Keep your blades sharp

17 Aug Keep your blades sharp

Dull tools such as chisels, blades, planes, scrapers and gouges don’t cut cleanly. They tear at the wood fibers resulting in a fuzzy, uneven, unprofessional look.

Tools that have been chipped or nicked require grinding. A bench grinder, wet grinder, or even a belt sander can be used.

Avoid letting your tool get too hot when using a bench grinder or belt sander to prevent it from losing temper. Dipping it in a pan of cool water every few seconds will help.

After grinding, proceed to honing using either a flat wet stone or oil stone. A wet stone is preferred when doing fine woodworking.

The final step is polishing using a fine wet stone, a stropping wheel or leather.

Tools with sharper blades make woodworking easier, more efficient, and safer.