Because there is so much available knowledge, so many pieces of equipment, gadgets, and devices that you "need" to acquire, and too many strong opinions on how to get from point A (dull tools) to point B (sharp tools), sharpening may appear to be wrapped in mystery for no other reason than that there is so much available knowledge. However, getting where you need to go does not require being a magician or having the most expensive and high-tech equipment available.
Supplies for a First-Time Setup
TO USE WITH THE SHARPENING SET
• a 3-pack of chisels from your neighborhood hardware store
• Amazon has a sharpening set for $11.
EXTRA ITEMS REQUIRED
• Pencil • A bucket of water in which to soak the stone
• A piece of plate glass and 250 grit Wet Dry Sandpaper* OR a Diamond Plate
• Marker Sharpie
* A note on grits: the smaller the number on the grit, the larger the "rocks"; the larger the number, the smaller the "rocks." This is why, to fine-tune the sharp edge of our tools properly, we start with a smaller number and work our way up to a higher number.
ITEMS THAT ARE NICE TO HAVE
• The spray bottles
• Spray glue, razorblade, and acetone (for cleaning plate glass).
• The Diamond Plate
• Cloth made of microfiber
• Walnut or jojoba oil
How To Make Use of a Sharpening Set
STEP 1: SOAK THE WATERSTONE
Before making use of the Waterstone, it should be submerged for around ten minutes, or until bubbles stop coming out of the stone while it is underwater. Watch the video above for my recommendations on how to guarantee your stone is flat to ensure you start with a flat stone. This could save you years of frustration while sharpening your equipment!
STEP 2: FLATTEN THE CHISEL'S BACK
Attach a 250-grit wet/dry sandpaper sheet to your plate glass. Sharpen the back of the chisel to see where the material is being removed. Flatten the back of the chisel on the stone. This may be a long and challenging procedure, especially with less costly chisels because they have been ground with a much larger abrasive and have had less "human contact" than their more expensive counterparts. I got pretty lucky with the chisel set I bought. It was nearly flawlessly flat right out of the box, and all that was required was some time erasing the initial manufacturing scratch pattern with my 250- grit paper, but remember that this isn't usually the case.
STEP 3: REMOVE DEEP SCRATCHES FROM THE FACTORY GRIND ON THE BEVEL
Essentially, we're seeking for the factory-created scratch pattern on the bevel to be replaced by the 250 grit scratches from your wet/dry sandpaper on plate glass.
STEP 4: FLATTEN THE WATER STONE
Mark a grid on the Waterstone with a pencil; if all of the pencil lines disappear within the first few strokes, you'll know that the stone was relatively level, to begin with. The pencil lines will help you identify areas of your stone that are not level, such as hollows, uneven spots, etc.
Placing the Waterstone flat on the 250-grit paper on the plate glass and moving the stone back and forth with the entire sheet of paper is one method for sharpening a Waterstone. Check frequently on your progress. Occasionally, you will likely need to re-lubricate with water spray.
Flip the stone longitudinally every few strokes to ensure even wear during the flattening process. This serves to even out any pressure differences caused by how the stone is held, where pressure is applied, etc. One side of your stone is 1000 grit and the other is 6000 grits.
Flatten both surfaces, but avoid contamination by flattening the 6000-grit side first and then the 1,000-grit side. When the pencil marks on both sides of the stone have been removed, the stone is available for use.
STEP 5: FLATTEN THE BACK OF THE CHISEL USING THE 1,000-GRAIN SIDE OF THE WATER STONE
After removing the 250-grit scratches from the wet/dry paper on the plate glass and feeling an abrasion across the entire bevel of the chisel edge, the bevel is ready to be honed.
STEP 6: HONE THE BEVEL OF THE CHISEL WITH THE 1,000-GRIT SIDE OF THE WATER STONE.
Congratulations, you've achieved a Zero Radius Intersection (aka a sharp blade) after removing the 250 grit scratches from the wet/dry paper on the plate glass and feeling a burr raised throughout the full back of the chisel edge.
STEP 7: GET RID OF THE BURR
To remove the burr you've just generated, flip the chisel over and make two fast strokes on the stone.
STEP 8: COMPLETE HONING AT 6000 GRIT
Now, use the 6000-grit side of the Waterstone to polish the back of the chisel and the bevel. Remove the 1000 grit scratches, raise a burr, then remove the burr from the chisel's back and bevel.
STEP 9: OPTIONAL- STROPPING
Striking is an excellent failsafe. Any micromovement of our body during the sharpening process, whether intentional or unintentional, has the potential to impact the effectiveness of our sharpening. Because leather strops are soft, they can "bend" to the tip of the chisel and provide a little "insurance" against any uneven pieces on the back or bevel of the chisel. Due to the soft leather surface, the peril of stropping is unintentionally rounding the blade back or bevel from over-stropping, so be mindful to keep your chisel back flat on the strop, and not to raise or lower your slant at all while pulling it along the strop.
STEP 10: EVALUATE YOUR CHISEL
*A word of caution: Always keep all soft (skin) parts under the chisel. Maintain control of your chisel so that it does not slip and move unexpectedly. Use a clamp or vice to secure your work wherever possible.
A sharp chisel should be able to take a transparent shaving off a piece of wood's end grain. If the shave curls away from the cut, you get bonus points. On the other hand, a dull chisel will only emit dust when it cuts through the material. A sharp chisel produces a crisp, clean (nearly polished) surface, whereas a dull chisel produces a matte, jagged surface.
FINAL CONCLUSIONS:
The quality and usability of the $11 chisel set and the $11 Waterstone arrangement for the price are both satisfactory in my opinion, which is saying quite a bit. When it comes to tools, I always urge people to "buy once, cry once," but there are a couple of reasons why this is an exception to that rule:
1. Because sharpening tools by hand requires a learning curve. You can only grow better with practice. Starting with high-priced tools and sophisticated Waterstones makes for a rather nerve-racking practice procedure during the initial learning curve. If you don't know what you're doing, you may quickly ruin both your chisel and your stones, so start with some beaters and make your first mistakes on those.
2. Second, even if you eventually invest in some nicer chisels, you'll always want a few "beater" tools to lend to neighbours, use on building projects, etc. I don't want to install windows with my Lie-Nielsen chisels for fear of damaging or dropping them on the concrete. But I'll gladly grab and use these inexpensive tools eternally for harder chores.
3. Finally, this two-sided Waterstone will see you through your first few years of woodworking. You'll be a considerably more discerning consumer when (if) the time comes to upgrade it if you keep it flat and practice consistently. To be honest, I'd rather keep the Waterstone and invest in a 300/1000 grit diamond stone for flattening purposes rather than the plate glass. I have a diamond stone/2 grit Waterstone combo in my basic sharpening setup, and I see no reason to complicate it anymore, and, frankly, I have no desire to spend any more time or money on any other bells and whistles when it comes to sharpening.
