I am surprised

[Timberwolf]

Pedder, as I recall, Tage used a belt sander to grind the primary bevel. I don't remember what he did after this .. if he did anything at all.

Regards from Perth

Derek

..........................
From another website......
"Tage Frid was a very well known and very talented woodworker, teacher and author. In addition to cutting the most amazing joinery with a HUGE bow saw, he sharpened his bench chisels on an upside down belt sander - with 80 grit paper on it. Motor screaming, sparks flying - and he'd create an edge he used to cut perfect dovetails, blind or through, m & t, etc.. I'm usre this wasn't his sharpening method for plane irons - at least not for smoothers - but . . ."

[AHill]

isn't that what Tage Frid did to his chisel?

In Tage Frid's book, he says he uses a belt sander for "initial sharpening" with the belt grit no coarser than 120 grit, grinding a 30 deg bevel on the chisel.  He then uses a buffer with a polishing compound for steel.  He doesn't mention what kind of wheel he uses in the book, but the video below shows it's a cotton or muslin buffing wheel.  He mentions in the video he used 220 grit sandpaper when grinding.

Given what he documented in his book, and in the video below I seriously doubt his de facto method used 80 grit and that was the only step he used.  I think there might be a few urban myths surrounding Frid's methods.

The sharpening part starts around 24:15 in the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaOqYjyH2aE

[CStan]

Yep.

Frid used a buffer on his chisels. It's in his dovetailing video. Belt sander then buffer. He shows prepping a chisel before he starts chopping out.

It's also on page 35 of Book 1 in Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking (w/ photos of chisel being applied to the wheel) "I generally use a buffer with a polishing compound for steel." "If I use a stone, I prefer a Belgian clay stone with water."

So, the book and video show him going from the belt sander to the buffer with the stone as more of an aside in the book. The video does not show him using a Belgian stone just the belt sander (w/ a worn out belt) and the buffer and compound.

Here's Ernie Conover using a buffer on a turning tool, like thousands of turners do. If a buffer will work on a turning tool, it'll work on a bench chisel.

https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/sharp...g-buffers/

I guess for next tricks somebody will pop the old Frid VHS in their antique player and tell how he had it all wrong.

[bandit571]

Hmmm...something like this? 

   
Had a plane that was being stubborn about getting sharp.  1). back was NOT flat....flattened the back of the iron....2). used both of the wheels to buff the bevel...single 25 degree bevel, no other angles added...
Installed the iron back into the plane....took longer to adjust the plane than it did to sharpen the iron...finally..

   
Had to wade through a blizzard of white strings flying off of the wheels....seemed to polish the edge right up...

   
Plane is the Wood River No.62....might just have to keep it around?

[cputnam]

Steven,

As someone on WC pointed out, you WANT those fluffy strings because it is is the lack of load on them that keeps them from having any really striking power. That lack of power is what keeps the edge round over to less than 0.005". It is that time rounding that strengthens the edge without reducing sharpness. I know you know this, I'm just repeating for the benefit of those who are still reading about this approach.

[Timberwolf]

Steven,

As someone on WC pointed out, you WANT those fluffy strings because it is is the lack of load on them that keeps them from having any really striking power.  That lack of power is what keeps the edge round over to less than 0.005".  It is that time rounding that strengthens the edge without reducing sharpness.  I know you know this, I'm just repeating for the benefit of those who are still reading about this approach.

..............................
From Ernie's article...............

Bevel is tangent to the wheel, with the main contact just behind the edge.

"just BEHIND" the edge is the key to sharpening with a muslin buffer or leather wheel...you know you're there when you see "flecks" of buffing compound appearing right at the edge...if you accidentally go beyond that, you probably blunted the edge.

[hbmcc]

..............................
From Ernie's article...............

Bevel is tangent to the wheel, with the main contact just behind the edge.

"just BEHIND" the edge is the key to sharpening with a muslin buffer or leather wheel...you know you're there when you see "flecks" of buffing compound appearing right at the edge...if you accidentally go beyond that, you probably blunted the edge.

Have you tried the unicorn method Jack? I think comparison on a personal level is the only way to confirm improvement to edge durability. I used to think a strop (leather) was best for razors but, with your encouragement, I found stropping to improve a keen edge with less work than stones on my woodworking tools.

[Timberwolf]

Have you tried the unicorn method Jack? I think comparison on a personal level is the only way to confirm improvement to edge durability. I used to think a strop (leather) was best for razors but, with your encouragement, I found stropping to improve a keen edge with less work than stones on my woodworking tools.

.........................
No, I haven't tried the unicorn method..I have been experimenting with sharpening and knife making for well over 55yrs and believe that edge retention depends more on the composition and tempering of the steel..I have no control of the composition of the steel but do have some control of the tempering AND the bevel angle...I sharpen at the lowest angle I can achieve for the longest lasting edge..If the angle will not permit a really low angle bevel, I just micro-bevel it until edge retention is satisfactory...altho I do sometimes "re-harden" and temper blades, hoping to improve them, and quite often it works.. many vintage chisels that you buy that wont hold their edge have probably been on a grinding wheel and have lost their original temper and really benefit from re-hardening.

I am experimenting these days with some 6"wide Swedish Silicon steel band-mill blade stock from a Maine sawyer and hobbyist knife maker that I bought some time ago, and I am impressed with it and also the blades I have made from High Speed Steel..They take an extremely keen edge and hold it much longer than an ordinary tool steel. They are a joy to use on softer woods. you can spend more time carving and less time sharpening...



Years ago, on this forum we talked a lot about hard "FELT" wheels...And I still have a few of them...I rate them right between muslim and leather, as they exhibit similar characteristics to each material...Don't rule them out...they work very well...especially with diamond compound...it "beds down" into the felt and lasts quite awhile.