Shopsmith Forums

Can the SS be used to sharpen kitchen knives? If so, what jigs or setups can be used to assist in the job?

Hi,
Yes, but it would be like taking a sledge hammer to kill a bug. Buy your better half one of those ceramic sharpeners and leave it in the kitchen drawer for her. Use your SS for the fun things like drilling, sawing and sanding.
ldh

Actually, folks, I'll be sending out a video tip showing how to sharpen knives on the Shopsmith within the week. As you will see, I have perfected my knife-hammer-bug-sharpening technique to a fine art. Some of us like to make sure the little suckers are dead...er, sharp.

With all good wishes,

Nick wrote:Actually, folks, I'll be sending out a video tip showing how to sharpen knives on the Shopsmith within the week. As you will see, I have perfected my knife-hammer-bug-sharpening technique to a fine art. Some of us like to make sure the little suckers are dead...er, sharp.

With all good wishes,

Thanks for the info Nick!

I anxiously await your tip - actually, my wife is bugging the heck out of me to buy a new knife sharpener but I figured why not use the SS for the task? We do have an old three wheel grinder/honer that has worked very nicely for many years but, it's gotten to the point that it doesn't sharpen the blades any more.

drmcroberts wrote:Can the SS be used to sharpen kitchen knives? If so, what jigs or setups can be used to assist in the job?

I use 150 grit metallurgical paper on my sanding disk. In fact I have a spare disk with this paper set up on it perminantly. It is quite effective at putting on a kean edge. I find this quite effictive for kitchen knives, pocket knives, and lathe tools. In the summer I put on an 80 grit version and find I have the sharpest lawn mower blades in the neighborhood. Be carefull that the neighbors don't find out or you will become the local sharpening guy.

Not one to leave good enough alone, I took an old 10" sanding disc and mounter it on a saw arbor and made a strop. I glued a piece of leather, rough side out to it then put it on the SS and loaded the leather up with ZAM buffing compound.

After sharpening a knife, chisel, or anything with the sandpaper disc I put on the strop and holding the edge away from the direction of rotation I bring it up to a mirror finish. Much quicker than the old fashioned strop the Barber used for his straight razor.

Good job Jim! Now all you need is another disk with the smooth side out, with no compound on it. Remember the barber's strop? It had both a rough and a smooth side.

I use one of those 3" diameter leather wheels that are designed for a hand drill. The only potential issue is - they say not to exceed 400 RPM. Have used it in the SS chuck for 5 or so years and I guess 750 RPM does not exceed their fudge factor. I use my hand held smooth strop to finish the process.

Have a look: http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/Tips_Ar ... Knives.htm

With all good wishes,

Nick,
Thanks for the informative video and knife sharpening jig. I see the light now and will have to purchase the strip sander sharpening jig and have my wife dispose of the ceramic sharpener. I am a bit concerned with her having scary sharp knives when she pays the credit card bill for the SS tools I keep buying.
ldh

Great demo Nick! Now I guess I'll have to put a Strip Sander and Chisel Sharpening Attachment on my wish list