I sharpened my first chisel. Ever.
I must say, after a hard day at work, it was strangely . . . . therapeutic.
Previously, I bought Mr. Lee’s sharpening DVD and read as much as I could about the scary sharp method.
I picked an old 3/4” chisel that was in decent shape to practice with. I knew the back was going to take some time to lap to a flat surface.
Not having a grinder or sander, I bought 3 sheets of emery cloth at Walmart, coarse, medium and fine. In their automotive dept., I found 2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper. I already had 320 and 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper. I also purchased a can of spray adhesive from the borg.
I cut the emery cloth in half and glued it down to a piece of 12”x12” granite tile and went to work grinding the back, working all the way up to 2000 grit. I didn’t use oil or water.
Then I started using my LV Mk. II jig and went to work on the bevel, taking it all the way up to 600 grit. That’s when I started alternating between the bevel and back, working through 2000 grit.
I wound up with a mirror finish and very sharp chisel. I like it!
Now, can I pepper you with some questions?
What I have:
LV Mk. II jig
LV micro abrasives in 15u, 5u and 0.5u
12”x12” granite tile
2 pieces of tempered glass (formerly shelves) about 7” x 24”
-Do you use some form of oil, or is it just as well to continue dry?
-What size should I cut the sandpaper and set it up? If I need to, I could buy wider pieces of glass.
-It seems it would beneficial to have a lighted magnifying glass in the shop to examine the edge as I work. Is that what you do?
-I would also think the jig roller should stay on the sheet of sandpaper to maintain the correct angle. Is that correct, or is there any danger of long term damage to the roller?
-A friend is buying a Harbor Freight 1”x42” belt sander. If it looks ok, I’d consider purchasing one for grinding, which I think would be a more flexible shop tool than a grinder, for me at this time. Opinions on this tool?
-On some old chisels, it’d be faster to grind the back flat. Bad idea? Or, should I stay with coarse sandpaper and work it?
Thanks!
- Jim