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My tool sharpener

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tool sharpener for carving tools
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36K views 20 replies 14 participants last post by  kelvancra  
#1 ·
My tool sharpener

I am writing this and posting some pictures of my carving tool sharpener due to a number of requests I have received after posting my workshop video. I bought this back when I just couldn't get my carving tools sharp enough fast enough. I was forever sharpening my tools and not carving when my carving instructor for the weekend class had one like this and I was immediately sold. He took my order and it was delivered 3 weeks later. It is impossible to get a tool burn when using this sharpener on the big wheels. It runs slow enough to prevent that from happening. There are three 2" x 8" wheels for honing your tools. I use 120 grit for coarse, 220 grit for fine then a 2" leather wheel with jewelers rouge to hone and polish the edge to a mirror finish, there is a 6" cloth wheel that runs on the top and a 4" cloth wheel on the lower level which runs fast. there are also 4 different shaped burr remover on the lower level also. They will polish to some degree. All the wheels are designed to run up and away from you to keep the tools from digging into the wheels. It takes a few minutes to put a super razor sharp edge on a nicked tool. Once a tool has been honed it is amazing how easy it is to cut wood, not to mention how much blood it draws when you accidentally slice yourself open! It seems to hurt less, initially, when you cut yourself with a sharp tool versus a dull tool but that could be up for debate! I can find no manufacturers mark on my machine and have no idea who made this. I do know it came out of either Kansas, Oklahoma or Nebraska. I had records when I received this but after so many years, it vanished. Hopefully someone here can identify this as to who made this or where it came from.

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Comments and critiques always welcomed and appreciated.
 

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#2 ·
Bearpie said:
My tool sharpener

I am writing this and posting some pictures of my carving tool sharpener due to a number of requests I have received after posting my workshop video. I bought this back when I just couldn't get my carving tools sharp enough fast enough. I was forever sharpening my tools and not carving when my carving instructor for the weekend class had one like this and I was immediately sold. He took my order and it was delivered 3 weeks later. It is impossible to get a tool burn when using this sharpener on the big wheels. It runs slow enough to prevent that from happening. There are three 2" x 8" wheels for honing your tools. I use 120 grit for coarse, 220 grit for fine then a 2" leather wheel with jewelers rouge to hone and polish the edge to a mirror finish, there is a 6" cloth wheel that runs on the top and a 4" cloth wheel on the lower level which runs fast. there are also 4 different shaped burr remover on the lower level also. They will polish to some degree. All the wheels are designed to run up and away from you to keep the tools from digging into the wheels. It takes a few minutes to put a super razor sharp edge on a nicked tool. Once a tool has been honed it is amazing how easy it is to cut wood, not to mention how much blood it draws when you accidentally slice yourself open! It seems to hurt less, initially, when you cut yourself with a sharp tool versus a dull tool but that could be up for debate! I can find no manufacturers mark on my machine and have no idea who made this. I do know it came out of either Kansas, Oklahoma or Nebraska. I had records when I received this but after so many years, it vanished. Hopefully someone here can identify this as to who made this or where it came from.

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Comments and critiques always welcomed and appreciated.
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I belive it is a Burke B200.

http://www.americanwoodcarving.com/cubecart/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=232
 

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#3 ·
Bearpie said:
My tool sharpener

I am writing this and posting some pictures of my carving tool sharpener due to a number of requests I have received after posting my workshop video. I bought this back when I just couldn't get my carving tools sharp enough fast enough. I was forever sharpening my tools and not carving when my carving instructor for the weekend class had one like this and I was immediately sold. He took my order and it was delivered 3 weeks later. It is impossible to get a tool burn when using this sharpener on the big wheels. It runs slow enough to prevent that from happening. There are three 2" x 8" wheels for honing your tools. I use 120 grit for coarse, 220 grit for fine then a 2" leather wheel with jewelers rouge to hone and polish the edge to a mirror finish, there is a 6" cloth wheel that runs on the top and a 4" cloth wheel on the lower level which runs fast. there are also 4 different shaped burr remover on the lower level also. They will polish to some degree. All the wheels are designed to run up and away from you to keep the tools from digging into the wheels. It takes a few minutes to put a super razor sharp edge on a nicked tool. Once a tool has been honed it is amazing how easy it is to cut wood, not to mention how much blood it draws when you accidentally slice yourself open! It seems to hurt less, initially, when you cut yourself with a sharp tool versus a dull tool but that could be up for debate! I can find no manufacturers mark on my machine and have no idea who made this. I do know it came out of either Kansas, Oklahoma or Nebraska. I had records when I received this but after so many years, it vanished. Hopefully someone here can identify this as to who made this or where it came from.

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Comments and critiques always welcomed and appreciated.
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Wow, that was quick! I had not expected this quick a response. Thanks Wayne.
 

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#4 ·
Bearpie said:
My tool sharpener

I am writing this and posting some pictures of my carving tool sharpener due to a number of requests I have received after posting my workshop video. I bought this back when I just couldn't get my carving tools sharp enough fast enough. I was forever sharpening my tools and not carving when my carving instructor for the weekend class had one like this and I was immediately sold. He took my order and it was delivered 3 weeks later. It is impossible to get a tool burn when using this sharpener on the big wheels. It runs slow enough to prevent that from happening. There are three 2" x 8" wheels for honing your tools. I use 120 grit for coarse, 220 grit for fine then a 2" leather wheel with jewelers rouge to hone and polish the edge to a mirror finish, there is a 6" cloth wheel that runs on the top and a 4" cloth wheel on the lower level which runs fast. there are also 4 different shaped burr remover on the lower level also. They will polish to some degree. All the wheels are designed to run up and away from you to keep the tools from digging into the wheels. It takes a few minutes to put a super razor sharp edge on a nicked tool. Once a tool has been honed it is amazing how easy it is to cut wood, not to mention how much blood it draws when you accidentally slice yourself open! It seems to hurt less, initially, when you cut yourself with a sharp tool versus a dull tool but that could be up for debate! I can find no manufacturers mark on my machine and have no idea who made this. I do know it came out of either Kansas, Oklahoma or Nebraska. I had records when I received this but after so many years, it vanished. Hopefully someone here can identify this as to who made this or where it came from.

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Comments and critiques always welcomed and appreciated.
Click to expand...
Your welcome. I was looking at sharpening tools the other day and had looked at this one. I just started carving.
 

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#5 ·
Bearpie said:
My tool sharpener

I am writing this and posting some pictures of my carving tool sharpener due to a number of requests I have received after posting my workshop video. I bought this back when I just couldn't get my carving tools sharp enough fast enough. I was forever sharpening my tools and not carving when my carving instructor for the weekend class had one like this and I was immediately sold. He took my order and it was delivered 3 weeks later. It is impossible to get a tool burn when using this sharpener on the big wheels. It runs slow enough to prevent that from happening. There are three 2" x 8" wheels for honing your tools. I use 120 grit for coarse, 220 grit for fine then a 2" leather wheel with jewelers rouge to hone and polish the edge to a mirror finish, there is a 6" cloth wheel that runs on the top and a 4" cloth wheel on the lower level which runs fast. there are also 4 different shaped burr remover on the lower level also. They will polish to some degree. All the wheels are designed to run up and away from you to keep the tools from digging into the wheels. It takes a few minutes to put a super razor sharp edge on a nicked tool. Once a tool has been honed it is amazing how easy it is to cut wood, not to mention how much blood it draws when you accidentally slice yourself open! It seems to hurt less, initially, when you cut yourself with a sharp tool versus a dull tool but that could be up for debate! I can find no manufacturers mark on my machine and have no idea who made this. I do know it came out of either Kansas, Oklahoma or Nebraska. I had records when I received this but after so many years, it vanished. Hopefully someone here can identify this as to who made this or where it came from.

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Comments and critiques always welcomed and appreciated.
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Way to go Wayne. You found that thing in no time!
 

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#6 ·
Bearpie said:
My tool sharpener

I am writing this and posting some pictures of my carving tool sharpener due to a number of requests I have received after posting my workshop video. I bought this back when I just couldn't get my carving tools sharp enough fast enough. I was forever sharpening my tools and not carving when my carving instructor for the weekend class had one like this and I was immediately sold. He took my order and it was delivered 3 weeks later. It is impossible to get a tool burn when using this sharpener on the big wheels. It runs slow enough to prevent that from happening. There are three 2" x 8" wheels for honing your tools. I use 120 grit for coarse, 220 grit for fine then a 2" leather wheel with jewelers rouge to hone and polish the edge to a mirror finish, there is a 6" cloth wheel that runs on the top and a 4" cloth wheel on the lower level which runs fast. there are also 4 different shaped burr remover on the lower level also. They will polish to some degree. All the wheels are designed to run up and away from you to keep the tools from digging into the wheels. It takes a few minutes to put a super razor sharp edge on a nicked tool. Once a tool has been honed it is amazing how easy it is to cut wood, not to mention how much blood it draws when you accidentally slice yourself open! It seems to hurt less, initially, when you cut yourself with a sharp tool versus a dull tool but that could be up for debate! I can find no manufacturers mark on my machine and have no idea who made this. I do know it came out of either Kansas, Oklahoma or Nebraska. I had records when I received this but after so many years, it vanished. Hopefully someone here can identify this as to who made this or where it came from.

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Comments and critiques always welcomed and appreciated.
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Wayne,
You cannot go wrong with this model, it is easy to use and does an excellent job although I will say that it is a bit pricey. I believe that I paid $450. for it when I bought it and I see that it is still the same price.
 

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#7 ·
Bearpie said:
My tool sharpener

I am writing this and posting some pictures of my carving tool sharpener due to a number of requests I have received after posting my workshop video. I bought this back when I just couldn't get my carving tools sharp enough fast enough. I was forever sharpening my tools and not carving when my carving instructor for the weekend class had one like this and I was immediately sold. He took my order and it was delivered 3 weeks later. It is impossible to get a tool burn when using this sharpener on the big wheels. It runs slow enough to prevent that from happening. There are three 2" x 8" wheels for honing your tools. I use 120 grit for coarse, 220 grit for fine then a 2" leather wheel with jewelers rouge to hone and polish the edge to a mirror finish, there is a 6" cloth wheel that runs on the top and a 4" cloth wheel on the lower level which runs fast. there are also 4 different shaped burr remover on the lower level also. They will polish to some degree. All the wheels are designed to run up and away from you to keep the tools from digging into the wheels. It takes a few minutes to put a super razor sharp edge on a nicked tool. Once a tool has been honed it is amazing how easy it is to cut wood, not to mention how much blood it draws when you accidentally slice yourself open! It seems to hurt less, initially, when you cut yourself with a sharp tool versus a dull tool but that could be up for debate! I can find no manufacturers mark on my machine and have no idea who made this. I do know it came out of either Kansas, Oklahoma or Nebraska. I had records when I received this but after so many years, it vanished. Hopefully someone here can identify this as to who made this or where it came from.

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Comments and critiques always welcomed and appreciated.
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I'm looking at this and I think that someone with the initiative and access to parts could easily fabricate one of these themself. I'm thinking all of the shafts, pulleys, belts and bearings and probably even the motor could be purchased at Grainger or Motion Industries. The wheels could be purchased from most any woodworking supply store or possibly fabricated/made by the user. As for the frame, anyone with a little skill with a welder could make it and I thik it could just as easily be built out of wood as well. This gives me an idea. The only thing that I would like, if I were to build one would be to add a tool rest to help ensure setting the correct bevel angle on the tools. I certainly believe I could build something similar for less than $450.

Doc
 

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#8 ·
Bearpie said:
My tool sharpener

I am writing this and posting some pictures of my carving tool sharpener due to a number of requests I have received after posting my workshop video. I bought this back when I just couldn't get my carving tools sharp enough fast enough. I was forever sharpening my tools and not carving when my carving instructor for the weekend class had one like this and I was immediately sold. He took my order and it was delivered 3 weeks later. It is impossible to get a tool burn when using this sharpener on the big wheels. It runs slow enough to prevent that from happening. There are three 2" x 8" wheels for honing your tools. I use 120 grit for coarse, 220 grit for fine then a 2" leather wheel with jewelers rouge to hone and polish the edge to a mirror finish, there is a 6" cloth wheel that runs on the top and a 4" cloth wheel on the lower level which runs fast. there are also 4 different shaped burr remover on the lower level also. They will polish to some degree. All the wheels are designed to run up and away from you to keep the tools from digging into the wheels. It takes a few minutes to put a super razor sharp edge on a nicked tool. Once a tool has been honed it is amazing how easy it is to cut wood, not to mention how much blood it draws when you accidentally slice yourself open! It seems to hurt less, initially, when you cut yourself with a sharp tool versus a dull tool but that could be up for debate! I can find no manufacturers mark on my machine and have no idea who made this. I do know it came out of either Kansas, Oklahoma or Nebraska. I had records when I received this but after so many years, it vanished. Hopefully someone here can identify this as to who made this or where it came from.

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Comments and critiques always welcomed and appreciated.
Click to expand...
One could build it Doc, but I'm not sure if the savings would be that much when you considered the time. Especially if your going to reproduce it exactly.

Bear, do you find the lower bar very useful. I belive they have a simpler version that does not have the lower bar.
 

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#9 ·
Bearpie said:
My tool sharpener

I am writing this and posting some pictures of my carving tool sharpener due to a number of requests I have received after posting my workshop video. I bought this back when I just couldn't get my carving tools sharp enough fast enough. I was forever sharpening my tools and not carving when my carving instructor for the weekend class had one like this and I was immediately sold. He took my order and it was delivered 3 weeks later. It is impossible to get a tool burn when using this sharpener on the big wheels. It runs slow enough to prevent that from happening. There are three 2" x 8" wheels for honing your tools. I use 120 grit for coarse, 220 grit for fine then a 2" leather wheel with jewelers rouge to hone and polish the edge to a mirror finish, there is a 6" cloth wheel that runs on the top and a 4" cloth wheel on the lower level which runs fast. there are also 4 different shaped burr remover on the lower level also. They will polish to some degree. All the wheels are designed to run up and away from you to keep the tools from digging into the wheels. It takes a few minutes to put a super razor sharp edge on a nicked tool. Once a tool has been honed it is amazing how easy it is to cut wood, not to mention how much blood it draws when you accidentally slice yourself open! It seems to hurt less, initially, when you cut yourself with a sharp tool versus a dull tool but that could be up for debate! I can find no manufacturers mark on my machine and have no idea who made this. I do know it came out of either Kansas, Oklahoma or Nebraska. I had records when I received this but after so many years, it vanished. Hopefully someone here can identify this as to who made this or where it came from.

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Comments and critiques always welcomed and appreciated.
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@WayneC is the google guru i look up to ;=)

For the extra $104, I'd have to go for the B200 over the B3500 just so I wouldn't always regret not getting the lower bar.

That looks like a metal finisher's dream.
 

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#10 ·
Bearpie said:
My tool sharpener

I am writing this and posting some pictures of my carving tool sharpener due to a number of requests I have received after posting my workshop video. I bought this back when I just couldn't get my carving tools sharp enough fast enough. I was forever sharpening my tools and not carving when my carving instructor for the weekend class had one like this and I was immediately sold. He took my order and it was delivered 3 weeks later. It is impossible to get a tool burn when using this sharpener on the big wheels. It runs slow enough to prevent that from happening. There are three 2" x 8" wheels for honing your tools. I use 120 grit for coarse, 220 grit for fine then a 2" leather wheel with jewelers rouge to hone and polish the edge to a mirror finish, there is a 6" cloth wheel that runs on the top and a 4" cloth wheel on the lower level which runs fast. there are also 4 different shaped burr remover on the lower level also. They will polish to some degree. All the wheels are designed to run up and away from you to keep the tools from digging into the wheels. It takes a few minutes to put a super razor sharp edge on a nicked tool. Once a tool has been honed it is amazing how easy it is to cut wood, not to mention how much blood it draws when you accidentally slice yourself open! It seems to hurt less, initially, when you cut yourself with a sharp tool versus a dull tool but that could be up for debate! I can find no manufacturers mark on my machine and have no idea who made this. I do know it came out of either Kansas, Oklahoma or Nebraska. I had records when I received this but after so many years, it vanished. Hopefully someone here can identify this as to who made this or where it came from.

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Comments and critiques always welcomed and appreciated.
Click to expand...
I have it on my wish list…
 

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#11 ·
Bearpie said:
My tool sharpener

I am writing this and posting some pictures of my carving tool sharpener due to a number of requests I have received after posting my workshop video. I bought this back when I just couldn't get my carving tools sharp enough fast enough. I was forever sharpening my tools and not carving when my carving instructor for the weekend class had one like this and I was immediately sold. He took my order and it was delivered 3 weeks later. It is impossible to get a tool burn when using this sharpener on the big wheels. It runs slow enough to prevent that from happening. There are three 2" x 8" wheels for honing your tools. I use 120 grit for coarse, 220 grit for fine then a 2" leather wheel with jewelers rouge to hone and polish the edge to a mirror finish, there is a 6" cloth wheel that runs on the top and a 4" cloth wheel on the lower level which runs fast. there are also 4 different shaped burr remover on the lower level also. They will polish to some degree. All the wheels are designed to run up and away from you to keep the tools from digging into the wheels. It takes a few minutes to put a super razor sharp edge on a nicked tool. Once a tool has been honed it is amazing how easy it is to cut wood, not to mention how much blood it draws when you accidentally slice yourself open! It seems to hurt less, initially, when you cut yourself with a sharp tool versus a dull tool but that could be up for debate! I can find no manufacturers mark on my machine and have no idea who made this. I do know it came out of either Kansas, Oklahoma or Nebraska. I had records when I received this but after so many years, it vanished. Hopefully someone here can identify this as to who made this or where it came from.

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Comments and critiques always welcomed and appreciated.
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The lower bar works better for the small V and U gouges and odd shaped tools. The most used item on the lower bar that I use is the cloth buffing wheel. It polishes up the tools fast so I spend less time sharpening and more time carving. The tool will just glide through soft woods almost like a hot knife through butter!

Doc, Sure I believe anyone could build a tool like this but the time it will take you to do that will far outpace the cost of this machine. The hours spent on planning, making and assembling this would be far more than the cost of this machine unless one puts a very low value on their time. If you enjoy the challenge of making such a tool then by all means go for it.
 

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#12 ·
Bearpie said:
My tool sharpener

I am writing this and posting some pictures of my carving tool sharpener due to a number of requests I have received after posting my workshop video. I bought this back when I just couldn't get my carving tools sharp enough fast enough. I was forever sharpening my tools and not carving when my carving instructor for the weekend class had one like this and I was immediately sold. He took my order and it was delivered 3 weeks later. It is impossible to get a tool burn when using this sharpener on the big wheels. It runs slow enough to prevent that from happening. There are three 2" x 8" wheels for honing your tools. I use 120 grit for coarse, 220 grit for fine then a 2" leather wheel with jewelers rouge to hone and polish the edge to a mirror finish, there is a 6" cloth wheel that runs on the top and a 4" cloth wheel on the lower level which runs fast. there are also 4 different shaped burr remover on the lower level also. They will polish to some degree. All the wheels are designed to run up and away from you to keep the tools from digging into the wheels. It takes a few minutes to put a super razor sharp edge on a nicked tool. Once a tool has been honed it is amazing how easy it is to cut wood, not to mention how much blood it draws when you accidentally slice yourself open! It seems to hurt less, initially, when you cut yourself with a sharp tool versus a dull tool but that could be up for debate! I can find no manufacturers mark on my machine and have no idea who made this. I do know it came out of either Kansas, Oklahoma or Nebraska. I had records when I received this but after so many years, it vanished. Hopefully someone here can identify this as to who made this or where it came from.

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Comments and critiques always welcomed and appreciated.
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Looks like a nice setup. I say looks like because I know little about them. Proper sharpening techniques is something I have neglected for far too long. I need to start gaining more skill in this area though. The farther I go with my wood working journey, the more I learn the pitfalls of having not quite sharp enough tools.
 

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#13 ·
Bearpie said:
My tool sharpener

I am writing this and posting some pictures of my carving tool sharpener due to a number of requests I have received after posting my workshop video. I bought this back when I just couldn't get my carving tools sharp enough fast enough. I was forever sharpening my tools and not carving when my carving instructor for the weekend class had one like this and I was immediately sold. He took my order and it was delivered 3 weeks later. It is impossible to get a tool burn when using this sharpener on the big wheels. It runs slow enough to prevent that from happening. There are three 2" x 8" wheels for honing your tools. I use 120 grit for coarse, 220 grit for fine then a 2" leather wheel with jewelers rouge to hone and polish the edge to a mirror finish, there is a 6" cloth wheel that runs on the top and a 4" cloth wheel on the lower level which runs fast. there are also 4 different shaped burr remover on the lower level also. They will polish to some degree. All the wheels are designed to run up and away from you to keep the tools from digging into the wheels. It takes a few minutes to put a super razor sharp edge on a nicked tool. Once a tool has been honed it is amazing how easy it is to cut wood, not to mention how much blood it draws when you accidentally slice yourself open! It seems to hurt less, initially, when you cut yourself with a sharp tool versus a dull tool but that could be up for debate! I can find no manufacturers mark on my machine and have no idea who made this. I do know it came out of either Kansas, Oklahoma or Nebraska. I had records when I received this but after so many years, it vanished. Hopefully someone here can identify this as to who made this or where it came from.

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Comments and critiques always welcomed and appreciated.
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I attended a class and the instructor had one of these for sharpening our tools…..I was quite impressed with how great it worked! I mainly used the leather wheel and the buffing wheel, so that is how I built mine for home use (look at my projects to see a picture). Mine was much simpler, using materials I had, but the one you have is worth every penny of the price! I have built and tried a lot of methods for sharpening my tools, but this is the best I have found so far. It is superb and easy way to keep carving tools razor sharp.
 

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#14 ·
Bearpie said:
My tool sharpener

I am writing this and posting some pictures of my carving tool sharpener due to a number of requests I have received after posting my workshop video. I bought this back when I just couldn't get my carving tools sharp enough fast enough. I was forever sharpening my tools and not carving when my carving instructor for the weekend class had one like this and I was immediately sold. He took my order and it was delivered 3 weeks later. It is impossible to get a tool burn when using this sharpener on the big wheels. It runs slow enough to prevent that from happening. There are three 2" x 8" wheels for honing your tools. I use 120 grit for coarse, 220 grit for fine then a 2" leather wheel with jewelers rouge to hone and polish the edge to a mirror finish, there is a 6" cloth wheel that runs on the top and a 4" cloth wheel on the lower level which runs fast. there are also 4 different shaped burr remover on the lower level also. They will polish to some degree. All the wheels are designed to run up and away from you to keep the tools from digging into the wheels. It takes a few minutes to put a super razor sharp edge on a nicked tool. Once a tool has been honed it is amazing how easy it is to cut wood, not to mention how much blood it draws when you accidentally slice yourself open! It seems to hurt less, initially, when you cut yourself with a sharp tool versus a dull tool but that could be up for debate! I can find no manufacturers mark on my machine and have no idea who made this. I do know it came out of either Kansas, Oklahoma or Nebraska. I had records when I received this but after so many years, it vanished. Hopefully someone here can identify this as to who made this or where it came from.

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Comments and critiques always welcomed and appreciated.
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I've saved this one Erwin & will come back to it later just dont want to loose it.
This would also be great for sharpening my Power carvers plus my little set of Marples carvers.
SWhen they say "paper wheels" what are these I havn't come across them??
Thanks for the post :))
 

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#15 ·
Bearpie said:
My tool sharpener

I am writing this and posting some pictures of my carving tool sharpener due to a number of requests I have received after posting my workshop video. I bought this back when I just couldn't get my carving tools sharp enough fast enough. I was forever sharpening my tools and not carving when my carving instructor for the weekend class had one like this and I was immediately sold. He took my order and it was delivered 3 weeks later. It is impossible to get a tool burn when using this sharpener on the big wheels. It runs slow enough to prevent that from happening. There are three 2" x 8" wheels for honing your tools. I use 120 grit for coarse, 220 grit for fine then a 2" leather wheel with jewelers rouge to hone and polish the edge to a mirror finish, there is a 6" cloth wheel that runs on the top and a 4" cloth wheel on the lower level which runs fast. there are also 4 different shaped burr remover on the lower level also. They will polish to some degree. All the wheels are designed to run up and away from you to keep the tools from digging into the wheels. It takes a few minutes to put a super razor sharp edge on a nicked tool. Once a tool has been honed it is amazing how easy it is to cut wood, not to mention how much blood it draws when you accidentally slice yourself open! It seems to hurt less, initially, when you cut yourself with a sharp tool versus a dull tool but that could be up for debate! I can find no manufacturers mark on my machine and have no idea who made this. I do know it came out of either Kansas, Oklahoma or Nebraska. I had records when I received this but after so many years, it vanished. Hopefully someone here can identify this as to who made this or where it came from.

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Comments and critiques always welcomed and appreciated.
Click to expand...
saweeeeeeet machine it looks to have everything or at least a way to add to it.
 

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#16 ·
Bearpie said:
My tool sharpener

I am writing this and posting some pictures of my carving tool sharpener due to a number of requests I have received after posting my workshop video. I bought this back when I just couldn't get my carving tools sharp enough fast enough. I was forever sharpening my tools and not carving when my carving instructor for the weekend class had one like this and I was immediately sold. He took my order and it was delivered 3 weeks later. It is impossible to get a tool burn when using this sharpener on the big wheels. It runs slow enough to prevent that from happening. There are three 2" x 8" wheels for honing your tools. I use 120 grit for coarse, 220 grit for fine then a 2" leather wheel with jewelers rouge to hone and polish the edge to a mirror finish, there is a 6" cloth wheel that runs on the top and a 4" cloth wheel on the lower level which runs fast. there are also 4 different shaped burr remover on the lower level also. They will polish to some degree. All the wheels are designed to run up and away from you to keep the tools from digging into the wheels. It takes a few minutes to put a super razor sharp edge on a nicked tool. Once a tool has been honed it is amazing how easy it is to cut wood, not to mention how much blood it draws when you accidentally slice yourself open! It seems to hurt less, initially, when you cut yourself with a sharp tool versus a dull tool but that could be up for debate! I can find no manufacturers mark on my machine and have no idea who made this. I do know it came out of either Kansas, Oklahoma or Nebraska. I had records when I received this but after so many years, it vanished. Hopefully someone here can identify this as to who made this or where it came from.

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Comments and critiques always welcomed and appreciated.
Click to expand...
Very nice! Interestingly, the latest Shopnotes magazine has plans for building a sharpening system very much like this one. http://www.shopnotes.com/issues/119/
 

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#17 ·
Bearpie said:
My tool sharpener

I am writing this and posting some pictures of my carving tool sharpener due to a number of requests I have received after posting my workshop video. I bought this back when I just couldn't get my carving tools sharp enough fast enough. I was forever sharpening my tools and not carving when my carving instructor for the weekend class had one like this and I was immediately sold. He took my order and it was delivered 3 weeks later. It is impossible to get a tool burn when using this sharpener on the big wheels. It runs slow enough to prevent that from happening. There are three 2" x 8" wheels for honing your tools. I use 120 grit for coarse, 220 grit for fine then a 2" leather wheel with jewelers rouge to hone and polish the edge to a mirror finish, there is a 6" cloth wheel that runs on the top and a 4" cloth wheel on the lower level which runs fast. there are also 4 different shaped burr remover on the lower level also. They will polish to some degree. All the wheels are designed to run up and away from you to keep the tools from digging into the wheels. It takes a few minutes to put a super razor sharp edge on a nicked tool. Once a tool has been honed it is amazing how easy it is to cut wood, not to mention how much blood it draws when you accidentally slice yourself open! It seems to hurt less, initially, when you cut yourself with a sharp tool versus a dull tool but that could be up for debate! I can find no manufacturers mark on my machine and have no idea who made this. I do know it came out of either Kansas, Oklahoma or Nebraska. I had records when I received this but after so many years, it vanished. Hopefully someone here can identify this as to who made this or where it came from.

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Comments and critiques always welcomed and appreciated.
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I've got a shopbuilt version in the drawing stages right now. I think I'll probably have the single bar only. I'm in the process of figuring out the gearing.
 

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#18 ·
Bearpie said:
My tool sharpener

I am writing this and posting some pictures of my carving tool sharpener due to a number of requests I have received after posting my workshop video. I bought this back when I just couldn't get my carving tools sharp enough fast enough. I was forever sharpening my tools and not carving when my carving instructor for the weekend class had one like this and I was immediately sold. He took my order and it was delivered 3 weeks later. It is impossible to get a tool burn when using this sharpener on the big wheels. It runs slow enough to prevent that from happening. There are three 2" x 8" wheels for honing your tools. I use 120 grit for coarse, 220 grit for fine then a 2" leather wheel with jewelers rouge to hone and polish the edge to a mirror finish, there is a 6" cloth wheel that runs on the top and a 4" cloth wheel on the lower level which runs fast. there are also 4 different shaped burr remover on the lower level also. They will polish to some degree. All the wheels are designed to run up and away from you to keep the tools from digging into the wheels. It takes a few minutes to put a super razor sharp edge on a nicked tool. Once a tool has been honed it is amazing how easy it is to cut wood, not to mention how much blood it draws when you accidentally slice yourself open! It seems to hurt less, initially, when you cut yourself with a sharp tool versus a dull tool but that could be up for debate! I can find no manufacturers mark on my machine and have no idea who made this. I do know it came out of either Kansas, Oklahoma or Nebraska. I had records when I received this but after so many years, it vanished. Hopefully someone here can identify this as to who made this or where it came from.

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Comments and critiques always welcomed and appreciated.
Click to expand...
Al, If your motor is 1725 rpm, use a 2" pulley on the motor and a 3" on the arbor shaft. 1100 rpm is the optimum speed and this will get you very close. If you use the larger diameter wheels, you will need to slow things down with a4 or 5" pulley on the arbor, depending on their size. Rand
 

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#19 ·
Bearpie said:
My tool sharpener

I am writing this and posting some pictures of my carving tool sharpener due to a number of requests I have received after posting my workshop video. I bought this back when I just couldn't get my carving tools sharp enough fast enough. I was forever sharpening my tools and not carving when my carving instructor for the weekend class had one like this and I was immediately sold. He took my order and it was delivered 3 weeks later. It is impossible to get a tool burn when using this sharpener on the big wheels. It runs slow enough to prevent that from happening. There are three 2" x 8" wheels for honing your tools. I use 120 grit for coarse, 220 grit for fine then a 2" leather wheel with jewelers rouge to hone and polish the edge to a mirror finish, there is a 6" cloth wheel that runs on the top and a 4" cloth wheel on the lower level which runs fast. there are also 4 different shaped burr remover on the lower level also. They will polish to some degree. All the wheels are designed to run up and away from you to keep the tools from digging into the wheels. It takes a few minutes to put a super razor sharp edge on a nicked tool. Once a tool has been honed it is amazing how easy it is to cut wood, not to mention how much blood it draws when you accidentally slice yourself open! It seems to hurt less, initially, when you cut yourself with a sharp tool versus a dull tool but that could be up for debate! I can find no manufacturers mark on my machine and have no idea who made this. I do know it came out of either Kansas, Oklahoma or Nebraska. I had records when I received this but after so many years, it vanished. Hopefully someone here can identify this as to who made this or where it came from.

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Comments and critiques always welcomed and appreciated.
Click to expand...
How do you change the belts on the 120/220 wheels?
How is the abrasive medium kept in place on the wheel?
Thanks
 

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#20 ·
Bearpie said:
My tool sharpener

I am writing this and posting some pictures of my carving tool sharpener due to a number of requests I have received after posting my workshop video. I bought this back when I just couldn't get my carving tools sharp enough fast enough. I was forever sharpening my tools and not carving when my carving instructor for the weekend class had one like this and I was immediately sold. He took my order and it was delivered 3 weeks later. It is impossible to get a tool burn when using this sharpener on the big wheels. It runs slow enough to prevent that from happening. There are three 2" x 8" wheels for honing your tools. I use 120 grit for coarse, 220 grit for fine then a 2" leather wheel with jewelers rouge to hone and polish the edge to a mirror finish, there is a 6" cloth wheel that runs on the top and a 4" cloth wheel on the lower level which runs fast. there are also 4 different shaped burr remover on the lower level also. They will polish to some degree. All the wheels are designed to run up and away from you to keep the tools from digging into the wheels. It takes a few minutes to put a super razor sharp edge on a nicked tool. Once a tool has been honed it is amazing how easy it is to cut wood, not to mention how much blood it draws when you accidentally slice yourself open! It seems to hurt less, initially, when you cut yourself with a sharp tool versus a dull tool but that could be up for debate! I can find no manufacturers mark on my machine and have no idea who made this. I do know it came out of either Kansas, Oklahoma or Nebraska. I had records when I received this but after so many years, it vanished. Hopefully someone here can identify this as to who made this or where it came from.

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Comments and critiques always welcomed and appreciated.
Click to expand...
I use rubber cement to hold the cloth grits in place, take care not to leave the glue in clumps or you will have a bumpy sharpening surface!
 

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K
#21 ·
Bearpie said:
My tool sharpener

I am writing this and posting some pictures of my carving tool sharpener due to a number of requests I have received after posting my workshop video. I bought this back when I just couldn't get my carving tools sharp enough fast enough. I was forever sharpening my tools and not carving when my carving instructor for the weekend class had one like this and I was immediately sold. He took my order and it was delivered 3 weeks later. It is impossible to get a tool burn when using this sharpener on the big wheels. It runs slow enough to prevent that from happening. There are three 2" x 8" wheels for honing your tools. I use 120 grit for coarse, 220 grit for fine then a 2" leather wheel with jewelers rouge to hone and polish the edge to a mirror finish, there is a 6" cloth wheel that runs on the top and a 4" cloth wheel on the lower level which runs fast. there are also 4 different shaped burr remover on the lower level also. They will polish to some degree. All the wheels are designed to run up and away from you to keep the tools from digging into the wheels. It takes a few minutes to put a super razor sharp edge on a nicked tool. Once a tool has been honed it is amazing how easy it is to cut wood, not to mention how much blood it draws when you accidentally slice yourself open! It seems to hurt less, initially, when you cut yourself with a sharp tool versus a dull tool but that could be up for debate! I can find no manufacturers mark on my machine and have no idea who made this. I do know it came out of either Kansas, Oklahoma or Nebraska. I had records when I received this but after so many years, it vanished. Hopefully someone here can identify this as to who made this or where it came from.

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Comments and critiques always welcomed and appreciated.
Click to expand...
My four wheel grinder, a craigslist find, came with a 240 VAC, 1750 RPM motor. After I'd used it that way for a while, I came across a 3/4 horse, industrial sewing machine motor, with the controller, at a garage sale. I swapped the motors out and have never looked back.

With the sewing machine motor, I can vary the speed of the wheels from 0 to 2,400 RPM's. I can also revers direction. That puts it among the top machines for working lathe, carving and other knife blades. Running at slower speeds greatly reduces both the problem of overheating and removing too much valuable material from your knives.

If you choose an industrial motor with reversing capability, remember, you cannot use link belts.

I believe you could build one of these from 2x's and still get very good results.

Some of the parts needed to build something like this can be found many places. Here is one:

https://bigfootcarvingtools.com/collections/sharpening-1?customer_posted=true#contact_form

My system uses a coupler straight off the motor, rather than a belt and pulley. I didn't see such items on the page I posted. Perhaps just as well, for the same reason we prefer belt drive saws to direct drive ones.

You can make many of your own buff compounds. I wrote a blurb on doing just that and it may be seen here:

https://www.instructables.com/id/Making-and-Using-Inexpensive-Buff-Compounds-for-Wo/

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NOTE:

In anticipation of the usual "this post is nine years old" stuff, a few hints:

- my dictionaries, Bible, pages from decades old magazines with useful hints and projects are even older, but, like many, I consider the information still relevant;

- the fact is, I got to this page looking for specific information, and found some useful sources because of it; and,

- information doesn't go stale, though it might be improved on or corrected.
 

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