I guess I was not clear enough when I said "you must keep them cool when
grinding". That is the precise reason machine shops run coolant
continuously when cutting. Since most of us do not have that capability,
frequent dips will have to do.

As for fixing the inevitable bluing, a dip in cold water then carefully
grinding off of the entire blue area will not change the hardness or temper
of HSS.

Dave

wrote in message
...
On Tue, 7 Dec 2004 08:45:59 -0800, "TeamCasa"
wrote:

Buck, Who told you not to use water with HSS chisels?
When you need to sharpen them, you must keep them cool when grinding.
Frequent dips in a cup of water will prevent the chisel from overheating.
Water will not harm the chisel in any way.

Dave

to clarify: do not dip HSS in water when it is very hot. use a light
touch on the wheel and dip it frequently before it gets hot, to keep
it cool. if you do manage to get it hot enough to blue the edge, let
it air cool a bit before dipping it.