Andrew

I did not do this when I first got the bit, so I am a little late to the
game - after it gets sharpened professionally, I will take the steps you
suggested and see if it helps!

Ray




"AHilton" wrote in message
news:A48B4DD9627BD2118B1500C0F037E7EB044392@useser ver.usexpr...
I sharpen my Forstner bits all the time but they're all just HSS so you
might not want to do this with carbide.

1) When I get a new bit, I always drill a through-hole in some hard wood
(hard maple is fine) with it.

2) Quick touchup sharpenings I do by just taking a small extra-fine
diamond
paddle sharpener and running it length-wise along the two long inner
bevels
of the bit. Very much like sharpening those removable round and teardrop
scraper turning tools. It doesn't take much to make a difference and
there's only one angle so it's easy to do.

3) For a little more sharpening, I'll sharpen the short bevel on the very
bottom of the bit. It's the other side of the bevel of #2 above. It's so
short that it's easy to round over and/or change the original bevel angle
there. Light touches and, again, it doesn't take much to make a
difference.

4) When I need to do some sharpening of the outter cuttting edge, I'll use
the hole I made in #1 above. I coat the inside of the hole with powdered
abrasive (regular yellow glue thinly applied is fine as long as you don't
get it too hot and gummy when sharpening). I then just run the spinning
bit
into that hole and it sharpens the outside cutting edge. Note: This isn't
as
effective with the serrated edge Forstner bits but it does work.

5) If you have a serrated Forstner bit, you can sharpen each of those
serrations with the diamond paddle sharpener but it's a pain and really
easy
to get the angles wrong and screw it up. You'll know you've screwed it up
when the bit wants to wander or burn in the wood (assuming you're not
spinning too fast in the first place).

That's how I do mine.

- Andrew


"Ray Sandusky" wrote in message
...
Help! I have a previously very sharp Freud 2 1/8" carbide Forstner bit
that
I use for all of my initial boring on my endgrain turnings. Alas, it is
need of a new edge. I once tried to sharpen a HSS Forstner bit and
wound
up
ruining it. I thought I would seek you all's expertise before I tried
it
again. Any body know how to sharpen one of these? is there a website
with
pictures, etc?

Thanks

Ray