Planer Blade Sharpening

[woodshavings]

I need to sharpen my Maxi Planer Blades. I have a Tormek but not a jig for planer blades Cant afford a Tormek jig just yet so was looking for alternative!

Alf, how do you sharpen your Maxi blades ? I was wondering if you had a clamp or jig to hold them. :idea:

Cheers
John

 

[Chris Knight]

A method I have used with some success is to rip a couple of cuts in a 4x2 at 45degrees in a Vee (90 degrees included angle) and because the kerf of the blade I use is fortuitously the same as the thickness of my Sheppach blades, they are a push fit into the rip cuts.

I then put the wood with the blades in it, on the drill press and use a cup-type grindstone to skim the blades. To avoid the 4x2 shifting about, clamp a couple of fences either side.

A light honing with a diamond stone is used after this operation. Because the two blades act as a support for the stone, there is no difficulty in maintaining the proper angle with the hand held diamond stone.

I found the 45 degree setting worked OK but I think the original angle on my blades was probably more like 40 degrees. To rip this on my table saw, I would need to shim up one side of the 4x2 for the cut.

I used this method a few times before I dropped the stone and broke it, then got a jig for the Tormek so that is what I use. Results are about the same.

 

[Alf]

John,

I take 'em to the nearest sharpening service (fed up with that S D phrase ) and they do a good job. About £4 a time I think. You need a second set though, 'cos it's not exactly while-u-wait. :? In between times, to get as much time between trips, I use one of those diamond hones to just fettle up the edge occasionally. The big plus of this is you don't even have to take the blades out of the cutter block to do it. Lazy? Moi? I don't have a Tormek at all, so that's not an option, and the idea of doing a serious grinding job on them to remove a nick or whatever myself doesn't fill me with joy. So I pay my money and use the P/T with confidence instead of nagging doubt :wink:

Cheers, Alf