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
www.artisticwoods.com

I attended the Foley-Belsaw company school for tool sharpening just over a
year ago and would like to suggest that you contact the school to identify a
sharpening professional in your Nashville area. I suggest you contact Joe
Webber (Instructor and Svc Mgr of the Sharpening Div) at (800) 821-3452 Ext
250. Joe will look up the address of someone who may well be in business in
your area who can sharpen carbide tools. We were trained in sharpening
practically any metal tool, but not everyone purchases the machinery to
sharpen carbide just because of the cost ($6k and up). Sharpening costs are
usually very fair. Maybe, $5 or so for a bit such as yours -- just a guess.
Saw blades (steel) are usually $0.20 or so and carbide $0.40 per inch.
Carbide must (can) be sharpened with diamond wheels only. Diamond
sharpening wheels should not be used on HSS because the steel will clog-up
the pours of the diamond sharpening medium and ruin your $150 sharpening
wheel. Probably the hand-held pads and stones do not clog up because you
can't move fast enough to melt the metal into the diamond pores.

Mr. Hilton effectively deburs/hones his new bits in wood. In fact, all new
tools should be touched up in some manner since they are not usually honed
at the factory. (In fact, my Sorby turning tools stated quite planely to
hone the edges before use.)

Hand sharpening your own tools (exclusive of your turning tools where you
generally use a jig and your hand chisels) is not the best practice in the
long run. The most imperceptive angle difference will likely occur on the
different bit faces. And, you probably will not be able to achieve the
proper thousandths difference between the cutting facet and the waste
clearing facets. There are also parts of the forstner bit that look like
they should be sharpened, but should not be. Yes, you can 'sharpen' your
saw chain teeth and your hand saw teeth, but you cannot consistently get the
proper between-teeth spacing, sharpening pressure and angle that the
sharpener using his/her machinery that is indexed to your tool can achieve.
You also will rarely be able to 'top' your saw teeth and saw chain teeth so
that they're all the same height. HSS saw blades also must have the proper
set -- and it's set every time it's sharpened -- for the blade to work.
(The new HSS blades that you buy are not usually sharpened -- they are
stamped out and set at the factory. Having a sharpener actually sharpen
that new blade will even improve on the honing that Mr. Hilton suggests by
his honing technique on every new bit. It is the set alone that makes that
HSS blade work -- the sharpening just helps the blade not rip out the wood
too coarsely.) I also would be surprised if you can sharpen carbide
yourself -- it usually requires expensive diamond wheels and precise angles
as prescribed by the manufacturer.

If you go to a local sharpening business, INSIST on them explaining the
grinders qualifications / training and the tools/machinery that they will be
using. If they want to use some jig that you, yourself, can purchase at a
home improvement store, they aren't likely professional sharpeners and
aren't interested in serving your needs. A local 'professional' business
here in the Jacksonville, FL area regularly ruins blades because
(apparently, and in my opinion, based on comments of dissatisfied (former)
clients of theirs) an un-trained / un-skilled operator simply didn't know
how to use the sharpening machinery. Sharpening is not rocket science, but
like any profession / skill you do need the proper tools/machinery and
know-how to employ the sharpening tool correctly.

If you do not have a properly skilled sharpener in your Nashville area, I
could suggest to you (via direct e-mail or phone) the name and address of
the gentleman who is the sole owner and operator of the business here in the
Jacksonville are that I had wished to purchase. He's in his mid-seventies
and decided that he wished to have even his modest sharpening income for a
couple more years. As most any school-trained sharpener, these folks live
on repeat business and word of mouth. Sloppy, improper work was strongly
warned against in school and these single-shop kind of workers will not stay
in business by not doing good work.

This has been a long-winded discourse on sharpening, but I hope it helps you
in either being very careful in working on your own tools, or in seeking out
a qualified (and fairly priced) sharpener.

Good Luck.

Fred Eversole


"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
www.artisticwoods.com

Fred

Thanks

I will call on Joe Webber to see if he has info on a local Nashville
sharpening service - I am always in need o having drill bits, planer blades
and other hard to sharpen tools touched up.
And it will be a good source to keep in my Rolodex!

Ray


"Fred Eversole" wrote in message
...
I attended the Foley-Belsaw company school for tool sharpening just over a
year ago and would like to suggest that you contact the school to identify
a
sharpening professional in your Nashville area. I suggest you contact Joe
Webber (Instructor and Svc Mgr of the Sharpening Div) at (800) 821-3452
Ext
250. Joe will look up the address of someone who may well be in business
in
your area who can sharpen carbide tools. We were trained in sharpening
practically any metal tool, but not everyone purchases the machinery to
sharpen carbide just because of the cost ($6k and up). Sharpening costs
are
usually very fair. Maybe, $5 or so for a bit such as yours -- just a
guess.
Saw blades (steel) are usually $0.20 or so and carbide $0.40 per inch.
Carbide must (can) be sharpened with diamond wheels only. Diamond
sharpening wheels should not be used on HSS because the steel will clog-up
the pours of the diamond sharpening medium and ruin your $150 sharpening
wheel. Probably the hand-held pads and stones do not clog up because you
can't move fast enough to melt the metal into the diamond pores.

Mr. Hilton effectively deburs/hones his new bits in wood. In fact, all
new
tools should be touched up in some manner since they are not usually honed
at the factory. (In fact, my Sorby turning tools stated quite planely to
hone the edges before use.)

Hand sharpening your own tools (exclusive of your turning tools where you
generally use a jig and your hand chisels) is not the best practice in the
long run. The most imperceptive angle difference will likely occur on the
different bit faces. And, you probably will not be able to achieve the
proper thousandths difference between the cutting facet and the waste
clearing facets. There are also parts of the forstner bit that look like
they should be sharpened, but should not be. Yes, you can 'sharpen' your
saw chain teeth and your hand saw teeth, but you cannot consistently get
the
proper between-teeth spacing, sharpening pressure and angle that the
sharpener using his/her machinery that is indexed to your tool can
achieve.
You also will rarely be able to 'top' your saw teeth and saw chain teeth
so
that they're all the same height. HSS saw blades also must have the
proper
set -- and it's set every time it's sharpened -- for the blade to work.
(The new HSS blades that you buy are not usually sharpened -- they are
stamped out and set at the factory. Having a sharpener actually sharpen
that new blade will even improve on the honing that Mr. Hilton suggests by
his honing technique on every new bit. It is the set alone that makes
that
HSS blade work -- the sharpening just helps the blade not rip out the wood
too coarsely.) I also would be surprised if you can sharpen carbide
yourself -- it usually requires expensive diamond wheels and precise
angles
as prescribed by the manufacturer.

If you go to a local sharpening business, INSIST on them explaining the
grinders qualifications / training and the tools/machinery that they will
be
using. If they want to use some jig that you, yourself, can purchase at a
home improvement store, they aren't likely professional sharpeners and
aren't interested in serving your needs. A local 'professional' business
here in the Jacksonville, FL area regularly ruins blades because
(apparently, and in my opinion, based on comments of dissatisfied (former)
clients of theirs) an un-trained / un-skilled operator simply didn't know
how to use the sharpening machinery. Sharpening is not rocket science,
but
like any profession / skill you do need the proper tools/machinery and
know-how to employ the sharpening tool correctly.

If you do not have a properly skilled sharpener in your Nashville area, I
could suggest to you (via direct e-mail or phone) the name and address of
the gentleman who is the sole owner and operator of the business here in
the
Jacksonville are that I had wished to purchase. He's in his mid-seventies
and decided that he wished to have even his modest sharpening income for a
couple more years. As most any school-trained sharpener, these folks live
on repeat business and word of mouth. Sloppy, improper work was strongly
warned against in school and these single-shop kind of workers will not
stay
in business by not doing good work.

This has been a long-winded discourse on sharpening, but I hope it helps
you
in either being very careful in working on your own tools, or in seeking
out
a qualified (and fairly priced) sharpener.

Good Luck.

Fred Eversole


"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
www.artisticwoods.com

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