# New Chisels....



## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

And I'd viewed more videos than I can take. As I haven't bought or used chisels in a long time, and those were Stanly's used to notch wood like 2x4's and the like, I bought a set of Narex Bench chisels and finally got around to taking them out of the packaging. I had also gotten a set of Narex Mortise chisels. So after seeing these videos and wanting to do the right thing I decided to flatten the back side of the chisels. I have the DMT Diamond Duo plates with Coarse/Fine/X-Fine diamond plate surfaces. I found from trying to flatten a bench plane iron that I needed something a bit more than coarse to start with as the iron had never been flattened. So I ended up with using some Norton wet/dry 220 grit paper which did a decent job of getting the stubborn edges flat all the way across and then proceed with the other three steps polishing it more and more as I went. I finished the iron using the Veritas MKII system and got a really shard iron. So this morning I was excited about taking on the chisels until I wasn't. As the shoulder isn't 100% yet and won't be for at least another 5-7 weeks I just wanted to flatten the widest chisel and check it's flatness. Hoping the coarse plate would be a good starting point I quickly became discouraged. I'm using water as my lubricant and I'm only trying to flatten from the tip back maybe 2-3" and quickly saw that this was far from flat. I had run my HF 3 chisels very quickly and they did well, mostly in about 10 minutes on coarse but the Narex was well into 40-45 minutes and that included the 220 grit sandpaper and coarse diamond stone, possibly longer. I was starting to feel some soreness in my hand and realized I was flattening them as well. As trying to hold the width of the chisel flat and with pressure I was using both hands similar in the same method you would for CPR except I was standing. They don't mention what to do with skin cells in the mesh of the diamond stone but I figured I'd clean that up for good measure and the slurry was stopping any bleeding.....and I have really smooth palms. The chisels in this subject are found here https://www.infinitytools.com/narex-premium-bench-chisels

So back to Google, DMT's website, and Amazon (the website not the jungle). So I ordered the Extra Extra Coarse Diamond Stone and should have that in a few days but I still have the issue with holding the chisels flat on the stones. So I immediately thought of the wisdom of this group and thought I could entertain you with my antics, abrasions, and newly smoothed skin while seeking some wisdom other then "send them to Louie's Sharpening Service and get it done for $50". I can't be the first, and if I am I loose, to have this kind of issue with sharpening, or at the least the flattening process. I was thinking that there must exist somewhere a holder that will allow a strong grip on a small part so it can be help down flat with pressure and allow good clear hand contact. Anything guys and gals? My palms would greatly appreciate it. Some pics included to hopefully see the problem.

Next thing to tackle would be the mortise chisels...........


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

@sreilly - Steve: when I need to flatten the back of a chisel or plane iron, I use the magnetic base from a dial indicator to start. Saves me from having to exert pressure using just my fingers. I start with some 80 grit sandpaper on plate glass if the back needs a lot of flattening, moving up to 120, then 150. At that point I'll move to my diamond plates then onto my Japanese water stones.


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## sgcz75b (Jan 8, 2019)

Rob Crosman has some great youtube vids on plane and chisel sharpening. He goes further than me with water stones, but I don't see the need for myself. Also look at the Trend youtube videos with Jim Barry.

I found that for 50 years I was working far too hard at it using the old supposed 'tried and true" techniques that were difficult and profanity-producing. Plus, modern diamond plates make it easy. Not only for planes and chisels, but carbide router bits and forstner drill bits, and bevel edge garden tools. I've given away all my old Arkansas stones to someone who has lots of time and prays to the mysterious Sharpening God for results,

I now use a Trend 300/1000 grit diamond stone then followed by a 3x8 piece of leather rough-side up with green rubbing compound. Easy, fast, and very sharp.

Even taking new chisels and planes and flattening the back takes no longer than 10-15 minutes with frequent sips of coffee. Once the back is flattened it will rarely be necessary to do it again. Edge touch up is a matter of a few minutes at most.

Try working not so hard and you may see results faster. Good luck with a quick shoulder healing.

Steve


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Ouch, pricey things, aren't they? I have/had a set of a dozen, from HF possibly, that I used for a long time, but last time I looked, they apparently followed my younger son home. Never saw a need to flatten the backs, did all my sharpening on a belt sander, and they performed great. I've got my eye on a replacement set on ebay, 12 for around $12. Look just like my old ones, made to be whacked with a carving mallet. I don't know, but if I wanted to flatten the back of some, I believe I would start thinking belt sander, possibly disc. Chisels that pricey tho, I'd get some el cheapo chisels to practice with first, maybe yard sale chisels. I don't watch youtube about things like that, so just what are you supposed to be gaining by flattening the backs of your chisels?


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

use a speaker magnet to hold the chisel or the like...
paint the back of the chisel w/ a felt tip.. (when you are flat the felt tipping will be gone)...
use a circular motion on your stone..
every time you change grits, change the direction of the motion..
you only need to flatten the 1st half to 2/3rds of the chisel...

.


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## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

Thanks guys, I knew you'd come through. The first mention of magnets and my mind was swimming with ideas. I could use some rare earth magnets I have and use them recessed into a flat wooden handle to keep those chisels and plane irons steady and the hands off the surface. I know these things, just deep down farther then I looked it seems. Stick thanks for the advice and pdf. Those mortise chisels should be fun. Arthritis is having some affect as well so a larger surface to hold will help tons. Thanks again. Now where did I put those magnets.........


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## sgcz75b (Jan 8, 2019)

JOAT said:


> I don't watch youtube about things like that, so just what are you supposed to be gaining by flattening the backs of your chisels?


Sharp chisels. 

Try watching the recommended youtube channels and you'll understand. The back is as important as the bevel edge. The bevel doesn't exist in isolation. It's an important concept to understand and will help you with all edged implements.


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

@JOAT

The importance of flattening the back of the chisel is to make sure the knife edge, after sharpening the bevel, has a straight edge...see pic below...

Imagine if the back were not flattened (gray area in the pic)...the sharpened edge would not be straight.


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## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

The sharp comes from the edge of two points meeting, the bottom flat and the beveled angle.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Nope, not watching utube videos on it. Don't trust many utube videos. Got my belt sander sharpening idea many years ago, from a world class furniture maker, and darned if I can recall who it was, but it has worked very well for me, so not changing my sharpening method. From what I learned, got his chisels at the local hardware, and never flattened the backs of his chisels. Plane irons, fine, they always cut at the same angle - or at least supposed to. Chisels never cut at the same angle, they always are at a different angle, even if it is just a minute difference, so as far as I can tell a minor bit off on the sharpening is meaningless. My grandfather was what most would call a master carpenter today, and none of his chisels had flattened backs, as far as I know. Do chisel manufacturers recommend flattening the backs?


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## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

vchiarelli said:


> @sreilly - Steve: when I need to flatten the back of a chisel or plane iron, I use the magnetic base from a dial indicator to start. Saves me from having to exert pressure using just my fingers. I start with some 80 grit sandpaper on plate glass if the back needs a lot of flattening, moving up to 120, then 150. At that point I'll move to my diamond plates then onto my Japanese water stones.


Excellent idea and I'm ashamed I didn't think of it.


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## sgcz75b (Jan 8, 2019)

JOAT said:


> Do chisel manufacturers recommend flattening the backs?


Most do and/or they expect you to know to do so. Some put out youtube videos to show you how to do it.






Try watching -you might gain knowledge.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

According to Lee Valley who sell the Narex chisels up here they are supposed to come flatter than that. I've taken literally hours to get some of the old Sheffield chisel makers chisels flat across the bottoms. I used to quit when I got to 600 grit on my diamond stones but then I tried some 2500 grit carbide paper on glass and there was a noticeable improvement.


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## sgcz75b (Jan 8, 2019)

Unless there's a noticeable convex bulge on the flat of the chisel, you only need flatten the 1/4th to 1/2 inch (at most) edge next to the top bevel. Everything else is wasted energy and accomplishes nothing.

That's what I mean about new techniques surpassing the drudgery of past methods with faster, better results.

If you enjoy doing all the extra work, you can polish the back of the chisel until you have a mirror, but it does nothing to give you a sharper edge.

I once would have done all that work thinking it was necessary. Now I know I was wrong, wasted time and energy doing it, and now my chisels, planes, and knives are sharper than ever and I can get on to the work.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Nickp said:


> @JOAT
> 
> The importance of flattening the back of the chisel is to make sure the knife edge, after sharpening the bevel, has a straight edge...see pic below...
> 
> Imagine if the back were not flattened (gray area in the pic)...the sharpened edge would not be straight.


that chisel appears to be a cranked neck and the way the flattening came out it is perfect for using it for paring...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> According to Lee Valley who sell the Narex chisels up here they are supposed to come flatter than that. I've taken literally hours to get some of the old Sheffield chisel makers chisels flat across the bottoms. I used to quit when I got to 600 grit on my diamond stones but then I tried some 2500 grit carbide paper on glass and there was a noticeable improvement.


the more polished the back side the less friction there helping the chisel cut easier/smoother...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

I use the side of the wheel on my Tormek for flattening...
I get a mirror in a few minutes...


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## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

​


JOAT said:


> Nope, not watching utube videos on it. Don't trust many utube videos. Got my belt sander sharpening idea many years ago, from a world class furniture maker, and darned if I can recall who it was, but it has worked very well for me, so not changing my sharpening method. From what I learned, got his chisels at the local hardware, and never flattened the backs of his chisels. Plane irons, fine, they always cut at the same angle - or at least supposed to. Chisels never cut at the same angle, they always are at a different angle, even if it is just a minute difference, so as far as I can tell a minor bit off on the sharpening is meaningless. My grandfather was what most would call a master carpenter today, and none of his chisels had flattened backs, as far as I know. Do chisel manufacturers recommend flattening the backs?


Hey if it works for you and you're happy with the results why change now. But as is with most things there are ways to do things and ways to do things properly. I tend to lean toward properly as there is a reason for these to develop. In my case I want quality tools that will help get the job done well. In the case of chisels and planes, as I'm finding out, there's cutting and shaving. In many cases you could think of it like shaving your face. Now I've seen some faces that could be shaved with an ax and not be any the worse for it while most it would destroy. The difference is the material and the sharpness of the cutters. The sharper the cutter the cleaner the cut. Like shaving with a new sharp blade, it will cleanly cut through while that 2 month old used every day blade with likely pull harder and whack off the cut leaving less than smooth in its wake. Question remains what to use and how to get there. The attachment Stick replied with takes you to that place as do many articles written by those we would consider professionals/experts. 

My intent along this path is to learn the proper recommended way to first choose, setup, and use quality tools. Afterall someday these will belong to my son and they might as well be worth having. They don't have to be Lie-Nielsen quality but good quality non the least. Again it comes down to what is acceptable to you and how far you want to go. I'm not looking to become a master woodworker but I would like to acquire those skills.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

I have a sheet of plate glass, obtained from a glazing company, a piece cut for me from a broken shop window. I wet it and lay a full sheet of wet and dry paper on it and using plenty of water go through the grades of paper finishing with 1200 grit. I've tried the side of the Tormec wheel which works but it take for ages to remove much metal.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

I have a WorkSharp 3000 I use mostly for flattening the back. Makes quick work of polishing and I use the strop disk with some polishing compound for the final touches. Prefer using diamond stones for the bevel. The WorkSharp is also excellent for rescuing a damaged chisel or iron. But from time to time I'll get out the different grits of sandpaper. 

I don't let my chisels get dull. After use, I give then a few swipes on the fine diamond stone so they're arm hair shaving sharp every time I use them. Don't forget the ultra light lube on the diamond stone. I don't use a guide, I figure after 30 or so years of the angle might go off by a negligable degree or two.


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## Danman1957 (Mar 14, 2009)

Steve,

I bought my Narex chisels from Lee Valley over 10 years ago and my students are still buying them today. In my opinion, they are by far the best bang for your buck on the market. You can find better but at an outrageous price. I have never had issues with flattening or sharpening. I flattened the backs when they were new and check them when I hone/sharp them and I have not had to re-do the backs so far. I know many people will disagree but, I use a stone with honing oil and I would not change from this, I get excellent results and all by hand, no guides or jigs. This is the method I was tought and it is what I teach my students. Sure you can get a slightly sharper edge from diamond plates and some machines, but for fast and easy I swear by my method that is also inexpensive.

Dan


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

I use the magnet from an old speaker. it makes it comfortable to hold chisels and irons as small as 1/8". Another magnet type is the one from parts trays from HF. The tray must be removed. Using a magnet eliminated the cramping I would get when trying to hold chisels and irons. I have made several hand planes, some requiring very small irons, and this trick was a huge step forward.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

sreilly said:


> Hey if it works for you and you're happy with the results why change now.


Has worked for me for years, am very satisfied with the results, and not about to change. Have realized tho, that I believe you all are doing things differently than me. You all seem to be using your chisels by hand. I don't, I use them for carving, and whack them with various sizes and weights of carving mallets. I've done the by hand thing, but found out that carving, with mallets, is a lot more fun. Speaking of which, have the material for another Tiki or three. And been wanting to make a totem pole for some time now, maybe I can fit one of those in too.


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## sgcz75b (Jan 8, 2019)

JOAT said:


> Has worked for me for years, am very satisfied with the results, and not about to change. Have realized tho, that I believe you all are doing things differently than me. You all seem to be using your chisels by hand. I don't, I use them for carving, and whack them with various sizes and weights of carving mallets.


I'm curious. What does it matter whether a chisel is used by hand or whacked with a mallet as to the edge sharpness and flattening the chisel back?

I can understand perhaps a different angle of bevel for a relative degree of edge strength, but don't understand why a sharp edge on a chisel primarily used for hand work would not apply to a wood carver's whacked chisel?

Any ideas?

Thanks.


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## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

I seem to be getting well invested in sharpening. I happened on a piece of granite at Woodcraft while at a demo this past Saturday and it's on sale. I figured that it will work great for sharpening and it's on sale. See https://www.woodcraft.com/products/granite-surface-plate-12-x-18-x-3-a-grade?via=573621f869702d06760016df%2C58051ef669702d7fa6002153 So even though the shoulder whined the whole time carrying it down to the basement shop it sits proudly in one corner for now. PT wasn't too keen about it either....seems I talk to much. And I do have a 8x10x1/4" sheet of plate glass. But along that line I have the slow speed Rikon grinder that has 2 CBN wheels from Wood Turners Wonders. The first is a 180 grit Mega Square and the other a 600 grit 4 in 1 wheel intended for sharpening my lathe tools. I also installed them using the Self-Aligning Spherical Washer Sets - for two CBN Wheels they sell. Seems there should be a way to hold the chisel backs to the square side for some quick flattening and then move over to the diamond plates. Just trying it on a HF 1" chisel while holding it flat using 3 fingers on the flat side of the wheel with the spinning on the clockwise side of the Mega Square 180 grit took it to flat quickly. Just how flat I'm not sure. I had emailed Wood Turners Wonders and asked about flattening and Joe's response was "The flat side of the CBN is 1 inch wide and a true flat so Chisels should be no problem.but it may be hard to align and flatten a plane iron on the side of the wheel. I would recommend using our flattening hone for that. It is 10x4 and has 80 grit on one side and 1000 on the other." 

As for the plates I was kicking around the idea of taking a very flat piece of hardwood and installing two Magswitch 95# magnets that would be about 1/8-3/16" shy of flush to lock the iron/chisel in place while the wood itself would be above the surface that 1/8-3/16" thus keeping dry. Using a roundover bit to ease the holding edges and maybe even use something like a 1"x 1" rounded handle in the middle. I don't think getting any higher would be wise as it might be easier to tilt and that's not good. This should allow good gripping and control on the iron/chisel movement on the plates and allow better pressure if needed. At least that's how it plays out in my mind. Of course that's not always reality but that's why we build prototypes, over and over again. Thinking of this as we age, and some of us get arthritis or just weaker grips, it should be something that will allow us to accomplish the task at hand without stress. Just need to find the right design. Doesn't seem to be any out there that I've found and I've been looking for a few days. Is there a downside to this I'm not seeing?


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

Steve, When a chisel is sharpened by first flattening the back (usually only once), the chisel's flat side can register against the wall of a mortice/tenon and you can achieve a straight cut. It also helps when paring to produce straight slices, like when making shoulder cuts. As far as the bevel...when you look at the sharpened cutting edge under a microscope, it becomes evident. Magnified... the scratch marks look wavy and corrugated. The finer the steel is abraded at the cutting edge, the easier and better it will perform. This is even more evident when paring across soft wood fibers like pine...where the fibers alternate from grain to grain. If a chisel is honed to 8000 plus grit, then stropped 50 to 100 times, the chisel is much sharper than your barbers best straight razor's edge. The same thing applies to hand plane irons sharpened this way, and will slice curls even on end grain. They also plane with less chatter.

On another note: Bench planes generally have longer chisel irons, and they make it easier to aim the chisel in the right direction because of that...Kind of like aiming a rifle versus a pistol.


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## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

For those who may be somewhat confused about the terms of mesh and micron versus the more commonly used grit the attached PDF will give you DMTs listing of Standard grits that they list as micron/mesh and a conversion chart to see what that relates to in grit.


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

Steve - I bought one of those surface plates from Lee Valley years ago and have rarely used it. If you've got a countertop company near you, you might see if they have a piece of granite lying around - it could be significantly cheaper or free - (I like free) and it will do the same thing as that $50 item.


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## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

vchiarelli said:


> Steve - I bought one of those surface plates from Lee Valley years ago and have rarely used it. If you've got a countertop company near you, you might see if they have a piece of granite lying around - it could be significantly cheaper or free - (I like free) and it will do the same thing as that $50 item.


Too late for me, I picked mine up last week. But I did get two free doughnuts......during the demo.


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## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

So now that I have compared my notes to the plates on hand, well the extra extra coarse will be here tomorrow, I have the plates in the following grits:

Extra Extra Coarse: 120
Coarse:325
Fine:800
Extra Fine: 1,800

If I should get the Extra Extra Fine that would be 8,000

From what I've been reading what I have now should suffice but I could always go higher it seems. I wonder just how high before the edge becomes brittle from being so thin? There has to be a reasonable point before it just becomes bragging rights. I guess depending on the hardness of the wood being chiseled or planed might make a difference. Highly figured wood even on the end grain should do well as 1,800 grit.


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## sgcz75b (Jan 8, 2019)

Paul Sellers, one of the masters of woodworking, takes a chisel bought at Aldi's, and sharpens it.

Shows that ability and knowledge, available to anyone, surpasses the myth that great price and name brands don't exactly correlate to quality.






Watch and learn from a master.

Steve


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

It's true Steve. I've taken ones that are about Stanley/Fuller/newer Marples quality and gotten them sharp enough to shave the hair off my arm with. They say the really good ones will hold the edge longer. Maybe that's true.


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## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

Oh trust me I'm a believer and Paul Sellers is high on my video list. For those not aware you can see his website here. https://paulsellers.com/other-websites/ I'm a subscriber of his blog. I really like his style and ability to clearly teach.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

sgcz75b said:


> I'm curious. What does it matter whether a chisel is used by hand or whacked with a mallet as to the edge sharpness and flattening the chisel back?
> 
> I can understand perhaps a different angle of bevel for a relative degree of edge strength, but don't understand why a sharp edge on a chisel primarily used for hand work would not apply to a wood carver's whacked chisel?
> 
> ...


Dunno, the only way I use chisels is by whacking them with a mallet. I have no problem getting them sharp enough to shave hairs off my arm with, then I whack them with a mallet. l did a bit of hand use of a chisel when I first started, maybe 70 years ago, then discovered how much more fun it was with mallets - I don't do woodworking as such, I carve. What I do know is, it works for me, and I'm not gonna change now.


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## sgcz75b (Jan 8, 2019)

JOAT said:


> Dunno, the only way I use chisels is by whacking them with a mallet. What I do know is, it works for me, and I'm not gonna change now.



Now that I can believe.
Thanks for your reply.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

sgcz75b said:


> Paul Sellers, one of the masters of woodworking, takes a chisel bought at Aldi's, and sharpens it.
> 
> Shows that ability and knowledge, available to anyone, surpasses the myth that great price and name brands don't exactly correlate to quality.
> 
> ...


A very good video Steve. I'm heartened to see that he uses the exact method that I have used for many years and posted early in this thread.


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

I use the Aldi chisels Paul Sellers recommended, and they are awesome. They hold an edge and sharpen very well. My only negative is that they are metric in sizes...but that is minor. They have nice wood handles and long beveled blades...perfect for bench work. The other drawback is you have to buy them when they make them available, which in the USA seems to be about 3 times a year.


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## sgcz75b (Jan 8, 2019)

gmercer_48083 said:


> I use the Aldi chisels Paul Sellers recommended, and they are awesome. They hold an edge and sharpen very well. My only negative is that they are metric in sizes...but that is minor. They have nice wood handles and long beveled blades...perfect for bench work. The other drawback is you have to buy them when they make them available, which in the USA seems to be about 3 times a year.


I have an Aldi's near me and I'm always looking for the chisels to appear to pick up a couple of sets one for me and one to sharpen and give away.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

One of the best things about Seller's video is that he does everything by hand, no sharpening aids. Proving you don't need a $700 Tormek to get sharp tools. I use diamond plates, the cheap ones that come 3 in a package for $10 on sale. The best ones for sharpening to a good edge are the ones that are 200-300, 400, and 600. Then 2500 grit carbide paper mostly for the bottoms. The most expensive part of my sharpening system is a hard felt 8" wheel and some green honing compound which is about 8000 grit. You can use the compound by hand like Sellers did but the powered wheel is a lot easier.


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## sgcz75b (Jan 8, 2019)

Another great thing about Seller's videos is there's no blasting music, he's confident without being an obnoxious woodworking jerk, he enjoys what he does, and is a natural teacher that loves his subject and helping others.

Long Live Paul Sellers.


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## Barry747 (Jun 16, 2011)

JOAT said:


> ... so just what are you supposed to be gaining by flattening the backs of your chisels?


The edge of a knife is where the two sides meet. Think of a chef's knife and how it's sharpened . If you only run your sharpener down one side of the knife blade, you will make it sharp but not as sharp as if you run your sharpener down both sides of the blade. Try it with one of your kitchen knives if you don't believe me. 

A chisel or a plane blade is simply a knife edge on a different tool. The nice thing about one of these, vs a chef's knife, is that once the back is flattened you're done with that edge and in the future you only have to sharpen one edge. 

In terms of sharpening the edges to a polished finish there is value in that. Consider a chisel that needs serious sharpening. Say you dropped it on the concrete floor, not that I would never do such a thing of course, so you need to put a new edge on the blade. I may start with 220 grit sandpaper to remove the ding and get to a straight edge. Why not stop there? Because, if you look carefully at the edge you can see that the sandpaper left the edge with tiny points like a very fine saw blade. Not very sharp. I move to 320 grit to get rid of those big points and make them smaller. That makes the edge sharper. As I move up in grit that edge gets sharper and sharper. Where do I stop? Wherever I want to. Pick your grit and call it a day. I like to get to a mirror finish. Why? Because getting to a mirror finish is not so that you can comb your hair in the reflection. That no longer takes a mirror for me. The mirror finish means that the scratches on the edge are so fine that they don't scatter the light hitting it but reflects it back. That means the edge is scary sharp. At that point I can shave the hair off my arm and that is my test of sharpness. 

We all know that in woodworking there's usually more than one way to accomplish a task. That's pretty much true with sharpening tools. If an ax will do the job you don't go looking for a scalpel. It's whatever works for you. 

I've been using sandpaper and the Veritas MKII system for years and it works. I love the jig, I hate the sandpaper. I'd like to move up to a combination of diamond and water stones but I can't afford it so I continue to use the sandpaper. The good thing about all of this is, I only have to sharpen one face of my tools because all of them have flat backs that go roughly 1.5" or so behind the cutting edge.


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## sgcz75b (Jan 8, 2019)

"In terms of sharpening the edges to a polished finish there is value in that."

Great write-up Barry and you are absolutely correct. Polished edges are a necessity to a fully sharpened tool.

But polishing more than the edges is an exercise in shine without benefit to edge sharpness.

You seem like the type of fellow who would enjoy this book.

"The Perfect Edge : The Ultimate Guide to Sharpening for Woodworkers" by Ron Hock.

Lays to rest many sharpening myths and poor sharpening techniques that still prevail in some circles.

Best to you,
Steve





Steve


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

Ditto what Barry and Steve said:

Another good book is - "The Complete Guide to Sharpening" by Leonard Lee


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

My father taught me the basics of sharpening, and believe me he could sharpen. I saw him once sharpen a 1/2" twist drill bit with a honing stone by hand and watched him drill through a steel trailer bed. I have never seen that again in the last 50 years. I still have his honing stone and use it for my chisels and plane irons.


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## Barry747 (Jun 16, 2011)

sgcz75b said:


> "But polishing more than the edges is an exercise in shine without benefit to edge sharpness.


Steve,

I agree. The only polishing that I do is the back and the bevel. I only polish the back once unless I damage the cutting edge and the damage goes through to the back of the blade. Like hitting a nail with your chisel or dropping the chisel. blade facing down, (who me?) then some rework on the back may be necessary. But normally the back is once and done.

In terms of the book, thanks for the suggestion. I don't know how many books I read in school and since then until, thanks to YouTube, I found out that I learn best through video, second is the written word. Another problem with learning a better way to do things means that it usually means buying more toys. (Think diamonds and stones for sharpening.) And all that would do for me at this point is to drool all over the page. Tough to read through drool.

Thanks,
Barry


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