some stuff i wrote on sharpening from old threads
i used to make pocket knives and lots of chizels and stuff on a forge
if anyone wants to know details on hardening and tempering just ask
sharpening planes and chisels
hollow grind the blade, and then put a micro bevel on it with sharpening stone or diamond hone
so remove the blade and clean up the face of the plane on some 400 grit paper
then clean up both faces of the blande on the paper and take it down to 1200 grit polish on the flat side( only has to be polished in the front 1 cm of the blade)
okay then put it on a bench grinder and hollow grind the bevel on about 45 degrees
you do it by facing the bevel in toward the grinding wheel with the edge of the blade facing upward and move its side to side across the blade
its important to hold it on one plane as you move it from side to side and dont change the angle
this was an important thing for me someone told me and it really made a difference
you visualize that your shaving hair of the wheel with the edge of the blade.
btw make sure you dont overheat the tip as it will loose its temper and be useless as a blade. you can tell if you fckd it because it will change colour
it helps to have some water handy
okay so you have it ground straigt and clean
now its time to bevel it on the stone
you lay it down on the flat stone and move it forward with the bevel down
again you visualize and hold it so you are shaving hairs off the stone
okay it will only take maybe 10 passes if you ground it properly
probably less
so then you can take it down to the finer stone and do the same thing
then you must remove the bur on some leather or your skin of your palm
i use some 2000 grit paper on a flat steel block
you may have seen he classic image of a barber with a razor on a strop
hes removing the burr
and this from the homemade tool thread
you gotta keep it moving on the edge(corner) of a bench grinder wheel in single passes from one side to the other
face the blade tip upwards,that way you can see the grinding wheel as it gets closer to the blade tip on each pass
if you get it hot and it changes colour then its fcked
gotta keep it cool by moving it and have some water to dip if your new to it
(i dont need to dip in water anymore)
once you got your grind, rub the flat side of the blade over some 2000 grit on a piece of glass or steel blockto polish the flat side(you may need to use some courser grits first if your blades in bad shape)
then its a couple a quick zaps over a fine stone on the ground side,then rub/polish off the bur on the 2000 grit
and its good to go
trick with the stone is you get the micro bevel by going toward you
imagine there are hair on the stone that you are shaving off
if you have ground the blade correctly, this will only take 5 or 6 passes
then its ready to take the bur off with the 2000 grit or i used to just take burs off across my hand or some leather