# Reestablishing Primary Bevels



## alau.civ (Sep 11, 2018)

So, I'm sure everyone's seen enough videos and threads on how to sharpen chisels and plane blades (Establish primary bevel, then secondary bevel at a steeper angel so that subsequent sharpening sessions can be quicker)

My question:
Once it's time to re-establish the primary bevel again because you've gone too far on the secondary, or because the primary angle on your blade was way too steep to start with (example, I got a cheap set that has a single bevel at approx 45 degrees when it was given to me), what are the ways to establish the primary bevel again? Are the only ways to sit at the water stone for half hour per blade or to invest in another expensive tool like a tormek / low speed grinder?

Thanks!


----------



## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Coarser grits and elbow grease, thats how. Coarse diamond stone, 220 grit wet/gry paper, some sort of low grit abrasive. Expensive tools do the exact same job, but in a faster more expensive fashion. Personally id rather spend the time instead of the money and just go at it with the sandpaper, but i also own a belt grinder that i use. Either way though, dont believe the people who say that you 'need' whatever fancy tool to sharpen something. People have been making and sharpening chisels for millennia, the old methods still work fine


----------



## johnep (Apr 12, 2007)

https://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/hand-tools-techniques/sharpening-chisels/

This sounds sensible to me.
johnep


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

alau.civ said:


> So, I'm sure everyone's seen enough videos and threads on how to sharpen chisels and plane blades (Establish primary bevel, then secondary bevel at a steeper angel so that subsequent sharpening sessions can be quicker)
> 
> My question:
> Once it's time to re-establish the primary bevel again because you've gone too far on the secondary, or because the primary angle on your blade was way too steep to start with (example, I got a cheap set that has a single bevel at approx 45 degrees when it was given to me), what are the ways to establish the primary bevel again? Are the only ways to sit at the water stone for half hour per blade or to invest in another expensive tool like a tormek / low speed grinder?
> ...


I don't do two different angles. I hollow grind my tools and just hone the edge. Eventually after multiple times honing my chisels the hollow grind will get honed away. Since it cuts better with a hollow grind I sometimes re-grind a chisel but I try to grind just up to the honed edge so I don't have to completely start over.


----------



## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

Probably little need for a secondary bevel. Or else every top tool maker would do that. None of them ever do.

The first step is to pick a bevel angle that you will stick with. I use a whole bunch of different angles, depending on the tool.
I know what those bevel angles are because I have measured every edge that I own.

Hand planes are 30*
Spoke shaves are 28*
Draw knife and D adze and elbow adzes are 25*
All wood carving gouges are 20*
Wood carving knives are all 12*

In some, there's part of the bevel on each side of the blade.
For most of my edges, one side only.
All my Pacific Northwest style carving tools have sweeps, curved edges.
So I need to use sand papers wrapped around some sorts of mandrels all the time.
However, the big Stubai carving adze is a 7/75 edge. I use a tennis ball as the mandrel.

Mess with it. I'd scrub it down on a 220 oil or a diamond plate. 
Black felt marked on the bevel so I can see what I'm doing.


----------



## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Al, When I make hand planes, I need to establish the primary bevel. I use a guide to set up the grinder (the guide has a mark to show the thickness of the iron) so it grinds at the center of the iron. I use a kerfmaker to create a dado into a scrap of wood to use as a guide. This establishes my primary angle, then I hone and strop afterwards.


----------



## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

alau.civ said:


> [...]My question:
> Once it's time to re-establish the primary bevel again because you've gone too far on the secondary, or because the primary angle on your blade was way too steep to start with (example, I got a cheap set that has a single bevel at approx 45 degrees when it was given to me), what are the ways to establish the primary bevel again? Are the only ways to sit at the water stone for half hour per blade or to invest in another expensive tool like a tormek / low speed grinder? Thanks!


That pretty much sums it up. I bought an extra extra course diamond stone to help do exactly that. Depending on how wide the blade and how good the steel, it takes me more than a half hour per blade.

Here are my estimated times to put a completely new bevel on a chisel using a Veritas honing guide and a set of diamond stones from extra extra course through extra fine. They are English-made, older chisels. Remember, these are rough estimates. I watched the clock, but did not do accurate timing:

1/2 inch: 40 minutes
3/4 inch: 1 hour
1 inch: Coming soon. 

I prefer to keep a single bevel on my chisels rather than using micro-bevels. It is a personal preference, and probably wastes time, but it is what I like.

I have a Grizzly sharpener that is similar to a Tormek sharpener (a low speed, wet grinder). I have been avoiding hollow grinds on my chisels and plane blades, but I wonder whether it would be faster to put a hollow grind on my chisels, then flatten the bevel on the diamond stone. Someday I will try it. I will also try the hollow grinds to see if they are "good enough." They probably are, and will save time.


----------

