Never by hand

[newt]

With this months F&C is an attachment called essential workshop guide. I think it is aimed at folk with limited woodwork experience. However there is a statement in the section on chisels, tip number 4 states and I quote " Always use a honing guide - never try to sharpen cutting edges by hand holding alone". Even though I tend to use a honing guide I still find this statement surprising, perhaps it is related to safety, sign of the times I guess.

 

[AndyT]

For those of us who don't have a copy, can you see if there is a named author for this 'tip'?

 

[newt]

For those of us who don't have a copy, can you see if there is a named author for this 'tip'?

Yes, Anthony Bailey.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Tip 7 - When chopping a mortice, mark it out exactly and clearly, indent a cut all round using a broad chisel for the long sides and a narrow one matched to the mortice width. Then do a series of spaced cuts all the way along the surface, encourage the broken surface out with the narrow chisel and repeat the chopping process to final depth.

Tip 8 - Now pare down both sides and ends of the mortice; take care to keep the internal straight sided and not tapering in or out, in depth.

(There is a photograph showing a piece of stock timber with a mortice marked out on it, the mortice being about half the stock width or a bit more; it also shows a wide B/E chisel, a narrow B/E chisel about 2/3 the mortice width, and the head of a claw hammer.)

My suspicion is that despite Anthony Bailey's name being emblazoned on the article ("Anthony Bailey provides his top tips on getting the best from various chisels in the IRWIN Marples range"), this was written by a marketing bod with only the loosest experience of carpentry or joinery. If GMC publications made a few bob by taking the advertising revenue, good luck to them, but it's arguably not the best introduction to good technique.

 

[Alex H]

Perhaps less frustration with sharpening if you can maintain the correct angle with a guide?

 

[AndyT]

I see. As far as I know Irwin don't make any mortice chisels.
It sounds like an advert presented as editorial.
I think I will just ignore it.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

I see. As far as I know Irwin don't make any mortice chisels.
It sounds like an advert presented as editorial.
I think I will just ignore it.

Wise move.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Perhaps less frustration with sharpening if you can maintain the correct angle with a guide?

There's absolutely nothing wrong with using a honing guide if you prefer to do so. Equally, there's absolutely nothing wrong with sharpening freehand if you prefer that method. Both methods have been proved by long experience to work, and work well. Both methods need a bit of practice to become really proficient at - but then, don't most things in life?

 

[newt]

My only issue was with the word NEVER.

 

[Harbo]

Pete - a typo in your heading - "by" not "buy"
The feature is a plug for Irwin without a doubt.

Rod

 

[newt]

Pete - a typo in your heading - "by" not "buy"
The feature is a plug for Irwin without a doubt.

Rod

Well spotted Rod

 

[Tierney]

I scanned through a few pages of that supplement, before deciding it was basically just marketing and binned it. Maybe it's just me but anything that starts with 'The Essential Guide to ....' tends to bring out the sceptic in me.

DT

 

[promhandicam]

The whole thing was just a series of adverts and advertorials. The 'tips' for the Festool TS55 were nothing more than a list of the saws features and not tips at all. Presumably Derek Jones got paid for his contribution so he'll be happy, but for subscribers a complete waste of time.

 

[Richard T]

Never by* woodwork magazines.


* buy.

 

[dj3d]

Presumably Derek Jones got paid for his contribution so he'll be happy, but for subscribers a complete waste of time.

Oh I wish that were the case.
The TS55 with all its accessories is an excellent combination of useful features with a bias towards safe handling. These are important qualities that can't be repeated enough if they are relevant and of benefit to the reader. Yes there's no escaping the fact that the EWG is a marketing tool, but that will be the case for any additional material bagged to a magazine or anything else shoved through your letterbox, whether it be a catalogue, a lipstick or jigsaw blade.

As a consumer I'd rather they didn't exist but the marketplace is a fiercely competitive environment so we shouldn't be surprised when some brands seek to gain an edge in this way. That aside I would concede that the EWG has less of an appeal to the readers of F&C than perhaps other titles. But then that's not clear cut either. We have readers who have just bought their first set of chisels and those who work on the tools for living. The middle ground is somewhere in between and we don't always manage to hit the spot. What this thread doesn't address is when the bar is raised in the other direction. I can assure you the reaction is equally as vociferous.

Coming back to AB's recommendation for 'Never' sharpen free-hand it might have included 'until you have gained sufficient experience' but with so many excellent honing guides out there I wonder why you would want to, especially if you are starting out which is the general theme of the Guide. I'll admit to giving the odd blade a tickle free hand now and then if I'm in a hurry but nearly always regret it next time I come to sharpen it. I use a couple of Richard Kell's guides for nearly all of my honing and apart from being beautiful objects in their own right they're so quick to use. They're also on the shelf behind me burning a hole in the back of my head as I do so.

Never by* woodwork magazines.


* buy.

I'm sure this was meant tongue in cheek but the advice might be a little short sighted. I do buy woodworking magazines and even though I don't learn something new on every page I do gain an insight in to how other woodworkers are approaching certain tasks. At the end of the read I'm generally better informed than when I was at the beginning.

On a positive note, the opinions of a minority are every bit as valid as those of the majority - they help to shape the magazines, so keep us informed.

Derek
Ed F&C

 

[Jacob]

..........
Coming back to AB's recommendation for 'Never' sharpen free-hand it might have included 'until you have gained sufficient experience'

Takes twenty minutes or so for the average beginner to get the hang of it. If you don't start on the path you may never gain sufficient experience.

but with so many excellent honing guides out there I wonder why you would want to,

Honing guides make it more difficult, not less so. This is why sharpening is such an endlessly discussed issue - guides seem such a logical idea but people struggle away, especially if they have been brainwashed into thinking freehand is difficult.
I suppose the main problem with guides is the need for flat stones, which raises a whole set of other complications, not least being the difficulty of getting a bit of a camber, which in turn hinders the actual plane performance.
My advice to a beginner would be to get the hang of freehand right away and ignore all the negative publicity and the shiny gadgets for sale.

 

[Carl P]

I've occasionally sharpened freehand but have never seen anyone else doing it or had personal advice - any tips or recomended links?

Cheers,

Carl

 

[AndyT]

Hi Carl

I see that you are new here - welcome!

This forum has been going for ten years and in that time there have been very many discussions about sharpening, some of them quite "lively". Some of us would be reluctant to start a new one, as there are so many different ways to sharpen, each with its own supporters.

I suggest that you have a look back at some of the information and opinions using the search facility - this may help: https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/search...q1y&cof=FORID:11&q=sharpen+freehand&sa=Search

 

[ColeyS1]

Not my idea but I saw something similar and thought it would be usefull. I only use to do freehand but was surprised how much difference there was from one chisel honing angle to the next. I can flip this down for reference which should speed up sharpening....... maybe :lol:

The old chap where I use to work taped a piece of cardboard tightly around my wrist. Apparently when I tried sharpening my wrist would flex all over the place- once that was fixed it was just a case of dropping my elbows to roughly the right angle- it kind of helped ;-)

 

[dj3d]

And there was me thinking that the golf swing was the most complex technique of all to master. Learning to co-ordinate fingers, thumbs, wrists, elbows, shoulders etc. to within a thou or there abouts is really quite impressive. Perhaps you free hand guys could give Rory McIlroy a run for his money. :wink:

A piece of float glass and some 3m films does the trick for me.

Derek