Tip #19
Sharpening Woodworking Tools
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Pg.1-5, Pg. 6-10, Pg 11-15, Pg. 16-20, Pg. 21-25

Figure 24-1. The machines and accessories used for grinding are: (A) disc sander, (B) belt sander, (C) strip sander, (D) grinding wheel, (E) specialty grinding stones, and the sharpening guide. The sharpening guide which is used with the disc sander, belt sander and strip sander is shown with the disc sander.

Sharpening (grinding and honing) woodworking tools is very personal and can be accomplished in many ways--you will sharpen tools the way that works best for you. Tools are ground on machines and then honed on several types of stones. Grinding eliminates defects in the cutting edge by removing metal from the tool. Honing puts a razor sharp edge on the ground cutting edge of the tool. This chapter will cover the different ways of grinding and honing many of the basic cutting tools used for woodworking. Because of the diverse nature of woodworking and the thousands of tools available we can not possibly cover everything in just one chapter. For additional sharpening information consult the tool manufacturer or your local library.

Grinding Machines And Accessories

The Shopsmith machines and accessories that we will be using to show the different grinding techniques are the Disc Sander, Belt Sander, Strip Sander, Grinding Wheel, Sharpening Guide, plus specialty grinding stones (Figure 24-1). The abrasives generally used to perform grinding tasks are: aluminum oxide and silicon carbide for belts and discs used on power sanders, and silicon carbide for wheels used in power grinders.

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