Sharpening wood planes freehand is a handy skill and can usually be learned in about two hours. This is a technique learned from a German cabinetmaker.
Remember: if a tool has been sharpened properly and then passed under a bright light, it will show only one glint of light off the secondary bevel. On the other hand, if a tool is sharpened poorly, the bevel will be visible over a range of angles. A different part of the bevel reflects light at each angle.
Drill Bit Sharpener
To sharpen flat blades, such as chisels and planes:
1. Stand side-on to the stone, as if you were preparing to saw something. Flatten the back of blade and press the back down on the stone. Move the blade back and forth in a linear motion. This step shouldn't take very long if the blade has been sharpened properly at another time.
2. Just a quick note regarding this step: place the blade in the middle of the stone, not close to either end. Turn the blade over and lay the primary bevel flat on the stone. Press down using your left fingers, low on the back of the blade. This keeps the bevel on the stone.
3. Use your right middle finger and place it under the blade. At the same time, put your index finger and thumb around the right side of the blade. They should both be pretty straight. Don't grip too tightly, but do hold the blade firmly in position.
4. Plant your right elbow firmly into the top of your pelvic bone. The blade needs to remain stationary on the stone during this move. To this point, you've simply put yourself in position to hone the blade.
5. Now, you'll lift the top of the blade just about 3 to 5mm, or approximately 3/16th of an inch in order to adjust the angle of the attack of the blade in relation to that of the secondary bevel.
6. Make sure your right wrist is solidly locked with the blade in the correct position before beginning the honing process. Your wrist will remain in this position until the blade is removed from the stone.
7. To hone the blade, plant your feet on the ground, and rock your body from the ankles. The first stroke of the blade should move toward you. Remember the instruction to place the blade in the middle of the stone? This is crucial so you have the space to keep the blade flat and in contact with the stone.
8. Use one or two figure eight tracks to even out wear on the stone. One should be on either side of the stone. This will result in a good edge. Five to ten strokes should be enough. To see that the blade is honed evenly, check the reflection from the second bevel.
9. With very light pressure, remove the wire edge from the blade by once again flattening the back of the blade. Gently re-hone the secondary bevel. The wire edge should be gone after repeating this process a few times.
10. ALWAYS strop the blade. The safest way to do this is with a piece of western red cedar soaked in oil, a soft razor strop or a felt wheel (carvers use them). Stropping is the process by which you pull the edge backwards across a stropping medium, which re-forms the edge after removing the wire edge. If the blade pares fibers from the end grain of a piece of pine without signs of marks or tearing, you have a properly sharpened blade.
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