David Morrow
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2008
- Messages
- 227
- Reaction score
- 60
I have read a lot about sharpening HSS & carbide cutting tools and their use vs insert tooling. Contradicting opinions can be very confusing to a newbie. Finally, I decided to have a go at just sharpening my existing HSS cutters.
I don't have a bench grinder yet so when I was at my local fine woodworking store, I got an 80 grit wheel just to clean up a few nicks and get the angles the way I wanted them. I mounted that on my bench polisher / buffer and using an angle guide, cleaned up a round nosed cutter that I had but that had seen better days.
When I was reading the catalog at the store, I started to read more about honing. For wood chisels, felt wheels hones charged with honing compound seems to be the common practice. I had never seen the use of a felt wheel mentioned during discussions of sharpening metal lathe cutting tools. So, I also bought a medium felt wheel and some of the honing compound to charge the wheel.
My first attempt at sharpening & honing resulted in a tool that left a mirror finish on both aluminum and brass ( I rarely cut steel ). I won't suggest that this is the answer to everyone's sharpening issues, but for me, it sure was the answer I was looking for.
Rest: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=32973&cat=1,43072,45938
Felt wheel: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=32983&cat=1,43072,43080
Compound: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=32984&cat=1,43072
I don't have a bench grinder yet so when I was at my local fine woodworking store, I got an 80 grit wheel just to clean up a few nicks and get the angles the way I wanted them. I mounted that on my bench polisher / buffer and using an angle guide, cleaned up a round nosed cutter that I had but that had seen better days.
When I was reading the catalog at the store, I started to read more about honing. For wood chisels, felt wheels hones charged with honing compound seems to be the common practice. I had never seen the use of a felt wheel mentioned during discussions of sharpening metal lathe cutting tools. So, I also bought a medium felt wheel and some of the honing compound to charge the wheel.
My first attempt at sharpening & honing resulted in a tool that left a mirror finish on both aluminum and brass ( I rarely cut steel ). I won't suggest that this is the answer to everyone's sharpening issues, but for me, it sure was the answer I was looking for.
Rest: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=32973&cat=1,43072,45938
Felt wheel: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=32983&cat=1,43072,43080
Compound: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=32984&cat=1,43072