How to Sharpen Tools, Continued

Learn how to sharpen tools; includes details on grinding, shaping and honing kitchen knives, plane blades and chisels.

Norm set the glass down on a flat surface and then taped a sheet of silicon-carbide wet and dry paper to the glass along the far edge. (The paper can generally be purchased at any lumberyard or hardware store.)

Norm sprayed a little water underneath the paper to create suction and hold the paper firmly on the glass.

He then sprayed a little water on top of the paper.

When honing by hand, Norm demonstrated how to pull the chisel evenly towards himself while pushing down on the blade with his index finger until he said he could feel the flat edge contact the paper.

Norm examined the blade closely repeating the honing until he achieved the desired result. For a super chisel, Norm said you want to keep honing until the chisel is an even color.

The chisel that Norm honed by hand had a large flat bevel blade that he could easily feel against the paper. For a plane iron, however, where that angle is very short, it is much more difficult to feel the flat edge.

For a smaller blade, Norm recommended using a honing guide, which holds the blade at a constant angle while it rolls along the surface.

Norm demonstrated how to place the blade in the guide, adjusting it carefully to the correct angle. The guide Norm used had a locking handle and the guide roller was made of lubricated bronze. Once the angle was set in the blade, it was very easy to pull along the paper.

Ron was very pleased with Norm's system. It was inexpensive and the materials were easy to find and simple to use. And Ron certainly did not have any shortage of tools to practice on.

RESULTS: Ron couldn't wait to try out his newly sharpened plane. He tells us that there is nothing like the sound and feel of a really sharp plane.