flattening chisels and whatever

[tablesawtom]

Depending on the chisel and its intended purpose, the hardest or most time consuming part is flattening the back. 

My grandson asked me how I sharpened chisels and said they used  Work Sharp. He is in ninth grade.
I also read a post here about CBN wheels for a Work Sharp. Some said they wouldn't use them because of what they had read about gumming up because older tool steel wasn't as hard. Some liked just using the type of abrasives that came with it. Sighted cost as a factor, but CBN could be cheaper in the long run. There were also many  other differing opinions also.

To me the most time consuming part it getting the back flat. I asked here if anyone flattened on a work Sharp. Some did, all of the time, and others wouldn't even consider it. My disclaimer is I do not have  a Work Sharp, not do I plan to. I read or found out somehow that that it rotates at 350 RPM on getting one. Anyway I know the hardest thing to do is put something up against a spinning disc without messing up part of the piece . The piece is either tilted side to side or front to back or both. And the faster the disc spins the more initial problems occur.

Anyway I have CBN wheels on my bench grinder and I haven't found the loading up to be a problem. At least a problem that can't be fixed with a small brass ( steel in a pinch) brush and about 30 seconds. .
Anyway this is what I came up with. A 60 RPM gear reducing motor. I made the adapter for the 80/180 CBN disc.

The motor is reversible ( and will be awesome ) But I haven't wired it that way yet. I haven't even mounted it yet. My friend always reads nameplates and commented it can over heat is run for a long time. And since he s in electronics he gave me a fan so I have to get it wired in also.

I am not finished with it yet but I have tried it out and I haven't had a heat problem yet.
I can stall out the disc if I use to much pressure on the chisels.  Which is good pressure puts deeper scratches in the steel
I worked between a 1000 grit diamond stone and the 80/180 CBN wheel and I flattened two Narex chisels I am in the process of making specialty chisels,  Dove tail chisels butt more on those later.
At real slow speed the CBN wheel tends to load up and you can feel it while working  but the wire brush takes care of it in 10 seconds or so. I clean it with it turned off.
Getting on and off the wheel is a piece of cake. not problems what so ever.

Anyway pictures 

   

   

   

   

   

I like the way it works and right now I am trying to decide if getting a finer grit disc or just take the deeper scratches out by hand . I have already designed my leather disc in my head. Will glue the leather to a 1/8 aluminum disc.

I am sure there will be questions and comments so I will keep this a little short.

Tom

[tablesawtom]

I guess I failed to mention, it took about a 1/2 hour to do both a 3/8 and a 1/2 inch chisel. 
Tom

[barryvabeach]

Nice work,  I assume  you have looked at the Lee Valley Power Sharpening System,   I converted an old delta horizontal wheel sharpener to use the LV abrasives, and they last a long time.  Some suggest using a billy pedal when flattening chisel and plane blanks so they can hold the chisel or plane blade in place, and turn the machine on and off with their foot to avoid both tearing of the abrasive, and presenting the back at the wrong angle.

[Timberwolf]

Nice work,  I assume  you have looked at the Lee Valley Power Sharpening System,   I converted an old delta horizontal wheel sharpener to use the LV abrasives, and they last a long time.  Some suggest using a billy pedal when flattening chisel and plane blanks so they can hold the chisel or plane blade in place, and turn the machine on and off with their foot to avoid both tearing of the abrasive, and presenting the back at the wrong angle.

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hold the chisel or plane blade in place, and turn the machine on and off with their foot

I have three.. a Worksharp, a Veritas MKII and a Reliant horizontal grinder and use a foot switch in that manner on all..Great for a drill press, belt grinder and a router also......Also have a Bodine gear motor that can rotate at 60rpm in either direction and right now I have diamond laps for them all the way to 3,000 grit....The glass lap for the Worksharp can be used with micron diamond paste as well but would be more effective for lapping if it turned slower...it has a tendency to sling the paste...I am thinking about buying a CBN lap for them..I have some CBN grit but that has not worked out too well thus far. It is too coarse for loose grit..

[TomFromStLouis]

I am truly impressed by your build but when I refurbished a bunch of old chisels I used a belt sander to flatten backs. I remember it being pretty fast with ~120 grit.

[tablesawtom]

I am truly impressed by your build but when I refurbished a bunch of old chisels I used a belt sander to flatten backs. I remember it being pretty fast with ~120 grit.

I have $25 in the motor and $59 in the wheel. So I do not even come close to the cost of the other machines. And  I do not have a belt sander not have I ever had a belt sander. I do have a 24 inch drum sander but I don't think that would be a good idea to use it that way.

But what I do have is a grandson ( who likes to use his hands ) that is in ninth grade. I bough him the 4 piece set of chisels that were om sale from Woodcraft for Christmas.
He was over yesterday and he was able to flatten one chisel.  I had already flattened the other 3 bigger ones. We reground the secondary bevel on the chisels. I got to explain the heat treating process of steel and how the hardness can be pulled out by overheating the steel on the grinder. That sunk in. We also got to cover sharpening angles,  We used water stones to put the micro bevels on and finished off on the leather strap on the tormek.

I left him the 1/4 inch chisel to flatten because I could be done the fastest. With his developing motor skills he was able to get on and off the wheel with no problems or gouges. or mishaps . I have a small wood lathe in the same area we were working and he expressed a desire to try that, so guess what is next.

All in all we spent about 2 1/2 hours together , I could see he was beginning to get bored so we went up and played Sorry with Grandma.  

All in all it was an Awesome day

Tom

[Timberwolf]

I have $25 in the motor and $59 in the wheel. So I do not even come close to the cost of the other machines. And  I do not have a belt sander not have I ever had a belt sander. I do have a 24 inch drum sander but I don't think that would be a good idea to use it that way.

But what I do have is a grandson ( who likes to use his hands ) that is in ninth grade. I bough him the 4 piece set of chisels that were om sale from Woodcraft for Christmas.
He was over yesterday and he was able to flatten one chisel.  I had already flattened the other 3 bigger ones. We reground the secondary bevel on the chisels. I got to explain the heat treating process of steel and how the hardness can be pulled out by overheating the steel on the grinder. That sunk in. We also got to cover sharpening angles,  We used water stones to put the micro bevels on and finished off on the leather strap on the tormek.

I left him the 1/4 inch chisel to flatten because I could be done the fastest. With his developing motor skills he was able to get on and off the wheel with no problems or gouges. or mishaps . I have a small wood lathe in the same area we were working and he expressed a desire to try that, so guess what is next.

All in all we spent about 2 1/2 hours together , I could see he was beginning to get bored so we went up and played Sorry with Grandma.  

All in all it was an Awesome day

Tom

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Sure sounds like it !!!!!! Great to pass the skills on down to the younger generations..

[adamcherubini]

Tom-you sound like you are the cool granddad. I hope I get that status someday.