Restoring Chisesls + Damaged Handle

[madra]

Hi, I would love some advice on how to bring a few chisels up to full sharpness:

One has a tiny chip on the edge

*I have higher respictures but I can't post links* (homer)

I purchased them on eBay, all in all they look good but I am wondering will it be enough to use wet and dry sandpaper and a waterstone? I don't have access to a grindstone or the like.

Also, would there be a simple way to restore a cracked chisel handle? I don't have a lathe, and I don't know where to get a replacement. Is there anything I could do, like saw or file the top in some way to round it out? The top has some damage but most of the handle is fine, I have a picture

Thanks

 

[Biliphuster]

You certainly can restore a damaged edge with just wet and dry and waterstones, but it may take a while. I don't have a grinder, just an 8x3 coarse india stone which only gets used for restoring damaged blades and occasionally relieving a bevel. I would advise getting the coarsest grit abrasive you can, the extra minute it will take to work out 60 grit scratches compared to 120 is nothing compared to the time saving in bulk material removal.

As for new chisel handles, unless you have something in mind in particular I would advise buying them in, they come with a ferrule, are pre-drilled and almost foolproof in fitting.

Ray Iles sells nice ones for reasonable prices.

http://www.oldtools.free-online.co.uk/s ... rules.html

You can also get a lot on eBay.

 

[dzj]

As Biliphuster said, you can but it'll take a while.
A small bench grinder is inexpensive and it's a pretty necessary tool in the shop.
If you plan to do more restoring work, it will make life much easier.

 

[swb58]

I wouldn't worry too much about the appearance of the handles for a while. Maybe just give them a light filing or sand the worst of the nibbles on the ends, don't square the end off with a saw.

Treat them with a bit of respect and I doubt they'll give you any bother, concentrate your time on the sharp end.

 

[Jacob]

If you actually want to use them they don't need "restoring" you just sharpen them and go. Ideally on a double sided oil stone - simple, cheap, easy.
You have to be aware that there is a huge expensive industry around sharpening and "restoring" which is miles away from actual woodwork and is a hobby in itself.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Good luck to the OP sharpening them without grinding them. I hope he has plenty of spare time.

 

[Jacob]

Good luck to the OP sharpening them without grinding them. I hope he has plenty of spare time.

The two firmers look ground shallow enough already. I'd ignore the nick - it'd disappear after a few sharpenings. The paring chisel looks usable as is, but could be ground to a shallower angle.
It's down to either using them or fiddling about with them!

 

[Benchwayze]

Madra:

I had this problem once, but my solution might cause raised eyebrows; it worked for me.

I didn't have a grinder either, and I couldn't remove the uneven grind without a lot of work. So I decided to ignore the uneven 25 degree bevel already there, and I put the chisel in an Eclipse honing guide. Using the guide, I got a fast 30 degree bevel, on a coarse oil stone. When the stone had taken the edge back far enough to grind out the chip, I changed to the fine side of the stone and honed to proper sharpness. The primary bevel wasn't the best, but it served, and the chisel cut well.

So, don't worry about the primary bevel, until successive honing forces you to do something about it. Eventually, the secondary bevel will have moved back yet more, and it will be a less arduous task to use the coarse side of the stone, to put a primary bevel behind the secodnary. If you use a honing guide again you can achieve this without touching the honed edge. Unless the primary bevel you started with is extremely bad, this will get you through until you can get some kind of grinder. (There are plenty to choose from.) I use a Tormek wet grinder, that I've had for about 20 years, and I am still on the same stone!

As for the chipped handle, providing you won't lose too much of the handle, just cut the damaged piece off, and round over with a block plane, followed by appropriate sanding.

I won't get into the question of hand versus guide sharpening. Other folk will do that maybe? :lol:

Hope that helps you.

John

 

[Lons]

Hi Madra

I suggest you search the forum for previous threads on sharpening and there's at least a months' reading already here. be prepared to be confused, frustrated and entertained by the bickering :lol: Sharpening is up there with politics and religion as far as controversy goes.

You'll be able to make up your own mind from the advice and opinions given.

There's no "correct" way, whatever some might tell you. In my case having tried nearly all the available methods with varying degrees of success I use a combination of powered and hand sharpening as I'd rather spend my time making than sharpening.

I replace my handles as I have a lathe but in the main it's just cosmetic. If really bad then you can shape one from a thick broom handle and use copper pipe as a ferrule but possibly cheaper to buy them in.

Bob

 

[madra]

Good luck to the OP sharpening them without grinding them. I hope he has plenty of spare time.

That's probably the only thing I have a lot of!

Sharpening is up there with politics and religion as far as controversy goes.

Yeah I did a lot of reading and it seems the more I read the less I know. That's why I wanted to show people in the know the state of the chisels and see what the simplest way to get a good result would be. Would love if someone could reccommend a good budget bench grinder, as I don't think I could afford any decent ones.

You have to be aware that there is a huge expensive industry around sharpening and "restoring" which is miles away from actual woodwork and is a hobby in itself.

That's why it's great to get some practical advise without all the BS, I just want to use the chisel to cut wood, I don't need to shave with it.

 

[AndyT]

If the gaps in the handles are uncomfortable in use you can always fill them. I find Woodflex is very good or there is always the old standby of glue and sawdust mixed. Plane, carve, rasp, file or sand until smooth all round.

I don't think you need a grinder for chisels if you have a coarse oilstone and maybe a little more time. At least you won't spoil the temper with an oilstone but you easily can if you grind too much.

 

[lurcher]

ebay 4 nice beech handles same patten £12.99 as for chisel edges turn a beltsander over put in vice and you have a fantastic grinder also good for cleaning up rough old timber £25.00 aldi 3yr gtee

 

[aesmith]

With similar or more serious damage I've spliced in sections of new wood, with varying degrees of success in making the repair match. See top and bottom in the picture. The middle one was a complete new handle using the original ferrule and styled to sort of match.

 

[Benchwayze]

Try the Cornishworkshop. There's a good article on making London Pattern octagonal handles; my favourite! They don't roll off the bench so easily.

 

[MCB]

Have you considered taking the Chisels to a Show or Open Day where somebody is demonstrating sharpening equipment - like a Tormek or ProEdge and invite the chap to show you (and everybody else) how well the machine works on an old blunt chisel and then produce yours from your pocket/bag.

It would be advisable to have end-caps to prevent damage on the way home!

I invited a demonstrator to do this at a show a while ago and she was pleased to sharpen a chisel (that I inherited from my grandfather who passed away in 1938)

MCB

 

[clauskeller]

I suggest looking for a hand driven bench grinder. They are cheap, effectiv, quiet, and don't heat the steel too much.

See here: http://www.popularwoodworking.com/artic ... ed-grinder

I use two of these.

Claus

 

[Benchwayze]

There's a 'buy it now' example on eBay uk at present.

 

[G S Haydon]

Hi Madra,

Just did a similar process to the one you're about to do, here's my results https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvUwHTOSw2U

 

[AndyT]

Hi Madra,

Just did a similar process to the one you're about to do, here's my results https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvUwHTOSw2U

Sssshh! There you go, telling the world that they can do good work with a cheap old chisel and an ordinary oilstone to sharpen it!! I thought that was a secret we were keeping to ourselves! :lol:

 

[G S Haydon]

gotta share the love Andy . It's so easy to share our experiences these days it'd be rude not to. There are some gems out there for sure.