Straight edge when sharpening
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I’m not getting the edges of my narrow chisels straight when I sharpen them. I’m trying to mimic the way Paul is using but I guess I’m using some bad technique. On wider chisels and plane irons I have less problem keeping the edge straight but on narrow chisels 1/2″ and down I have a hard time keeping it square. I try to put even pressure in the middle of the chisel but still no luck.
Anyone got any advice how to correct this?Dallas, Texas
Unless you are accidentally converting them into skew chisels with a severe angle, I wouldn’t get to vexed by the situation.
Slow down a little bit and just watch your grip and body mechanics as you grind/hone/polish. You will eventually get it down and the problem will solve itself. A little bit of angle on the end of the chisel isn’t a big deal.
Hi Johan, for me it’s the same problem. I even got it with plane irons but there it’s is becoming not so obvious because it takes a lot more effort to skew a jointer blade than a 3/16 chisel. On some days it’s better on some worse. Yesterday after sharpening my smoother I realized that the lateral adjustment does not suffice any more to have an even presentation of the blade along its mouth. I will either take a guide or try to restraighten it free solo 😉
My favourite chisel to sharpen is the 1 inch and that is straight probably because I apply pressure with just two fingers of my dominant hand and because I sharpen it very often.
One thing I do only since recently is to check if I got a burr all along the edge. I do this because I realized once that I had 30 strokes on all grids and when I turned the blade around there was a burr only along half the edge. This was also due to monolateral pressure.
I enjoy working wood in Germany.
Had the same problem with mine too. I lightened up on the pressure and just experimented with different ways to hold them. Eventually you will get the hang of it but as Rob said I wouldn’t be too concerned if its a little off.
-Canada
Thanks guys, just more practice I guess. I will try with less pressure and see if i get better results.
Dallas, Texas
I like my chisels nice and square, I would agree its probably not essential, just my personal preference.
As a follow-up, if your OCD (or CDO, in alphabetical order as it should be) is such that it really, really grinds on your soul that the edge isn’t square, then don’t be ashamed to have a simple jig handy. Something cheap like the Eclipse style jig (actual jigs made by Eclipse are getting pricey) for $10 and a few strokes on the course stone will get you back to square. Remove from the jig and proceed free-hand. The jig is nice for when things have gotten completely out of whack and you need a reality check.
But free-hand sharpening will nearly always be faster and you can get back to work making smaller bits of wood from larger ones.
I am not sure if this matters, but none of my chisels are square across the ends by say 1/32″ (1mm) on a 1″ wide chisel. It never bothers me now but when I was young it did. I feel content with this as normalcy for me now, but that said, I don’t generally allow myself to go further out of square. When it has gone this far I correct myself over the next few sharpenings by pressing extra heavy strokes on the high side each time I sharpen. On plane irons it’s different. I like to keep them square by sight and not using the square. If it looks square I usually go with a visual check. I see nothing wrong with using a honing guide for corrective work for both the bevel angle and also squareness occasionally as needed.
My theory is when this happens to me, I am unintentionally – subconsciously twisting the chisel handle has I sharpen. I always go out of square in the same direction. I always take to much off the right side of the bevel (has I look at it while sharping)
I have started checking the edge as I sharpen. When one side looks like it is wearing away quicker, I give a slight counter twist with my right hand (holding chisel handle). With wider chisels I use counter pressure with left hand on the back of the bevel. So far that seems to be working. I am trying to train my grip instead reverting back to the jig.
Robin ... Richmond, Virginia, USA
Rob … I just now got that … funny ( @rwyoung )
… if your OCD (or CDO, in alphabetical order as it should be) is such that…
Robin ... Richmond, Virginia, USA
Give yourself a little optical help. By a scriber like a drop-action pencil with a really slim point of tungsten. Mark the backside of the chisel rectangular half a millimeter behind the edge. Now you can easyly see if you go out of square and can correct this with a little twist of the hand which holds the handle. After a while you don’t need this help anymore because you get a feeling for holding the chisel the rigth way if you sharpen it.
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