MetalworkingFun Forum

I gave up on trying to sharpen tools free hand. I just don't have the knack for it

I have tried flat stones, the "Lansky" type of hand knife sharpening kits, the paper (cardboard) sharpening wheels on my pedestal grinder, diamond hand laps and other DIY 'solutions' ad nauseum. I can't manage to get a straight, consistent, even bevel at an even angle on an edge to save my soul. I end up with multi-faceted washboard edges every time. Even my Drill-Doctor which worked great for about a year until the PLASTIC housing evidently started wearing/warping/shifting it's shape and won't hold a correct angle anymore.

My latest delivery and my last hope of saving the drawer full of pocket knives, kitchen knives, scissors, drill bits etc., etc., that I have butchered the bevels on due to my unsteady movements. If you will excuse me, I have to go plan a bank robbery now so that I can afford to buy extra wheels for it for grinding lathe bits and whatnot.  

[attachment=17486]

Built like a tank and weighs just about as much too.

Ed

(01-07-2022, 02:20 PM)EdK Wrote: [ -> ]

Ed

At hand grinding, yes - I freely admit that.

Boy howdy, those Swede's are sure proud of their stuff though.

Always wanted one, could never convince myself it was worth the money.  Post your findings once you get a few items done.

I did buy a used Sears sharpener from that auction site a few years back.  Works well, but you'd better have at least a partial edge, or it takes forever.

I bought a Chinese clone a number of years back. Works well for sharpening hand plane blades and wood chisels. Im sure yours has a beter quality wheel. Mine cuts pretty slow and have had to dress the wheel once. Old age I can't remember how I did it. lol
The leather strap wheel is less than so so. I use a hard felt wheel on a grinder to hone. Remember the cutting compound they included had a horrible ammonia smell

Oh yah, i started sharpening my wood chisels on the surface grinder with a sine plate set to the correct angle. AWSOME edge, a few swipes on a water stone to remove the burr and they're surgically sharpe

(01-07-2022, 05:36 PM)f350ca Wrote: [ -> ]I bought a Chinese clone a number of years back. Works well for sharpening hand plane blades and wood chisels. Im sure yours has a beter quality wheel. Mine cuts pretty slow and have had to dress the wheel once. Old age I can't remember how I did it. lol
The leather strap wheel is less than so so. I use a hard felt wheel on a grinder to hone. Remember the cutting compound they included had a horrible ammonia smell

What I am curious about is they say that the same (std) wheel can be adjusted from 220 grit to 1000 grit or anywhere in between. The machine came with a "stone grader" that looks like an extra course/fine grit precision bench stone. Smooth the exposed grains on the wheel for a finer grit - or rough the surface up again to go back to a courser grit. They claim you can do this repeatedly and it doesn't wear the wheel - 'very minimal'. It will be interesting to try that.  

I haven't even taken anything out of the box yet but I'll be sure to get a good whiff of the tube of glue... er, um, honing paste to see what it is like.  

(01-07-2022, 05:36 PM)f350ca Wrote: [ -> ]Oh yah, i started sharpening my wood chisels on the surface grinder

And to quote Ed --  

For the final edge on a knife I've always liked a buffing wheel. My 2nd choice is a steel. Dad was a meat cutter and taught me how to sharpen a knife and finish with a steel.

This Wen sharpener gets pretty good reviews. Certainly no Tormek but an alternative for a lot less money.





Ed