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There are few experiences in woodworking more frustrating than trying to work with a dull tool - and few more pleasant than working with a sharp one. A sharp plane or chisel glides through the wood, is easy to control, and leaves a smoother surface than you can sand. Knowing how to put a keen edge on a tool is an indispensable woodworking skill. In Sharpening, author/craftsman Nick Engler explains all of the tricks and tips you need to know to get your tools really sharp. Find out what bevel angles work best for which cutting tools and why. See how to maintain a precise angle as you grind, hone, and polish a cutting edge. Compare the different sharpening materials, from traditional sharpening stones to high-tech abrasives, and choose the ones that work for you. Learn why some grades of tool steel and carbide take a keener edge and stay sharp longer than others. There is even some useful advice for working with a professional sharpening service. Over 200 illustrations and photographs clearly show dozens of different sharpening procedures. There are also plenty of shop-tested tips, ingenious jigs and fixtures, useful charts, and inside information to help you put the sharpest possible cutting edges on your tools. Additionally, Sharpening shows how you can make precision sharpening machines and accessories. There are complete plans and instructions for these useful projects: • A flat grinder creates a perfectly flat bevel on a cutting tool. You can easily change the abrasives on this machine so you can grind, hone, polish, and even buff the cutting edges to make them razor sharp. • A hollow grinder makes a concave bevel in a cutting tool, a trick that experienced craftsmen use to reduce the effort needed to hand sharpen the tool. This machine will also mount commercial grinding and buffing wheels. • A strip sander sharpening system is an accessory that turns an ordinary strip sander into a machine that will sharpen almost any kind of chisel - woodworking, carving, or lathe - with equal ease and precision. • A sharpening stand makes an excellent work center. It holds sharpening machines at a comfortable working height and stores all kinds of sharpening materials and accessories. |
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