Shopsmith Forums

dusty wrote:I have a Sharpening Table that is very much the same as that in the link above but mine does not rely on the extension table. It rests on the left side of the headstock.

I just realized that I do not currently possess this table. I loaned it to someone at a turner's club meeting I attended and I don't remember to whom.

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How many SS fanatics are in that turning club? I would think the 'suspect' list would be small.

joedw00 wrote:I like your idea what keeps it from moving?

Nothing! That is why his has 'moved' to someone elses shop!:D

JPG40504 wrote:Nothing! That is why his has 'moved' to someone elses shop!:D

That must be what happened. I don't know how many times that has happen to me. I have to call my son's to see if they have it. Usually one of them borrowed it and did not bring it back, and I forgot about it until I needed it.

I have tried several sharpening methods for bench chisels and had very mixed results. Stones and guide, diamond paddles and guide, glass plate and sand paper with the guide, none gave me a repeatable edge. I get a great edge once in a while and have no idea what was different form the butter knife edge another . I am seriously considering a work sharp 3000. I am not brave enough to do a plane on any of the three methods I used above. I don't do any turning, and I have a place that does good work on jointer and planer knives.
The strip sander with holder would require 6 more months of saving my "blow money". I would like to hear any thoughts you might have. I know this is an area with no real right answer, but if I am going to spend this much I think it is worth the effort to ask you guys.

I use all of the forms of sharpening you mentioned. The work Sharp 3000 has become my favorite for flat blade sharpening. After removing myself from normal woodworking, I decided to sharpen all flat blades in the shop. The work sharp does the job better than any other option I have tried. I still use my grinder on lathe tools. Jim

kenbu wrote:Hi folks. I'm new to turning on the Shopsmith and wondering about options for sharpening chisels. I have the sharpening guide, but am looking for an alternative to multiple $55 (!) sanding disks to hold different grits. Are plywood DIY disks feasible? How about using an old saw blade? If sanding disks are the best tool, are they reversible, so each side could have a different grit? Finally, Penn State has an inexpensive product called "Chisel Mate," an 8" aluminum disk that uses interchangeable Velcro disks. Does anyone have experience using this for chisel sharpening on the Shopsmith with a 1x8 tpi adapter?

Thanks for your comments and suggestions.

-Ken

Lots of questions and here are a few answers/opinions:
#1: Shopsmith also has a velcro system for their sanding disk system. As others have pointed out, SS does not recommend it for sharpening but I do use it for that purpose - you just have to be careful not to get the item you are sharpening too hot (the velcro will melt! Not a good thing).

#2: I cheated a bit on my sanding disk by putting a finer grit sandpaper disk (with a much smaller diameter) over the top of the normal 120 grit paper I had been using. Used rubber cement as I remember it. Sharpen on the outside couple of inches and then move in to the inside to finish up.

#3: You can buy some used SS sanding disks and keep them setup with different grits.

#4: There are some nice little combo machines available - strip sander + small disk sander from Ryobi et al (under $100).

#5: You can certainly whip up some plywood disks on a hub and use them.

Don't forget that if you are sharpening lathe chisels it is awfully nice to have a sharpening setup that does not use the SS!

There are lots of ways to sharpen tools - each has strengths and weaknesses. As a note, I have pretty much switched over to a non-SS system (a 8" slow speed grinder with some GOOD wheels, a diamond card, oil and water stones and a few sharpening guides).

dlbristol wrote:I have tried several sharpening methods for bench chisels and had very mixed results...
but if I am going to spend this much I think it is worth the effort to ask you guys.

BEFORE ya spend MORE $$$, pick a method and LEARN HOW to use it.

dlbristol wrote:I have tried several sharpening methods for bench chisels and had very mixed results. Stones and guide, diamond paddles and guide, glass plate and sand paper with the guide, none gave me a repeatable edge. I get a great edge once in a while and have no idea what was different form the butter knife edge another . I am seriously considering a work sharp 3000. I am not brave enough to do a plane on any of the three methods I used above. I don't do any turning, and I have a place that does good work on jointer and planer knives.
The strip sander with holder would require 6 more months of saving my "blow money". I would like to hear any thoughts you might have. I know this is an area with no real right answer, but if I am going to spend this much I think it is worth the effort to ask you guys.

Dave,

Although I am not allowed to work in my shop for a few weeks yet, if you would like to make a pilgrimage to Denver area and bring some tools to sharpen you are welcome to try my Work Sharp 3000 and help satisfy yourself regarding its ease of use and abilities. I would love to sit on a stool and see something productive happen in my shop. Jim :)p;):rolleyes:

After reading a few posts I realized diamonds are no longer girls best friends now are also guys' best sharpeners

diamond files, diamond cards and FLAT diamond bench sharpeners are in deed great.