📝 See The Supporting Blog Here! (Extra Info) freeonlinewoodworkingschool.com/how-to-sharpen-a-chisel/ More of this style of content coming next year! Hopefully with more regularity too!
This is such a great product to be putting out for free. You Matt make it so easy to get into woodworking and i love you so much for it! Thank you from the buttom of my heart
Matt! Me and my wife got into woodworking mostly because we enjoyed your videos so much. A million thanks for these sharpening guides. I guess we did it correctly, as we ran out of bandages after going mental on mahogany end grain with freshly sharpened chisels. Maybe do a safety-oriented video on chiselling techniques next? Just kidding, keep doing what you do! BR from Finland.
Looks like you are explaining every single detail ... and especially it sound like you are doing this in front of idiots. So, thank you very much for the entertaining and with great educational value video, Matt:) Subscribed!
By far, one of the most excellent instructional videos I have seen in quite some time. Clear, concise, and well organized. Thank you for your efforts on this! I very much appreciate it.
I'm into my 60's and I was aware that everything needs to be kept sharp to work properly but wasn't aware it was such a rabbit hole! You have obviously been taught by craftsmen/women and have now become a craftsman yourself. Your passion and knowledge is precious. Thanks for sharing. I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet but I've seen old conveyor belting used on the floor in areas where you are likely to drop tools.
Was a joiner for 26 years, 50 now not done it for a few years but was taught old school apprentice, first learn to sharpen your tools, saws was my favourite. Sorry first thing was making 14 cups of tea at the same time! Liked watching this video good tips. Made me think about coming back
Brilliant delivery, concise, full of all relevant information and no irritating music. With this approach you will succeed at whatever you turn your hand to.
Loved this video you explained everything with one exception. You showed the protrusion stop jig. Most newbies won't know that they need to make that jig. A angle finder is needed. That is the only thing I would recommend adding to this video. Other then that, I enjoyed it alot. Great job. I plan on watching more of your videos. PS I literally dropped my chisle a few times will working yesterday. It's been a while since using and sharing so wanted to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything and found your video. Made me laugh watching it bounce off everything, because I seem to drop mine alot.
That was the best sharpening tutorial I've seen so far. All the necessary theory, all the practical advice, all done up in an entertaining package. Nice one. ♥
Excellent video. When you are in teaching mode, you really shine. I’ve been a (serious) amateur woodworker for 45 plus years and there have been dramatic changes in materials and techniques. Second to adhesives, sharpening has seen the most I believe. For me, the key to keeping a sharp edge (as opposed to setting it when bought new or after damage) is to make the process easy and quick. If it’s easy and quick, then I do it; if it’s complicated, then the temptation is to leave the process until the next time. And the next time. I also use a Tormek for the primary bevel. I then switch to a Veritas honing jig for the secondary bevel. There are 2 problems to that combination. Firstly, it is too easy for the chisel to move from square on the Veritas jig; if that happens, then your edge won’t be perpendicular to the whole blade. I don’t know why but I’ve tried 3 of these guides and once worn, they let the chisel move. Second issue is that the 25 degree setting on the Tormek is not the same as the 25 degree setting on the Veritas jig. At one point, I thought it was me but the ever-helpful people at Axminster confirmed that it was a known issue. You can compensate for it once you know the issue but with equipment costing an arm and a leg, it should be right first time. I also have and use the scary sharp system for when I’m out and about - that usually means some or daughters. All scary sharp is very refined abrasives stuck to a flat surface (eg marble or glass) and you work through the grits/microns. In that way, you have one piece of glass (in my case) about 12” x 6” which takes me from around 1000 grit upto 15000 grit. Very convenient but the abrasives are not that cheap to buy and it’s easy (for me) to tear them when in use. I’ve collected enough oil and Waterstones to re-pave my patio. As Matt says, keep it simple; for a quick re-sharpen, I might only use 4000 and 8000 grit. The Lie Nielsen jig is great but over £100. I have made a series of wedges out of stacked MRMDF and cut on my table saw to 27 and 32 degrees. With a strip of MRMDF down the side of each wedge, I can just reach for the 27 wedge (for a chisel) and put that secondary bevel back to perfection in 30 seconds. As Matt says, it matters not a jot if your primary or secondary bevel angles are not 25 or 27 or 30. Just keep the same angle and nobody will ever tell the difference. It’s not a dark art; it’s not difficult but I would suggest that you will never get satisfaction unless all your edge tools are as sharp as Matt shows.
I really love the free hand approach, two stones (and a really coarse one for grinding), finish on a strop. On plane irons and wide chisels I can feel the angle. Narrow chisels I fall back to a guide, otherwise I create a nice skew chisel for my pole lathe. No power outlets in my basement, so no Tormek for me. I follow Richard Maguire's method ("get sharp series"). But I agree, nice video, great summary, great presentation. I like the no rubbish approach (as always)!
@@pufango4059 in my experience, there are only 2 people who can afford to be so certain about anything. The first is Jesus and the second is a sociopath. You really do need professional help with your mental health. Without this, you never will grow up and be mentally stable
Deadly sharp... I have watched you for years and I am still so impressed by your unswerving ability as a teacher. Thank you for the video! Merry Christmas Matt!!
One of the best sharpening tutorials I've seen. Keep it simple. Works every time. Been a woodworker for nearly 40yrs and I still follow the method used by a 60yr old from when I 1st started, grind, hone, strop. He stopped working 4.30 every Friday, opened his chisel roll of about 30 various chisels and sharpened the lot to razor sharp in in the last 30mins. Quick and easy.
At 10:15, Matt uses his diamond stone to flatten his water stone. At 13:09, he flips his 1000-grit stone over and flattens the 6000-grit side of the water stone on the same diamond stone he just used to flatten the 1000-grit side. Don't you have to wash the water stone and diamond stone thoroughly to remove the 1000-grit slurry generated earlier before flattening the 6000-grit side? Without washing, won't you transfer some 1000-grit to the 6000-grit side so that even the 6000-grit stone will function as a 1000-grit stone? As a related question, what is an appropriate grit for the diamond stone used for flattening? Thanks!
Don’t do any wood working and don’t even own a good chisel, but I found this fascinating. A very professional presentation and throughly enjoyable to watch.
Good afternoon from a rather sunny day on in Essex: I’ve been trying to get in to woodworking for a while , with RUclips as my only guide. Up to now it’s largely been American creators with aircraft hangers full of commercial power tools. I’m glad I’ve found you as I was shocked when a chisel purchased to have a go wasn’t sharp straight from screwfix. Thanks for such a great video I’ll be binge watching for a while
You convinced me, I subscribed. If I may add that the honing guide is extremely useful for those who do not have years of experience in honing by hand, also if the central wheel is replaced by two narrower wheels a bit further apart, with one wheel being very easy to tilt. Thank you so much.
I’ve been learning sharpening for 5-6 years now, Matt, your a gem of information making the complex simple to understand, thanks for your dedication to the craft❤
I’ve seen many sharpening videos over the years but this not only made perfect sense but also when I tried it I got a chisel that I could shave with in under a minute
Another benefit of the secondary bevel is lesser surface area to ‘stone’ so it’s also quicker to sharpen, especially on site. You’re also correct about the waste considerations too. Great video mate. Thanks
You're a bad man. I own just about every single sharpening system around and have been eying up a Tormak for years. I would have saved so much cash (and time) going straight to it.
What I wonder also - how to do the back side, which is flat, if you only have Tormek, and no wetstones? Can someone clarify this a little bit, I'm new to the thing, and not sure where to spend my limited amount of the money as far as sharpening is concerned 🙂Any help would very much be appreciated. Thanks
For any newcomers debating the whole free hand sharpen vs honing guide thing. Here is my advice. Start out with the honing guide. Learn what the chisel should feel like and look like when it's truely sharp. Only then! should you try to replicate it freehand. Starting out freehand without someone knowledgable to show you or at least having something to compare against is a recipe for a frustrating experience.
Why would you ever want to freehand sharpen tools? What unknown benefit does that impart? Is it something you do to simply amaze your friends? Help me out here I'm trying to understand.
There is absolutely no advantage to sharpening freehand. It is IMPOSSIBLE to get as good results freehand, since you cannot maintain the correct angle during each sharpening stroke. It's easy to understand... It's the exact same reason you use miter guide and shooting board rather than cutting 90° and 45° freehand.
@@johncoops6897 there is actually an advantage to sharpening freehand. A convex edge can be more durable than a straight one is. As far as who can do what freehand that varies too.
A caveat for all who may use the L-N or similar guide: tighten it down tight! If you do so only finger tight you may actually be presenting your chisel minutely out of 90 degrees to the stone. I have that mushroom-handled screwdriver Matt uses, and I should have used it! The result was regrinding to 90 degrees and an extra thirty minutes of hard work.
Thank you, Matt... never owned chisels before; used them to notch some wood as soon as they arrived from the seller... noticed mega edge damage, then realised there was no 2nd bevel edge on any of them.
16:53 - I do fully agree with you on that one, but at the same time I have to admit I have respect for the craft. As someone who does alot of sharpening it is really impressive to me watching some of the absolute masters do freehand sharpening. It is also a hobby of mine and I spend time honing that craft, it makes me both relaxed and focused... and sometimes frustrated. If I just need a sharp knife/tool to do something though, even I will just slap it on a tormek or belt grinder so I can move on with what I was actually doing asap. Sometimes the process is the point, other times the result is.
For quite some while I am using the VERITAS Mk.II Honing System the major set back being that neither planing blades nor chisels can be securly fastened perpendicularly to the surface; the screws easily loosen - and you are gone. Thus, it was not terribly difficult for you to "seduce" me to buy the VERITAS Side Clamping Honing guide which arrived whithin 2 days. It really functions and works wonderfully, keeping the blades / chisels very tight and securly in place. As we are talking about geometry, it is a bit tricky to make a precise jig for the different angles; today, I made something very close to the jig you're using. HOWEVER, this suggestion for further improvement: it will be helpful (at least for the beginner!) to make the jaws 2mm deeper; thus, the blade will stay in place when you loosen the screw to adjust the blade for the correct angle. Again: thank you very much for your knowledgeable advice!
2 extra pieces of advice; Instead of making an angle setting jig, one can take measurements with a steel ruler for different tools and angles and keep this info at hand in a notebook. This next piece of advice can be a game changer for many; for users without access to a sharpening system like a Tormec or grinder there will usually be a blade sharpening service in your area. This would be the same guys you would usually take all your saw blades and router bits to for sharpening. I mention this only as an option to resharpen your primary bevels back to a fresh 25°. The fine sharpening of a secondary bevel will still be the responsibility of the user themselves but it takes the pain out of grinding large surfaces or buying expensive equipment in exchange for the price of not much more than a couple of Dollars or Pounds per tool.
Wow, good details and I learned some things. I've got an Ezarc Honing Guide and a two-sided (400/ 1000) stone I've been using -- this works for me and my 60s diabetic woodworking hands. Anyway, many thanks for providing this instruction, sir 👍
I’ve been sharpening knives and chisel’s quite a while. Very well instructed mate. 👍👍👍 from East Tennessee. Ok I threw the mate in there to be cool. Still a very well done instructional video that anyone should understand. Crazy thing is I’ve owned a Tormek for like 5 years and have yet to open the box. I think I will break it out now. I’ve had a welder in box longer. It can wait. 😉✌️
I thought I was the only wood worker to purchase a tool or WW machine and have it sit in a box on the basement floor for up to a few years. Now I feel better. thanks
Hi Matt! Never seen your channel but had this video suggested on my homepage. Nice work, but please get a stone holder, stone rocking on that mesh fabric is not consistent. Freehand sharpening for the win!
I would hate to be the thousandth guy screaming what an absolutely stunning guide this is, so let me resort to Follow and: Good luck keeping up the marvelous work!
Welcome back, Matt. I don't know if I looked away and missed a vid, but I have missed your enthusiasm. And your teaching skillz (forgive my English language... I do know better).
ok that works... and fast! provided the chisel wasn't used to emboss an epitaph from granite... But after it was flat and hand ground to about 25' it was a walk in the park on a sunny day. I had 3d printed a jig like yours but with 2 bearings... I am impressed by the repeatability and sharpness is offcourse off the chart! can't wait to use it. Thanx
The quality of this video is exceptionally sharp 😉 Really well made. I can be considered to be a bit of a perfectionist and I am in admiration!. Well done 👏
Great guide! I'm currently trying the same process but with sheets of aluminium oxide lapping film stuck on float glass. As a hobbyist I find it to be somewhat cheaper and more straightforward as you don't need the diamond stone to straighten your water stone. Totally understand the investment otherwise, but I personally can't justify another 100€ for a good diamond stone
Its 3:00 in the morning. I have nothing with wood nor the chiseling of it. Or a workshop… what so ever. Yet im 15 min in and ill keep watching. Its fun, informative and a great watch/listen
Couldn't agree more with one of your followers who says why can't we find a guide with two wheels?? Too easy to "rock" with only one wheel. Has anyone found one with two wheels? Anyway a great video. Thanks a million Matt!!
Little comments like" wait until the shadow dissapears then you know you are on the correct angle" , even small comments like these which are not common knowledge make it worth while watching this video
I've had cheaper honing guides and nothing but frustration...the Veritas looked really good, but went with the Lie Nielsen and what an amazing tool. Worth every cent.
I really like the Veritas. I got it at a local woodworking store and what I like about it is that it has a really wide wheel so it's very stable and it had a built it micro adjustment for adding a micro bevel.
Brilliant video. I just started using the local men's shed..... if you ever fancy doing a video filming at a men's shed to spread the word on what you do you could come and teach us how to do this in person :-) I don't know if you have heard of men's sheds but they are a mental health charity to give men a place to go to do all manners of different, hands on things. We are in Isleworth, near the West Mid Hospital but there are Men's sheds all around the world.
A point that seems to be missed by the more 'traditional' woodworkers is that manual sharpening is only easy when you have perfectly functioning hands. When osteo-arthritis, disease or injury reduces your grip strength and/or your joint articulation a jig is very necessary. Considering the age demographic of a lot of hobby woodworkers I am surprised that it is not mentioned.
Completely agree I have issues with arthritis in my hands and wrists and I'm only 29 sharpening with a jig makes it much easier as I don't have to cramp my hands onto a small blade I can apply a larger amount of pressure over a larger area on the jig when I can justify it I will be getting something similar to the tormek but I'm not made of money... Unfortunately
Hands free is faster to sharpen and slower to learn, the jig or tormek is slower to sharpen but faster to learn Honestly thought, if your wrists or hands hurt when sharpening you may be applying too much pressure, on waterstones use the same pressure as to squeeze gently a cherry tomato or a grape
@@uwyphi I really appreciate your comment it's not the pressure it's the actual joints that is the issue the repetitive movement especially when starting a primary bevel is the problem, I have to do sharpening in several sittings or I'm in alot of pain. The reason for wanting a tormek is to speed up the process so I'm not spending as much time repeatedly going back and forth on a stone :)
@@shaunemurray5820 I don't find tormek would speed the process especially for the price, but maybe it's because I don't do secondary bevels, I think it's kind of BS Maintaining just the primary and stropping more often lead to better result for me Now I really wonder if grinding is problematic how can you do pretty much everything else in WW, planing, scraping, sanding, ripcuts, everything is repetitive and stress your joints
Thanks for the video Matt. I have some chisels that are convex and boy did I struggle with getting those flat. After hours of useless flattening, I finally figured out how to deal with this. You have to grind the convex out of the chisel. You can do this easily with a belt sander. You basically mark the high spots with a sharpie all around the chisel. You can tell by trying to flatten the bottom and looking at the smooth areas. Then you grind the marked areas down with rounded part of the belt sander. You must have a cup of water to dip the chisel to cool it down. After getting a sufficient amount of metal shaved away, then you can use a water stone to complete the flattening. This is the only way I found to do it. And it really takes very little time. It will save you the time and effort to send the chisels back. I looked at every youtube video I could find and all of them told me to throw out the chisels or return them like you suggested. My chisels were non-returnable so throwing them out is a waste.
Matt, really appreciated the explanation and demonstration. Well presented. Quick question pertaining to your angle stop jig. I'm quite puzzled how you derived the stop points for the desired angle. Can you shed some light on this?
@bradsmith8206 The hard way is to fiddle around with an angle measure until you get to 25°, then measure the protrusion. The easy way is to look at the instructions that came with your honing guide; there should be a table listing common angles and the corresponding protrusion. Or Google "honing guide protrusion calculator".
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📝 See The Supporting Blog Here! (Extra Info)
freeonlinewoodworkingschool.com/how-to-sharpen-a-chisel/
More of this style of content coming next year! Hopefully with more regularity too!
This is such a great product to be putting out for free. You Matt make it so easy to get into woodworking and i love you so much for it! Thank you from the buttom of my heart
Thank you for all your work
Matt! Me and my wife got into woodworking mostly because we enjoyed your videos so much. A million thanks for these sharpening guides. I guess we did it correctly, as we ran out of bandages after going mental on mahogany end grain with freshly sharpened chisels. Maybe do a safety-oriented video on chiselling techniques next? Just kidding, keep doing what you do! BR from Finland.
The music in the background ruins your video/point. You are a very knowledgeable chap and I respect your advice.
Looks like you are explaining every single detail ... and especially it sound like you are doing this in front of idiots.
So, thank you very much for the entertaining and with great educational value video, Matt:) Subscribed!
I find myself constantly coming back to this video as a refresher for the various stages in sharpening. Really comprehensive guide, thanks Matt
Indeed!
Got this vid saved in my DIY / Tools hotbar folder for easy access.
This is the most comprehensive instruction I've seen on sharpening. As we say in the States, you covered all the bases.
By far, one of the most excellent instructional videos I have seen in quite some time. Clear, concise, and well organized. Thank you for your efforts on this! I very much appreciate it.
This is the most comprehensive video on sharpening I've seen. You not only learn how to do it but why you do each step and the geometry used.
Superb exposition of the basic science behind the practise of this outstanding woodworker.
I'm into my 60's and I was aware that everything needs to be kept sharp to work properly but wasn't aware it was such a rabbit hole!
You have obviously been taught by craftsmen/women and have now become a craftsman yourself. Your passion and knowledge is precious. Thanks for sharing.
I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet but I've seen old conveyor belting used on the floor in areas where you are likely to drop tools.
New conveyor rubber is even better
Someone who actually wants to impart information, in other words teach, rather than show off..brilliant. So much experience and expertise. Thank you.
Was a joiner for 26 years, 50 now not done it for a few years but was taught old school apprentice, first learn to sharpen your tools, saws was my favourite. Sorry first thing was making 14 cups of tea at the same time! Liked watching this video good tips. Made me think about coming back
Brilliant delivery, concise, full of all relevant information and no irritating music. With this approach you will succeed at whatever you turn your hand to.
Loved this video you explained everything with one exception. You showed the protrusion stop jig. Most newbies won't know that they need to make that jig. A angle finder is needed. That is the only thing I would recommend adding to this video. Other then that, I enjoyed it alot. Great job. I plan on watching more of your videos. PS I literally dropped my chisle a few times will working yesterday. It's been a while since using and sharing so wanted to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything and found your video. Made me laugh watching it bounce off everything, because I seem to drop mine alot.
That was the best sharpening tutorial I've seen so far. All the necessary theory, all the practical advice, all done up in an entertaining package. Nice one. ♥
Paul Sellers does it better no need of any fancy electric tools.
Excellent video. When you are in teaching mode, you really shine. I’ve been a (serious) amateur woodworker for 45 plus years and there have been dramatic changes in materials and techniques. Second to adhesives, sharpening has seen the most I believe.
For me, the key to keeping a sharp edge (as opposed to setting it when bought new or after damage) is to make the process easy and quick. If it’s easy and quick, then I do it; if it’s complicated, then the temptation is to leave the process until the next time. And the next time.
I also use a Tormek for the primary bevel. I then switch to a Veritas honing jig for the secondary bevel. There are 2 problems to that combination. Firstly, it is too easy for the chisel to move from square on the Veritas jig; if that happens, then your edge won’t be perpendicular to the whole blade. I don’t know why but I’ve tried 3 of these guides and once worn, they let the chisel move. Second issue is that the 25 degree setting on the Tormek is not the same as the 25 degree setting on the Veritas jig. At one point, I thought it was me but the ever-helpful people at Axminster confirmed that it was a known issue. You can compensate for it once you know the issue but with equipment costing an arm and a leg, it should be right first time.
I also have and use the scary sharp system for when I’m out and about - that usually means some or daughters. All scary sharp is very refined abrasives stuck to a flat surface (eg marble or glass) and you work through the grits/microns. In that way, you have one piece of glass (in my case) about 12” x 6” which takes me from around 1000 grit upto 15000 grit. Very convenient but the abrasives are not that cheap to buy and it’s easy (for me) to tear them when in use.
I’ve collected enough oil and Waterstones to re-pave my patio. As Matt says, keep it simple; for a quick re-sharpen, I might only use 4000 and 8000 grit.
The Lie Nielsen jig is great but over £100. I have made a series of wedges out of stacked MRMDF and cut on my table saw to 27 and 32 degrees. With a strip of MRMDF down the side of each wedge, I can just reach for the 27 wedge (for a chisel) and put that secondary bevel back to perfection in 30 seconds. As Matt says, it matters not a jot if your primary or secondary bevel angles are not 25 or 27 or 30. Just keep the same angle and nobody will ever tell the difference.
It’s not a dark art; it’s not difficult but I would suggest that you will never get satisfaction unless all your edge tools are as sharp as Matt shows.
I really love the free hand approach, two stones (and a really coarse one for grinding), finish on a strop. On plane irons and wide chisels I can feel the angle. Narrow chisels I fall back to a guide, otherwise I create a nice skew chisel for my pole lathe. No power outlets in my basement, so no Tormek for me. I follow Richard Maguire's method ("get sharp series").
But I agree, nice video, great summary, great presentation. I like the no rubbish approach (as always)!
A serious amateur wood worker ! No such thing . Go back to your office job
@@pufango4059 in my experience, there are only 2 people who can afford to be so certain about anything. The first is Jesus and the second is a sociopath.
You really do need professional help with your mental health. Without this, you never will grow up and be mentally stable
@@pufango4059 I bet you're really fun to spend time around
U
I appreciate you Matt, and the community. Love you all and hope your holidays have and will treat you well
Deadly sharp... I have watched you for years and I am still so impressed by your unswerving ability as a teacher. Thank you for the video! Merry Christmas Matt!!
One of the best sharpening tutorials I've seen. Keep it simple. Works every time.
Been a woodworker for nearly 40yrs and I still follow the method used by a 60yr old from when I 1st started, grind, hone, strop. He stopped working 4.30 every Friday, opened his chisel roll of about 30 various chisels and sharpened the lot to razor sharp in in the last 30mins. Quick and easy.
At 10:15, Matt uses his diamond stone to flatten his water stone. At 13:09, he flips his 1000-grit stone over and flattens the 6000-grit side of the water stone on the same diamond stone he just used to flatten the 1000-grit side. Don't you have to wash the water stone and diamond stone thoroughly to remove the 1000-grit slurry generated earlier before flattening the 6000-grit side? Without washing, won't you transfer some 1000-grit to the 6000-grit side so that even the 6000-grit stone will function as a 1000-grit stone? As a related question, what is an appropriate grit for the diamond stone used for flattening? Thanks!
Don’t do any wood working and don’t even own a good chisel, but I found this fascinating. A very professional presentation and throughly enjoyable to watch.
The word you were looking for is 'palpable'. Great video.
This was actually entertaining to watch and quite informative. Best presentation of process and procedure.
You would be a great shop teacher.
Good afternoon from a rather sunny day on in Essex: I’ve been trying to get in to woodworking for a while , with RUclips as my only guide. Up to now it’s largely been American creators with aircraft hangers full of commercial power tools. I’m glad I’ve found you as I was shocked when a chisel purchased to have a go wasn’t sharp straight from screwfix. Thanks for such a great video I’ll be binge watching for a while
You convinced me, I subscribed. If I may add that the honing guide is extremely useful for those who do not have years of experience in honing by hand, also if the central wheel is replaced by two narrower wheels a bit further apart, with one wheel being very easy to tilt. Thank you so much.
I’ve been learning sharpening for 5-6 years now, Matt, your a gem of information making the complex simple to understand, thanks for your dedication to the craft❤
I’ve seen many sharpening videos over the years but this not only made perfect sense but also when I tried it I got a chisel that I could shave with in under a minute
Another benefit of the secondary bevel is lesser surface area to ‘stone’ so it’s also quicker to sharpen, especially on site. You’re also correct about the waste considerations too.
Great video mate. Thanks
A no bullshit concise tutorial about sharpening chisels - this is how I have always done it (since 1974) - well done
You're a bad man. I own just about every single sharpening system around and have been eying up a Tormak for years. I would have saved so much cash (and time) going straight to it.
Glad your back missed these video's
Phenomenal!
One question: Can you do second bevel on the wet grinder also?
What I wonder also - how to do the back side, which is flat, if you only have Tormek, and no wetstones? Can someone clarify this a little bit, I'm new to the thing, and not sure where to spend my limited amount of the money as far as sharpening is concerned 🙂Any help would very much be appreciated. Thanks
Best sharpening video I’ve seen so far, very pragmatic, logical and beginner friendly. Great work, thank you 🙏🏼👍🏼
thanks for nice info..i work with this tools 123 years and never knows some of your info....greetings from croatia
For any newcomers debating the whole free hand sharpen vs honing guide thing. Here is my advice. Start out with the honing guide. Learn what the chisel should feel like and look like when it's truely sharp. Only then! should you try to replicate it freehand. Starting out freehand without someone knowledgable to show you or at least having something to compare against is a recipe for a frustrating experience.
Great shout, I like that.
Why would you ever want to freehand sharpen tools? What unknown benefit does that impart? Is it something you do to simply amaze your friends? Help me out here I'm trying to understand.
There is absolutely no advantage to sharpening freehand. It is IMPOSSIBLE to get as good results freehand, since you cannot maintain the correct angle during each sharpening stroke.
It's easy to understand... It's the exact same reason you use miter guide and shooting board rather than cutting 90° and 45° freehand.
@@johncoops6897 there is actually an advantage to sharpening freehand. A convex edge can be more durable than a straight one is. As far as who can do what freehand that varies too.
@@SirBenJamin_ Japanese sharpening techniques always incorporate a jig/sled. Freehand? Maybe square filling my chainsaw teeth..
You're a good teacher Matt i could watch your videos all day thanks.
Love your sense of humor and witty hysterical quips
wow! Great presentation, dude! by far the most comprehensive & logically presented guide on the matter that I've seen, thank you
"Bang on!" Learning new British slang every video!
Best tutorials in RUclips! Thank you!
The best intro on a tool channel ever, and the first time I really laughed loud!
Good to see you back Matt. ☺
Excellent video. Very informative. Trying hand cut mortise for the first time. Need a very sharp chisel. Thanks for the video!!
How'd it go?
Yes dude, yes! I loved this tutorial. So very useful. THANK YOU!! Great pace, great visuals, great, great tone. Well done mate.
Great to see you back, missed this type of content
Magnificent! Thank you Matt.
Love your videos. Always informative and done in a way that keeps me captivated. Thank you.
Nice to see you again! Have a safe and productive New Year.
Loving the knife display behind you
Hello from Texas, Thanks for the sharpening tips!!
Much more concise and entertaining than the first version. I can see why you've been going through and remaking these.
A caveat for all who may use the L-N or similar guide: tighten it down tight! If you do so only finger tight you may actually be presenting your chisel minutely out of 90 degrees to the stone. I have that mushroom-handled screwdriver Matt uses, and I should have used it! The result was regrinding to 90 degrees and an extra thirty minutes of hard work.
you explain every thing so well . awesome video
Thank you, Matt... never owned chisels before; used them to notch some wood as soon as they arrived from the seller... noticed mega edge damage, then realised there was no 2nd bevel edge on any of them.
Glad you are back happy Christmas and thank you for the refresher
16:53 - I do fully agree with you on that one, but at the same time I have to admit I have respect for the craft. As someone who does alot of sharpening it is really impressive to me watching some of the absolute masters do freehand sharpening. It is also a hobby of mine and I spend time honing that craft, it makes me both relaxed and focused... and sometimes frustrated. If I just need a sharp knife/tool to do something though, even I will just slap it on a tormek or belt grinder so I can move on with what I was actually doing asap. Sometimes the process is the point, other times the result is.
For quite some while I am using the VERITAS Mk.II Honing System the major set back being that neither planing blades nor chisels can be securly fastened perpendicularly to the surface; the screws easily loosen - and you are gone. Thus, it was not terribly difficult for you to "seduce" me to buy the VERITAS Side Clamping Honing guide which arrived whithin 2 days. It really functions and works wonderfully, keeping the blades / chisels very tight and securly in place. As we are talking about geometry, it is a bit tricky to make a precise jig for the different angles; today, I made something very close to the jig you're using. HOWEVER, this suggestion for further improvement: it will be helpful (at least for the beginner!) to make the jaws 2mm deeper; thus, the blade will stay in place when you loosen the screw to adjust the blade for the correct angle. Again: thank you very much for your knowledgeable advice!
this mans an international woodworking treasure. defend him at all cost.
So that's how you do it!! I've been trying for 70 years to get it right and now I see how. Ta Muchly!
Excellent guide. Knowledge is power!
Thank you
Great video Matt
Subscribed and liked, because I watched all the way to the end and enjoyed it.
2 extra pieces of advice;
Instead of making an angle setting jig, one can take measurements with a steel ruler for different tools and angles and keep this info at hand in a notebook.
This next piece of advice can be a game changer for many; for users without access to a sharpening system like a Tormec or grinder there will usually be a blade sharpening service in your area. This would be the same guys you would usually take all your saw blades and router bits to for sharpening.
I mention this only as an option to resharpen your primary bevels back to a fresh 25°.
The fine sharpening of a secondary bevel will still be the responsibility of the user themselves but it takes the pain out of grinding large surfaces or buying expensive equipment in exchange for the price of not much more than a couple of Dollars or Pounds per tool.
Brilliant presentation. Best yet
Through my experience with burning, rounding and using cutting blades I really appreciate and can confirm the advice given by Matt. Thanks.
Absolutely great vid! Thank you. Instant subscribe!
Wow, good details and I learned some things. I've got an Ezarc Honing Guide and a two-sided (400/ 1000) stone I've been using -- this works for me and my 60s diabetic woodworking hands. Anyway, many thanks for providing this instruction, sir 👍
I’ve been sharpening knives and chisel’s quite a while. Very well instructed mate. 👍👍👍 from East Tennessee. Ok I threw the mate in there to be cool. Still a very well done instructional video that anyone should understand. Crazy thing is I’ve owned a Tormek for like 5 years and have yet to open the box. I think I will break it out now. I’ve had a welder in box longer. It can wait. 😉✌️
I thought I was the only wood worker to purchase a tool or WW machine and have it sit in a box on the basement floor for up to a few years. Now I feel better. thanks
Wonderful videos, thanks for another easy to follow lesson. We appreciate them.
That beginning/ending had me rolling 😂😂
Great explanation of techniques for us amateurs
Hi Matt! Never seen your channel but had this video suggested on my homepage. Nice work, but please get a stone holder, stone rocking on that mesh fabric is not consistent. Freehand sharpening for the win!
I would hate to be the thousandth guy screaming what an absolutely stunning guide this is, so let me resort to Follow and: Good luck keeping up the marvelous work!
Welcome back, Matt. I don't know if I looked away and missed a vid, but I have missed your enthusiasm. And your teaching skillz (forgive my English language... I do know better).
ok that works... and fast! provided the chisel wasn't used to emboss an epitaph from granite... But after it was flat and hand ground to about 25' it was a walk in the park on a sunny day. I had 3d printed a jig like yours but with 2 bearings... I am impressed by the repeatability and sharpness is offcourse off the chart! can't wait to use it. Thanx
But, will it blend?
plis anwers Amtt
… that is the question 🤔
@@MattEstlea We need to find out, please follow up video
@@MattEstlea - Sharpening smoke... don't breathe that!
great to see you back, favourite wood chanel of all.. all the love.
The quality of this video is exceptionally sharp 😉
Really well made.
I can be considered to be a bit of a perfectionist and I am in admiration!.
Well done 👏
Great video. Very informative and entertaining. Thank you.
I love the new style of video Matt!!!
Great guide! I'm currently trying the same process but with sheets of aluminium oxide lapping film stuck on float glass. As a hobbyist I find it to be somewhat cheaper and more straightforward as you don't need the diamond stone to straighten your water stone. Totally understand the investment otherwise, but I personally can't justify another 100€ for a good diamond stone
Love your videos and the humour that goes into them 🙂
Many thanks, a great demo. Does the wheel on the honing guide not wear and change the angle
Straight away, great....great video!
Its 3:00 in the morning. I have nothing with wood nor the chiseling of it. Or a workshop… what so ever. Yet im 15 min in and ill keep watching. Its fun, informative and a great watch/listen
Couldn't agree more with one of your followers who says why can't we find a guide with two wheels?? Too easy to "rock" with only one wheel. Has anyone found one with two wheels? Anyway a great video. Thanks a million Matt!!
Little comments like" wait until the shadow dissapears then you know you are on the correct angle" , even small comments like these which are not common knowledge make it worth while watching this video
This video made me briefly think Sam Bankman-fried was going to teach me how to sharpen a chisel. I thought, “well that is quite a career change!” 😂
Great video! It cracked me up though when you say, “you don’t need expensive equipment” and then bust out the Tormak 😂.
I've had cheaper honing guides and nothing but frustration...the Veritas looked really good, but went with the Lie Nielsen and what an amazing tool. Worth every cent.
I really like the Veritas. I got it at a local woodworking store and what I like about it is that it has a really wide wheel so it's very stable and it had a built it micro adjustment for adding a micro bevel.
Hysterical Matt, Absolutely eff'n Hysterical! Thanks
Yessss! All channels have their own path and naturally yours should be instruction based videos. You have a knack for teaching.
Glad you are back to a how to video. Learnt shitloads by watching your channel. Thanks!!
"When was the last time you fell a tree?" Lol. Absolutely brilliant point... I'm saving that one!
Brilliant video. I just started using the local men's shed..... if you ever fancy doing a video filming at a men's shed to spread the word on what you do you could come and teach us how to do this in person :-) I don't know if you have heard of men's sheds but they are a mental health charity to give men a place to go to do all manners of different, hands on things. We are in Isleworth, near the West Mid Hospital but there are Men's sheds all around the world.
Lovely to see you back in business Matt! Good work!
Watched it the second time, and got a very good laugh at 22:28 - still looking forward to further content, Matt. Love your style!
Excellent video. Right to the point on all whys and hows!
A point that seems to be missed by the more 'traditional' woodworkers is that manual sharpening is only easy when you have perfectly functioning hands. When osteo-arthritis, disease or injury reduces your grip strength and/or your joint articulation a jig is very necessary. Considering the age demographic of a lot of hobby woodworkers I am surprised that it is not mentioned.
Completely agree I have issues with arthritis in my hands and wrists and I'm only 29 sharpening with a jig makes it much easier as I don't have to cramp my hands onto a small blade I can apply a larger amount of pressure over a larger area on the jig when I can justify it I will be getting something similar to the tormek but I'm not made of money... Unfortunately
Hands free is faster to sharpen and slower to learn, the jig or tormek is slower to sharpen but faster to learn
Honestly thought, if your wrists or hands hurt when sharpening you may be applying too much pressure, on waterstones use the same pressure as to squeeze gently a cherry tomato or a grape
Yeah, I cant believe the 23 year old woodworker doesn't spend more time talking about arthritis. 🤣
@@uwyphi I really appreciate your comment it's not the pressure it's the actual joints that is the issue the repetitive movement especially when starting a primary bevel is the problem, I have to do sharpening in several sittings or I'm in alot of pain. The reason for wanting a tormek is to speed up the process so I'm not spending as much time repeatedly going back and forth on a stone :)
@@shaunemurray5820 I don't find tormek would speed the process especially for the price, but maybe it's because I don't do secondary bevels, I think it's kind of BS
Maintaining just the primary and stropping more often lead to better result for me
Now I really wonder if grinding is problematic how can you do pretty much everything else in WW, planing, scraping, sanding, ripcuts, everything is repetitive and stress your joints
Thanks for the video Matt. I have some chisels that are convex and boy did I struggle with getting those flat. After hours of useless flattening, I finally figured out how to deal with this. You have to grind the convex out of the chisel. You can do this easily with a belt sander. You basically mark the high spots with a sharpie all around the chisel. You can tell by trying to flatten the bottom and looking at the smooth areas. Then you grind the marked areas down with rounded part of the belt sander. You must have a cup of water to dip the chisel to cool it down. After getting a sufficient amount of metal shaved away, then you can use a water stone to complete the flattening. This is the only way I found to do it. And it really takes very little time. It will save you the time and effort to send the chisels back. I looked at every youtube video I could find and all of them told me to throw out the chisels or return them like you suggested. My chisels were non-returnable so throwing them out is a waste.
How do I buy stuff from your recommendations. I followed the link, but so far all I’ve managed to do is create a kit and add two items to it.
TY very much for this tutorial on chisel and the care of it.
Matt, really appreciated the explanation and demonstration. Well presented. Quick question pertaining to your angle stop jig. I'm quite puzzled how you derived the stop points for the desired angle. Can you shed some light on this?
@bradsmith8206 The hard way is to fiddle around with an angle measure until you get to 25°, then measure the protrusion. The easy way is to look at the instructions that came with your honing guide; there should be a table listing common angles and the corresponding protrusion. Or Google "honing guide protrusion calculator".