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Are they any good. It's not that I can't sharpen blades so much as that I tend not to until it absolutely must be done, leaving me working with dull blades a lot. I think a realty go system would make me sharpen more...

I've never seen a good electric sharpening system. I'm the same way though when it comes to avoiding sharpening and I doubt one exists. I'm better about it now though. I set up a dedicated honing area on the end of one of my benches with a 2' x3' slab of Granite with 220 to 2000 grit kept in order right near by. I usually just hit my chisels with 1000 then 2000 after they've been properly honed all the way through the grits unless one gets damaged and needs it again. Same for plane blades. It's definitely helped me.

If you do find an electric sharpening system that can create razor sharp edges be sure to post it on the forum. We'll all make someone rich!!!

I did a sharpening class at Lee Valley a couple of years ago, and the instructor demo'd this - http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/page.a ... at=1,43072
Pretty slick, and put a mirror edge on a dull chisel in no time. I'm sure you L.V. would do a demo for you before you drop $400+.

Alex

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When I investigated systems like the Work Sharp, what I found most people writing was that they still needed to do a final polish on a polishing stone. That kind of told me to stay put with my guide and stones.

The veritas system and the worksharp are pretty similar set-ups. I use the worksharp, but the other guys are correct, you need to put the final edge on by hand. For me that is 6-8000. The thing for me is that I can sit down for an hour and do 8-10 chisels and 3 or 4 plane blades and be good for a week or 2. If I had to do this all by hand it would be many hours.

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I have this Veritas model, it works very good. Razor edge in a couple of minutes, including set up time. highly recommended.

I use my milling machine with a 1/4" shank stone (for die grinders) to regrind bevels.. it actually works real well for this. After that though I hone it on a 8000 grit DMT stone. I did it to a violin knife and now it's sharper than disposable razors.

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I am either going to buy or build a Work Sharp 3000 the tempered glass platen is an awesome idea. You can paste any grit you want on those or even leather charged with compound. Not sure why the glass wheels can't be used on the 2000 series Work sharp, but there is a warning. Might be bull??

Currently I use diamond stones -- they too are awesome. I sharpen our carbide router bits on these and the edges are as good as new -- no kidding!

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

I have the Tormek T-7 the leather hone is like cheating for touching up an edge.
I use a combination of diamond and water stones to get the initial edge, then a little compound on that leather wheel

Atoma 140 diamond stone to flatten all my 8 stones. Also have a jet slo- speed grinder which is good .I/ve had problems with replacing the leather wheel, the plastic pulley cracked after 5 yrs of slight use. I would buy tormek instead of jet .In retrospect they are ok but not a top quality built machine for the price . I have a 3600 rpm grinder with 2 wheels rough grey, and pink purchased in 79 still going strong

I use the veritas system to put the correct geometry on the blades and do the initial sharpening. I keep a hard felt wheel on my bench grinder that I keep loaded with green lapping compound. Before using any edged tool, I take it to the felt wheel and in less than 30 seconds have a tool that easily shaves the hair off my arm. I'm sure it is subtly changing the tip geometry, but I haven't had to go back to the veritas in several years, and I now work with only freshly sharpened tools for only a thirty second investment in time,

Mike

I have a worksharp, and it is fantastic for my purposes. I have limited time for my guitar building endeavors, so I get a good-enough edge with the work sharp--I have to choose between building and sharpening. When I have extra time, I finish the edges using the scary-sharp method. Repeatability is the key for me, and it's wicked fast to touch up a chisel. $0.02

I didn't know you could sharpen carbide router bit by hand. Do you know of a link that shows how? Are you talking straight shearing bits or spiral bits?


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Only straight and shear cutting -- no magic involved lay it flat on the edge of fine diamond stone keeping the cutting edge in contact -- smooth strokes let the diamond dust do the work.

Our supplier -- BAM Carbide sharpens our up or down spiral bits

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Ken Cierp

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I've got a DMT duosharp bench set up like this https://www.dmtsharp.com/sharpeners/ben ... /duosharp/

Once I've run it through the fine I hit it with a strop (leather attached to a plate glass) and buffing compound. Once the chisel is sharp I just hit the strop everytime I go to use it. Takes a few seconds. Every once in a while I'll go back to the fine stone to hone the tip again.

No water, no big mess and it just sits in one of my bench drawers.

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Also have a Tormek and as clinchriver says a touchup on the stop wheel does the trick to restore an edge quickly. I don't use the Tormek very often since it takes a while for the grinding wheel to absorb water before use, but it's a joy to use. I'll usually do a friend's chisels when I fire it up to make it worthwhile. A diamond card is also good for touchup.

I use a Worksharp 3000 to grind flat bevels on chisels and plane blades up to the 1,000 grit, then put a microbevel on using a 4,000/8,000 combo waterstone just by hand. I like the flat bevel vs. hollowground; I can feel definitively when it's flat, which helps me with the microbevel. I use a diamond stone to flatten the backs initially (mostly because I have it, it it is absolutely flat), then touch up as needed using the combo waterstone when I touch up the microbevel.

I've used the Japanese water stones and that provided the "absolute best" edge I've ever worked with - but at some point you cross the line of diminishing returns for the time it takes. I use a Worksharp for the week to week honing and putting a "really good" sharp edge on - mirror finish that can easily shave the hair off my wrist - and will only go to the water stones occasionally....works for me.

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Mitch

I'll give another plug for the Veritas MK II system. I started out with water stones and while I could get a great edge, I found I was spending a lot of time sharpening, especially on some of my harder steel plane blades. I bought the MK II 10 years ago and it was some of the best money I've ever spent! I can put a razor edge on a chisel in a minute and it doesn't take much longer to do a plane blade. It has been a massive time saver and it means I never have dull tools. I highly recommend a power sharpening system for the time saving alone.

And I'll add that I've looked at picking up a Tormek as well since it looks like it can handle knives and other things a bit better than the MK II. But for chisels and plane blades I've very happy with the MK.

Josh

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Josh House

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I have the Worksharp 3000 and found no need to take the blades to a stone afterwards. The final edge with just the various grit papers are razor sharp. The additional leather wheel charged with compound can be used to really finish up the edge. They also sell
super fine grit paper and you can even improvise by using other makers self adhesive disk or you can cut your own out of super fine automotive type of paper and use a tacky spray adhesive.

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I picked up a makita 9820 horizontal stone sharpening machine at the flea market a couple of years ago. It works fairly well for chisels and planer blades. It is a bit messy and water flies around some.

I do the same with the Tormek as most of you have said. Hit the honing wheel early and often and keeps the blades in great shape. The jig makes it all brain dead simple. So simple even I can do it.

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