On Mon, 06 Aug 2012 08:53:12 +0100, Nick Odell
wrote:

On Mon, 06 Aug 2012 06:57:11 +0100, MM wrote:

Further to my query about the scary sharp method of honing using
wet-or-dry, I have to admit that my old Eclipse 36 honing guide is
pretty crap, really. It's a real pain to get the chisel at the right
projection AND square in the guide.

Now, I've heard a lot about the Veritas Mark II honing guide and
looked it up on Amazon. Talk about falling off one's chair! A few
pence shy of £54! Man, that's expensive. But is it worth it?

Looks like a decent, precision made tool, however.

I did get a good result in the end from my Eclipse, but it takes a
fair bit of trial and error to get that chisel sitting just right.
Probably easier for plane blades.

Don't get me wrong: getting things right when sharpening stuff makes
all the difference in use but...

Have you tried sharpening your chisels freehand? After all these years
you must instinctively know what angles you want and it's just down to
the accuracy with which you can hold those angles on the abrasive.

No, I wouldn't try. I have complete faith in jigs, guides, rails etc.
Always have. I believe in reproducible results every time and I'm sure
I can achieve a better result with my honing guide than if I attempted
to sharpen freehand.

I keep all my sharpening stones in a home-made box which is heavy
enough to stay in place when I'm using it on the bench so both hands
are free to control the chisel. Rather than using my shoulders and
elbows as if I were spokeshaving, I mentally 'lock' my arms in
position and rock gently back and forth on my feet so the blade slides
across the stone without wobbling. It probably looks ridiculous - but
hey - nobody's watching me - and I end up with really true and keen
blades. Other people may have even simpler techniques or tips to
offer.

Give it a try - you'll probably be delighted with the results. And if
you are not delighted then you can grind the mistakes out using the
expensive super-duper honing guide you go out to buy!

Nick
Who still uses his old Eclipse saw set so is not totally against using
guides when sharpening stuff

I'm a sucker for jigs and guides! I bought a Wolfcraft dowelling jig
years ago and it's been fantastic.

MM