Sharpening a Chisel with Abrasive Paper
H
ERE’S A QUICK WAYto produce a really sharp edge on a chisel or
plane iron without the typical problems of holding the tool by
hand on a grinder, such as overheating an edge or dealing with
unevenly worn sharpening stones. Attach full sheets of 150-grit and
600-grit wet-or-dry abrasive paper to^1 ⁄ 4 -in.-thick plate glass with spray
adhesive. Place your chisel in a wheeled sharpening guide, and begin
with the 150 grit. Spray a little water for lubricant, and go to work.
You will quickly produce a flat bevel, even on the widest chisel. Now
go to the 600 grit, again with water. The sharpening guide ensures
that you will get exactly the same angle on the subsequent, finer hon-
ing, and in no time you’ll have a sharpened edge that almost looks
polished. If you want to polish further, finer paper up to 2000 grit is
available.
This method also works for truing the bottom of a plane or the flat
side of a chisel.
—THOMASR. SCHRUNK,Minneapolis, Minn.
CHAPTER FOURGlue coarse and fine
sandpaper to plate glass,
and use instead
of a conventional
sharpening stone.