t matter much how you hold it down. The thing is, the grit breaks down quickly, so work methodically across the paper so that you use it all and move to new grit when you feel it isn’t cutting, maybe after 100 strokes as a guess.
I’d try 120 paper before going to coarser paper. It can be hard to get out the deep gouges left by coarser paper.
A photo would help.
IMHO the hot setup for an all purpose grinder is the commonly available 6″, 3500 RPM type, available just about everywhere. While I have no experience with currently available grinders (I use a 7″ Craftsman grinder that I bought 30 years ago.) you shouldn’t have any trouble finding something decent in the $50-$100 range. Look for one with large, sturdy tool rests.
Bear in mind that, even if you consider yourself to be a hand tool woodworking purist, grinding steel is metalworking.
Dave
- This reply was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Dave Ring.
20 November 2018 at 12:50 pm #553347Thanks for all the feedback. It seems a grinder of some kind is the way to go. And just to clarify, I’m not opposed to using a grinder. I just wanted to avoid buying one because, other than repairing this chisel, I wouldn’t have much use for it. Sounds like they are handy to have around though.
@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, 4 months ago by Ed.
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