Wider sharpening stones or a different technique?

[bp122]

Hello all!

I have a few have planes, some wooden, and others metallic.
All my planes except one long wooden jointer and my no. 4 1/2 have irons that are narrower than my sharpening stones. The 4 1/2's iron is exactly the same width as the sharpening stone.

When I am sharpening it using the Veritas guide, it is proving very difficult to hone the edges without going outside the boundaries of the stone. Is there such a thing as a wider stone or is there a different technique to it?

I am aware that most people do free hand, but I have had very limited success with it and the Veritas system gives me very satisfying results.

I'd like to know how you guys do it and also how to sharpen the mitre trimmer's (guillotine) blades as well.

Please enlighten!

 

[sometimewoodworker]

When I am sharpening it using the Veritas guide, it is proving very difficult to hone the edges without going outside the boundaries of the stone. Is there such a thing as a wider stone or is there a different technique to it?

There are many many different sharpening methods and evangelicals who feel that they have the only good way

However the simplest way is to use the ”Scary sharp” system. That involves using sandpaper/wet and dry paper on a true flat surface like a piece of scrap granite or cast iron surface plate. That allows you to sharpen almost any width of blade.

 

[bp122]

I knew about the scary sharp system, but just didn't make the connection! Cheers, mate.
My ultex diamond plates are 3"wide, so no issues there, it is the high grit stones.

I guess I can get a float glass or some sort of reliable surface to do it on.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I can't speak for using guides as I've never used one, but according to Walter Rose in The Village Carpenter it was said the stone SHOULD be narrower than the plane iron - so that the stone doesn't get dished from side to side. End to end doesn't matter much .

 

[Jacob]

Simplest is freehand and either skew the blade, and/or work it over one edge and then the other, and/ or do a sort of rotary movement. Try to wear the whole surface evenly.
Honing jigs have a whole set of problems of their own.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

Simplest is freehand

That may work for you but as I don’t need to sharpen enough to build up and maintain the feel needed for that.

The simplest best way for me is the veritas guide, I get consistent good edges each time I need to sharpen.

 

[Argus]

He's right.

Jigs - however well set - present a minutely small new honing angle each time you load it and this has to be overcome or ground down before you get an edge. As you go on with successive sharpenings this gets bigger, wider and involves more time and effort on your plate or stone.

I was taught to memorise an angle - which will become second nature in a short time, believe me - and at the end of the forward stroke to dip the blade slightly so that the rear of the bevel is always lower than the cutting tip.

Moreover, once you get it sussed, the whole thing is radically quicker than fiddling with screw-drivers and getting edge protuberances right.

Other methods and their variations are available, I'm sure, but the main point is to simplify a method that suits you, perfect it and to stick to it.
If that involves jigs, so be it, but they are giving you a problem already - hence the original question.......

Good luck.

 

[Lons]

Wait for it!

 

[Argus]

We're all banged-up with nuthin' to do!

 

[stuartpaul]

I've got the veritas jig and simply 'slew' it over the edges as I go to ensure full blade coverage. Easier to do than write about it!

The other way is a slight diagonal stroke to ensure the edge of the blade is honed.

 

[Jacob]

He's right.

Jigs - however well set - present a minutely small new honing angle each time you load it and this has to be overcome or ground down before you get an edge. As you go on with successive sharpenings this gets bigger, wider and involves more time and effort on your plate or stone.

I was taught to memorise an angle - which will become second nature in a short time, believe me - and at the end of the forward stroke to dip the blade slightly so that the rear of the bevel is always lower than the cutting tip.

Moreover, once you get it sussed, the whole thing is radically quicker than fiddling with screw-drivers and getting edge protuberances right.

Other methods and their variations are available, I'm sure, but the main point is to simplify a method that suits you, perfect it and to stick to it.
If that involves jigs, so be it, but they are giving you a problem already - hence the original question.......

Good luck.

The only angle you need to get into your brain is 30º for honing.
A bit of practice helps: draw an equilateral triangle - halve the corner angle gives you 30. Draw a right angle - a third gives you 30º. Make a card cut-out and stare at it! and so on!
You get it in about 10 minutes and then can freehand for the rest of your life!
The grind angle just needs to be a bit less, not exactly 25º

 

[Sean Hellman]

I like the veritas guide, but do most of my sharpening freehand and only use it to reset the bevels. Buy a wide coarse stone, the Shapton ones are very good, the glass backed ones. Final finishing can be done on abrasive films or your usual stones going slightly diagonal down the stone.

With mitre trimmer's (guillotine) blades make a jig so the blade is held at the sharpening angle, say 35 degrees, with the edge up in the air. A support block is placed in front of the edge to support the abrasive. Note the 2 screws for fine adjustments. Careful of your fingers. NEVER put any back bevel on it, the back MUST remain flat.
These blades are heavy and don't move if you knock the edge, do handle with extreme caution.

Note also the image does not show the left hand placed on the left hand end of the abrasive, that way it is a lot harder to cut yourself.

 

[Nigel Burden]

Hello all!

I have a few have planes, some wooden, and others metallic.
All my planes except one long wooden jointer and my no. 4 1/2 have irons that are narrower than my sharpening stones. The 4 1/2's iron is exactly the same width as the sharpening stone.

When I am sharpening it using the Veritas guide, it is proving very difficult to hone the edges without going outside the boundaries of the stone. Is there such a thing as a wider stone or is there a different technique to it?

I am aware that most people do free hand, but I have had very limited success with it and the Veritas system gives me very satisfying results.

I'd like to know how you guys do it and also how to sharpen the mitre trimmer's (guillotine) blades as well.

Please enlighten!

Yes you can get wider diamond plates, but they are expensive and not really necessary. I only use a 2" plate or stone but skew the blade and the edge on my jointer is level and square. You can also do as Jacob said, use a rotory motion or a figure of eight.

Nigel.

 

[bp122]

I like the veritas guide, but do most of my sharpening freehand and only use it to reset the bevels. Buy a wide coarse stone, the Shapton ones are very good, the glass backed ones. Final finishing can be done on abrasive films or your usual stones going slightly diagonal down the stone.

With mitre trimmer's (guillotine) blades make a jig so the blade is held at the sharpening angle, say 35 degrees, with the edge up in the air. A support block is placed in front of the edge to support the abrasive. Note the 2 screws for fine adjustments. Careful of your fingers. NEVER put any back bevel on it, the back MUST remain flat.
These blades are heavy and don't move if you knock the edge, do handle with extreme caution.

Note also the image does not show the left hand placed on the left hand end of the abrasive, that way it is a lot harder to cut yourself.


View attachment 99838

Cheers for that, I'll need to make one similar to this.

 

[bp122]

To be honest, I haven't spent a lot of time trying to do freehand. Tried it a handful of times and found the edge was all over the place, so went back to the honing guide

 

[pe2dave]

I recently sharpened a hand axe on a 2" plate. Trial and error, or search youtube for good examples?
Doesn't take long to get the hang of holding a chisel / plane iron at ~ 30 degrees? Tip a fraction
and you have less for the tip. Rounded? So what, is it sharp, that's the test.