Grinding and honing a chisel freehand

Using a high speed bench grinder with a Norton 3x 46 grit stone, to grind a chisel freehand. Then proceed to demonstrate how to hone the hollow ground blade freehand on a diamond (DMT) fine grit bench stone. Any minute burr left from the process is removed (stropped) on a piece of 3/4" MDF with some metal polish (Autosol) used as a honing compound. Finally demonstrate how sharp the blade is with some paper, the hairs on my arm and some end grain pine.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• grind
• grinder
• grinding
• hone
• honing
• sharpen
• sharpening
• freehand
• chisel
• plane
• iron
• strop
• compound

[mickthetree]

Hi Giedon

Do you still use this method? Looks simple and effective. Its a bit of a bind getting my waterstones out each time.

Can you rehone with just the MDF and autosol? Or do you need to go back to the diamond stone?

Is the diamond stone good enough to flatten the backs of chisels / irons? or would a courser stone be required?

[gidonreid]

@mickthetree Hi yes sometimes but tend to go with the technique in my other video using the diamond stones. You could use the MDF and autosol to just touch up the blade but usually quicker to do a few strokes on the diamond stones before hand and then move to the MDF. Yes the diamond stones are excellent for flattening backs - if you get good ones. It will depend how flat the backs are to start with. But a coarser stone will probably be required - or of course some sandpaper on glass.

[majkicCFC]

hey, so did u remove to hollow grind?

i just grind to the tip then hone the chisel with a stone but i dont flatten the tip, i lift the chisel up 5mm to get a higher angle, and doing figure 8s.

should i be making the end flat or does it not matter, i can still take hair off my arm my way, but end grain and paper is still i effort (stanley chisels but)

[gidonreid]

Eventually you wear away the hollow grind and need to regrind. You rest the toe and heel of the hollow grind on the stone and hone. After a fresh grind you'll polish just the very tip and a small part of the heel as you hone. Each time you hone the amount of metal you'll be polishing will be more. But you're always resting the complete bevel on the stone which is what makes the method more foolproof, especially for beginners. But you do need to grind at the honing angle for this method.

[majkicCFC]

ahh k yeah i see now, well my ways working but im going to try the mdf and compound for the final hone. . .my stone is pretty rubbish (cuts fine and hones good but isnt real flat and affects my overall finish.

is that stone u got a good one, ive seen then online for about $180AU is i take it they good. . .ive been looking at shapton stones too but theese seam to keep flat better or so ive herd

[gidonreid]

I like the stone - diamond stones should stay flat indefinately - Shapton stones you'll still need to flatten albeit less often than waterstones.

[lifeshort]

It's an art ! One I'm still struggling to master after 25yrs...:(

[MrAcronim]

is this david finks method of sharpening

but he uses japanese water stones

why don't you use water stones is it just because diamond stones are cleaner because i have found water stones give a much cleaner finnish on the metal

what are the pros and cons of diamond stones

[bevelupbud]

That looks like a footprint chisel? Does the steel hold an edge well? Also, do you know the difference between the red handled and blue handled footprint chisels?

[ianandvicki]

Thanks! Boy, was I doing it wrong - back to the garage I go..... Much obliged.

[Moncantha]

DMT stones are overpriced imo, even jap water stones are cheaper, they wear quick though. DMT are nice an wide which makes sharpening knives great and they do sharpen more quickly and last ages, but sandpaper is cheap as chips and does a just as good job.

[Shandybrother]

Hi, how is the toolrest attached, I just bought a record 8" grinder but it only has a fixed toolrest at 90 degrees to the stone

i need to make one like yours.