Hand Tools and Sharpening Tour - WWK-705

Chisels are the workhorses of the workshop. Basically, a chisel is a steel blade fitted in a
wooden handle.

Sharpening woodworking tools is a necessary evil because it's difficult to enjoy woodworking
with dull tools. In fact working with dull tools is unsafe, a time waster, and often a waste of
good materials. In the workshop, much time is spent sharpening hand tools. David Marks
demonstrates sharpening tips and techniques for a variety of hand tools and demonstrates
proper usage of each tool.

The blades of chisels are typically rectangular in shape, with the end ground to a sharp edge.

Hand tools used for cutting, like chisels, are no better than their edge -- so their performance
rests primarily on keeping them sharp. No sharp edge lasts forever, so woodworkers take
sharpening very seriously. Razor-sharp cutting tools work better, save time and are much safer
than dull tools.

Chisel Technique

Chisels are the workhorses of the workshop. Basically, a chisel is a steel blade fitted in a
wooden handle. The blades are typically rectangular in shape, with the end ground to a sharp
edge. To demonstrate their proper use, David cuts a mortise for the mounting of a hinge.
Score the boundaries of the hinge using a scribe knife (figure A).

Using a chisel and mallet, repeat scoring around the perimeter to define the boundaries.

To remove the waste wood, score a row of cuts from one side to the other (figure B), then
carefully chop out the waste.

Pare the area by holding the chisel horizontally and pressing the leading edge into the score
cuts using a shearing motion (figure C).

Repeat these steps until all the waste is removed, and the hinge fits snug in the chiseled
mortise (figure D).
To achieve sharp, crisp cuts in the wood, it's critical to maintain a sharpened edge on your
chisels. As seen in the diagram (figure E) a properly sharpened chisel has a bevel and a flat
back.

Before sharpening, a diamond dresser is used, and rubbed along the grinding wheel to
ensure that the wheel is trued flat (figure F).

To begin sharpening a chisel, position the blade on the support block of the wheel and grind
the bevel (figure G). The support is made to hold the blade at an angle as it's being ground.
The diameter of the wheel determines the size of the hollow bevel.

When finished, the beveled edge should be smooth and hollow (figure H).
A ruler aligned with the bevel reveals the concavity of the bevel (figure I).

To hone the back side of the bevel, start with an 800-grit water stone. Once the coarse
stone is secured in the workbench, rub the back of the chiseled blade on the stone (figure J),
moving back and forth along the length of the stone. Switch sides occasionally to distribute the
wear on the stone.

Once complete, the back side should be dull in appearance, and perfectly flat.

The next step is to hone the hollow bevel. With the handle raised, hold the bevel flat against
the stone (figure K) so that force is concentrated at the bevel.

Slide the blade back and forth on the stone, using caution not to "rock" the blade. Pressure
should be even along the cutting edge and heel of the bevel.

Now move up to a 1200-grit stone. As before, hone the back flat. Then hone the bevel.

Finally, hone and polish the chisel using a 6000-grit stone. Once the back is flat, hone the
bevel.
At this point, the chisel should be razor sharp (figure L). In fact, David tests the newly
sharpened edge by seeing if it will shave a bit of hair from his arm.

Storage Tip: Sharpened chisels should be stored upright on a rack -- so that the newly
sharpened edge is not leaning on any surface, and so that the edge is protected. If you don't
have rack, to protect the edges of your chisels, you could cut the ends off the fingers of some
used leather gloves and use them to cover the ends of your chisels.

A Word About Hand-Planes

The same techniques used for sharpening chisels can be applied for sharpening hand-plane
irons. Use the grinding wheel to hollow-grind the bevel and the sharpening stone to flatten one
side. Then work the bevel using the full range of stones -- from 800-grit to 1200 to 6000.
Having a razor-sharp blade for your plane (figure M) will help you achieve those "gossamer
shavings" that woodworkers aspire to.

Hand-Scraper Technique

The hand scraper is the most versatile and easy-to-control smoothing tool in the woodworker's
shop.

Important: The hand scraper typically works best going in the same direction as the wood's
grain.
To be properly used, the scraper should be held diagonally to the grain and angled at about 70
degrees from the work surface (figure A).

Press your thumbs into the back of the scraper, making it bow in the same direction of travel
(figure B).

You can also use the scraper in the opposite direction by reversing the tilt.

The goal when using the hand scraper is to create tissue-thin shavings.

Sharpening a Hand Scraper

Sharpening a scraper requires three steps: filing, honing and burnishing. As seen in the
diagram -- which is an exaggerated illustration of what a properly sharpened hand-scraper
should look like -- the sides are flat, and the edge has a burr that's turned over into a hook
(figure C).

Filing removes all traces of the previous burr, and flattens the edge. Honing prepares the edge
by polishing the metal, removing any deep scratches left by filing, and flattens the edges of the
scraper so that they are square. Burnishing raises the burr, then turns it over into a hook. The
hook is the cutting surface.

To begin the sharpening process, clamp the scraper securely in a vise.

Use a flat-mill bastard file to mill the edge of the scraper square by drawing long, even
strokes (figure D).

Next, hone both faces of the scraper, using a coarse 800-grit water stone. Press the scraper flat
on the stone, and move it back and forth.

Now hone the edge using a block of wood that has been jointed and planed square. The block
will help guide the scraper to keep it perfectly perpendicular to the stone(figure E).

Tip: When honing t edge, be sure to run the scraper on an angle across the stone to minimize
wear on the stone. Also be certain to keep the entire length of the scraper-edge on the stone.
This process will remove file marks, and ensure that the edge is square to the faces.
Progress the 1200-grit stone, and continue honing the faces.

Finally, use the 6000-grit stone to polish both the faces and edge (figure F).
The next step is to burnish the faces of the scraper using an oval burnishing tool. This draws
the metal toward the edge in preparation for burnishing the hook as seen in the diagram
(figure G).

Tip: It's a good idea to oil the burnishing tool to reduce friction.

Next, burnish the edges. The goal is to burnish edge into a hook, and this is the most critical
part of the burnishing process. While holding the burnisher approximately 10 degrees off level
(figure H), make about a dozen passes along each edge of the scraper using medium
pressure.

The end result, as seen in the diagram, is a microscopic hook that forms the cutting edge
(figure I).

The Gooseneck Scraper

The gooseneck scraper is an ideal shaping tool for working on curved surfaces like moldings,
and is used in much the same way as the hand scraper (figure J). Sharpening is a little more
complex because of the shape, but uses the same basic technique.

Clamp the gooseneck scraper in the vise.

Carefully file all the edges with consistent strokes.

Starting with the 800-grit water stone, hone the faces. Then, using the guide-block to keep the
edges perpendicular to the stone, hone the curved edges (figure K).

Repeat the last steps using the 1200 and 6000-grit water stones.

Lubricate the scraper with oil.

Burnish the faces.

Carefully burnish the edges , turning a hook all around the scraper (figure L).

The important (and tricky) thing is to get a consistent hook around the curved surface. Avoid
bearing down too heavily -- which could cause the hook to turn into itself.

Burnishing is an acquired skill. The more you practice it, the sharper your tools will become.