"Richard Sterry" wrote in message
...
Yes, I'm having problems sharpening my chisels to 30°. The basic problem
seems to me to be that my sharpening stone is far far too fine. It's in
perfect condition, but is probably quite a lot older than me and is marked
"Bauxilite 479 Medium". Bauxilite is of course the abrasive material, I've
managed to figure that one out, but the number is meaningless and "Medium"
is a very subjective term. I have some brand new chisels to sharpen,
already
ground to 25° but blunt, and some old ones which due to years of horrible
mistreatment really could do with regrinding to 25° before I grind them to
30°.

The last time I was taught how to sharpen a chisel, it was at school back
in
the early 1960's, and we had a motor-driven grinding wheel, using water as
a
lubricant, with a clamp so you could get just the right angle on the
thing.
I do not have such a thing at home, just a bench-mounted grinder with no
means of clamping, plus the aforementioned sharpening stone.

I ought to mention that I have a little gizmo into which I can clamp a
chisel or plane blade at just the right angle, and then roll it backwards
and forwards over the sharpening stone. That seems to do what it is
supposed
to do, only it takes forever to grind the tiniest amount off the blade -
Zzzzzzzzzzzz.

I once allowed one of these door-to-door chappies to regrind some chisels
on
his grinding wheel in his van, and he basically wrecked them! Never
again...

Before I roam the local DIY and tools stores, any advice?


Assuming you aren't yet in your dotage and just maybe you might still have
some contact however tenuous with your old school perhaps you might be
allowed to use the aforementioned grinding stone with water lube?