Sharpen Jointer Knives in Place

[tomsalwasser]

Happy New Year Woodworkers! This looks like a great idea:

http://www.finewoodworking.com/Workshop ... x?id=34540

[robinson46176]

Happy New Year Woodworkers! This looks like a great idea:

http://www.finewoodworking.com/Workshop ... x?id=34540

Yes it works well. I have done that for years but frankly I am a little less anal about it. I do hate changing blades if I don't have to. I don't put tape on the table, I set the diamond stone on an index card and the card slides smoothly on the table and holds the stone up from the surface. I also do not move the tables at all. I see absolutely no reason to. Nor do I lock the drum, again not necessary if you have a good experienced feel for what you are doing. If you do not you might want to use that system as presented. Nothing really wrong with it except the fingers against the blade bit. I do not put the tips of my fingers over the end of the stone close to the blades. Neither do I make a sweep across the blades with my finger-tips when I finish.

I also match the original angle of the blade much more closely instead of a "micro-bevel. I finish with an ultra light cleanup of the flat face of the blade.
When I do it I spend about 3 minutes start to finish...


.

[tomsalwasser]

Thanks for clearing that up Francis

[wannabewoodworker]

I purchased a planer/jointer knife jig for my Tormek right after I had them sharpened so I have not had a chance to sharpen them with it yet but it does seem to be the cats azz in how to sharpen the jointer blades. It is somewhat idiot proof which is a good thing for me when doing things like sharpening. I screwed up several kitchen knives for the wife after first getting my Tormek so it isn't completely idiot proof but I have also had much more experience since butchering up those knives and now can get a razor sharp edge on a filet knife that will shave the hair off your arm easily. I also did the same thing on my chisels and they too will shave the hair off my arm scary sharp.

[tomsalwasser]

Hey Mike, I know what you mean, with all tools comes a learning curve. I've mangled more drill bits in the drill doctor...sent them right to the morgue. I don't even try with that thing anymore.

I would like to touch up my planer blades in place first before I remove them for a thorough sharpening so this article and video caught my attention. It's definitely true in my case that I've skipped sharpening for way too long.

Best,
Tom

[wannabewoodworker]

Hey Mike, I know what you mean, with all tools comes a learning curve. I've mangled more drill bits in the drill doctor...sent them right to the morgue. I don't even try with that thing anymore.

I would like to touch up my planer blades in place first before I remove them for a thorough sharpening so this article and video caught my attention. It's definitely true in my case that I've skipped sharpening for way too long.

Best,
Tom

Sharpening has always been a chore for me and I was never any good at it using all manner of methods. Then I jumped at the chance to by this Tormek used from a lady in CA. who got it after taking sharpening lessons and thought she would get into sharpening as a business. She decided that wasn't for her so she put it up for sale on a Tormek email list I am a member of. I just happened to see it first because it would have been gone FAST had I not jumped at it. I got it with the complete small tool kit for $475 which was a huge bargain at the time as it would have cost me close to $1,000 if I had bought everything new. They have dropped in price as of late and you can get the same stuff I acquired for around $700 now.

It really is a wonderful sharpening machine and although it takes a bit of learning in how to use it properly once you get it sharpening anything is quite easy and enjoyable. I do not have the jigs for my lathe tools yet but those are on the buy list as I do not have anything to sharpen those tools with. I was thinking about get the Wolverine setup for the lathe tools and doing the basic sharpening of those tools with that then cleaning them up with the Tormek. The Tormek is a pretty slow sharpening system but it does get anything you sharpen with it scary sharp.

I also bought a Drill Doctor on CL and it has worked quite well for me but the bits just never seem to work quite as well after they become dull.I can get them to cut after sharpening on the DD but they don't seem to hold their edge for long. Tormek has a drill bit jig but it costs a ton like all Tormek jigs and I will just stick with the DD for now. I would rather spend money on the lathe tool jigs as they are more important than the drill bits.

[beeg]

Why knot get the wolverine system by Oneway? At least ya will have a DECENT tool rest for the grinder. It;s pretty easy to sharpen you lathe tools with it too.

[robinson46176]

I had a sharpening sideline as part of our business for a very long time. I got started by sharpening scissors and pinking shears back when I was working as a factory rep for the Hoover Co. back in the early 1970's. We held "Scissors Clinics" in stores as part of a sales promotion. The company owned a batch of scissors machines and the store would run an ad for Hoover products and about the clinic. We would usually sharpen enough of them to easily pay for the large ad for the store. In a larger store it was not uncommon to sharpen 400 or 500 pairs over a weekend (kept you busy) and we would also help the store people sell product and train their employees.
When I opened my own store in Dec. 1974 one of the first things I acquired was a scissors machine. It paid itself off including shipping and advertising the first month.
I have always cut a lot of wood and the second item was a Foley / Belsaw chainsaw chain sharpening machine (was just Belsaw back then). That machine quickly paid for itself and 30 year later I am still using it. I still use the scissors machine too. I no longer use either very commercially but I do a sharpening job or two now and then. I just did 7 saw chains Sunday evening for our son's employer @ $4 each. Not a good way to get rich but buys a few "wants" along. The same folks also send me heavy commercial mower blades over the grass season. I do not have a sign up and I haven't advertised in 15 years but still word gets around a little. I could probably make it a viable going full time business pretty easily but I don't want to... Since that side-line was part time I avoided stuff like saw blades but I did do a few now and then for good customers. I just didn't want to go there... I especially didn't want to invest in what it would take to set up for a lot of carbide work.
I did quite a few planer blades at one time and for a long time I was the only one around here that would do electric hedge trimmer blades. I even had guys bringing me hand planes to sharpen. I had a couple of jigs for drill bits but didn't like them much. I could do a better job free hand. I'm a little shaky for much of the little stuff these days.
One time I had a foreign Dr. bring me a batch of surgical scissors and when I finished I tested them on a piece of soft cotton. He said "those are not for cutting cloth, they are for cutting meat". I looked at him and said "I don't have any parts I want to test them on. Do you? He just looked at me and shrugged, paid me and left... I would usually see him about once a year after that. Did a lot of barber stuff too.

[beeg]

I had a couple of jigs for drill bits but didn't like them much. I could do a better job free hand.

Now that's something I wish I could do.

[fjimp]

Why knot get the wolverine system by Oneway? At least ya will have a DECENT tool rest for the grinder. It]

Well Bob I can easily vote for this idea. I have great luck with mine. Jim