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dull chisel

2K views 19 replies 12 participants last post by  Azur Jahić 
#1 ·
Hello how you guys know when chisel is dull.Most of my work i use malet but while i try do parring job it wouldn't work as i tough.DO chisel shapren like hand plane.
 
#5 ·
Wood working chisels and planes like to be sharpened at 30 degrees total included bevel angle. Skews maybe 25 degrees. Spokeshaves 28 degrees. Wood carving gouges & chisels 20 degrees. Wood carving knives (straight & crooked) 10-15 degrees. I prefer 12.
Start with those and see for yourself if you like the performance.
 
#7 ·
Wood working chisels and planes like to be sharpened at 30 degrees total included bevel angle. Skews maybe 25 degrees. Spokeshaves 28 degrees. Wood carving gouges & chisels 20 degrees. Wood carving knives (straight & crooked) 10-15 degrees. I prefer 12.
Start with those and see for yourself if you like the performance.
Just a dumb question. How do you tell what angle you are at when sharping something? Is there a set of gages? I guess as for myself I just make a wild guess and a very good chance its wrong.
 
#11 · (Edited)
I am the world's worst estimator of angles. I draw them, each on a file card, which stands beside my sharpening/honnig stuff.

Then I make my entire body into a rigid jig to sustain that angle throughout the entire process.
a) I paint black felt marker on the bevels. Bass-akwards and upside down, I need a tell-tail to see where the metal is coming off.
b) I lock my forearms/elbows to my sides then make pull strokes only. Pull strokes only. Not too much pressure.
c) up to and including the strop/honing stage.
Done

If it's your intention to sharpen round gouges on flat media, during the pull stroke, you rotate the tool from one wing to the other, then the reverse. Bit of a wipe on the inside. I use folded leather.

I do carving and lathe tools for other people. They are quite surprised with the concept of "carving sharp".

1K/4K waterstones, a mess of W&D papers to 2K, the results are all the same. The real deal is that you MUST sustain your elected bevel throughout the entire process. The method that you choose is irrelevant DMT included. If you can't hold the angle, quit now.

Tim407 There are several tools in the marketplace for measuring the bevel angles on tools, I have a little drill bit gauge, I've just seen a marvelous $20 digital rig. Buy a tool, measure it. Try it. Use it. Is that OK or do you want more metal behind the edge for more strength??? That's all that matters.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Many methods are used ....

Water stones, oil stones, diamond stones, wet dry paper, are hand methods.

Belt sander, bench grinder, and Work Sharp are power methods

What do you have?

Wet-dry sandpaper on glass is the cheapest.
Use soapy water between the back of the paper and glass to hold it in place. Start with 180 or 220 grit and work the back surface flat first until it is uniform in sheen or color. Use finer grits of paper up to 600, then 1200 then 4000 if you have it.

Then use a sharpening guide to make the bevel usually between 25 and 30 degrees.
Amazon.com: Honing Guide Wood Plain & Chisel Sharpening Tool New: Arts, Crafts & Sewing

OR
http://www.woodworkingtips.com/etips/etip021004sn.html

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/hand-tools-techniques/sharpening_a_chisel

Is the edge sharp? A dull edge will reflect a thin line of light. You need a bright light, then hold it under at an angle to see.

 
#14 ·
Determining if a chisel, plane blade, kitchen knife or any similar edge is sharp, is easy. Have a light source over your head, look directly on the edge. If you see any light reflect off the edge, it isn't sharp. An old straight razor trick is to place the edge on the back of your fingernail and try to slide it sideways. A sharp edge won't move. Your eyes, though, will tell you what you need to know, if you know how to look.
 
#16 ·
My general rule is "if it doesn't cut like I want, it's not sharp." That means it's a variable.. for some work it doesn't really need to be very sharp (riving pine, for instance), but for some things it has to be very sharp (cross-grain paring, for instance).

The other thing is this: if you grind your chisel for paring, you'll want a fairly low angle on the bevel. If you're going to use it for chopping mortises, that low angle will mean it gets dull pretty fast, in my experience. I solved the problem by finding a chisel with a much thicker blade and higher angle, which I only use for mortising. Now my normal-use chisels can stay sharp longer, and my mortise chisels do too.

There are other ways to cut mortises, though: you can drill out most of the waste, then square it with a chisel, or you can take paring cuts along the length of the mortise in alternating directions. Either way is easier on your chisels, and less likely to dull them as quickly as hammering them into the wood will.
 
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