Advice on sharpening an axe

[Mat]

OK, I know this has been asked a dozen times already but I wonder if any of you can give me some tips on axe sharpening. I spent hours this weekend crouched over my SFA and I'm sure it's no sharper! I'm using waterstones (800 to start with, 1200 to finish it off) and made sure they were fully saturated first. The bit I'm not sure about is the actual sharpening technique. Do you hold the axe and lay the stone on a bench or do you hold the stone and lay the axe on a bench (or up against a pole as I was doing). I know you use a circular motion but do you do lots of cricles working along the edge or does one cricle start at the 'toe' and end at the 'heel' of the bit. I also know that the aim is to gain a 'wire edge' and that once you have the wire edge you should work it backwards and forwards until the edge is razor sharp - but at what point do you switch to the finer grade stone. Any tips gratefully received !

Mat

 

[al]

hey mat , i sharpen mine like you sharpen a knife, lay the stone down and use strokes away from you and towards you then strop it , it ends up shaving sharp but wierdly doesnt feel gransfors sharp , but then i dont strop it on a buffing wheel, i use waterstones too, i find sharpening generaly a feel thing which only you will know when to change stones, but it doesnt need much to maintain ,other people use the circular method and find it works well for them ,again its all personal preference in my opinion but someone is bound to dissagree :-D

 

[MartiniDave]

I'm using a fairly cheap, older oilstone - no idea what grit but reasonably fine - that is fairly well worn into a dished surface. I hold this quite lightly in my right hand, with the axe supported in my left, and rub it on the axe head in a circular motion. My axes aren't Granny B's, but they are fairly good quality, especially the one that was my Dad's favourite which is at least 50 years old Hults Bruks. I find the above technique works pretty well. Wet and dry on a mouse mat is good too.

Dave

 

[eraaij]

Just mount 400 or 500 grit waterproof sandpaper on a mousepad or on a piece of cardboard. Use only a stropping motion. After it takes a sharp edge, you can refine it by stropping it on chrome-polish saturated cardboard.

-Emile

 

[Adi007]

I use the handstone method outlined here:

http://www.gransfors.com/htm_eng/yxboken/bok17.htm

However, I use two small DMT diamond pocket hones (coarse and fine) and watch my fingers while doing the circular motion!

 

[Gary]

Mat,

You can sharpen your axe in much the same way as a knife - just remember to roll the bits edge as you sharpen it and also remember to leave the edge convex (if thats the bit profile you have).

The traditional way of sharpening is to use a file and file the edge down but today people forgot an axe is just a tool and as such lavish more TLC on it. This method is prefectly good and will qiuckly give you a good sharp and robust edge ideal for chopping wood!

My preferred method (as ADI pointed out - I think) is to use a Gransfor sharpening stone and water (this is the ice hockey puck shaped one) I work this in a circular motion on the bits edge and it give a razor edge.

Another good point (someone mentioned) is to strop the bit too - this sets the edge and gives longecity to it (if used normally) - but again I would point out that with an axe you must ensure you maintain the bits shape the most common profile for this being convex to help ensure the bit doesnt stick in the wood your chopping.

Hope that helps.

 

[BorderReiver]

"My preferred method (as ADI pointed out - I think) is to use a Gransfor sharpening stone and water (this is the ice hockey puck shaped one) "


It says in the little book I got with my axe to use the "puk" dry.

Does water help?

 

[Adi007]

Depends on the puk ... the instructions on the GB one say use if dry but I wouldn't think that water would harm at all.

 

[Gary]

It doesnt necessarily make a difference to the sharpening - a dry stone will sharpen as well as a wet one (this includes waterstones and oil stones).

What it does help with is prelonging the life of your stone because the water carries away the fine particals of metal and waste which would eventually glaze the surface, clog the pours and render the stone useless.

 

[Adi007]

I also find that the film of water reduces the bite on the stone giving a smoother finish ... at least the process feels smoother!

 

[Gary]

Your probably right Adi - it would (on a microscale) cushion the two surfaces and as such add to the smoothness of the action to some degree.

 

[the naughty boy]

i dont use mine to shave so it dosent have to be razor sharp.im a joiner by trade and have sharpened plenty of chisels and plane irons in my time,also i fell into the trap of trying to get my blades so sharp that a stationary blade would cut a leaf floating on a stream in two![ like the old samurai sword legend]. if your not slicing tomatoes with it then just make sure its reasonably sharp,any stone will do this,or wet and dry on a sanding block will do a good job too.
keep it real m8...and dont try to shave with it!...ITS AN AXE!!! :roll:

 

[al]

so is the "all wood working tools should be sharp enough to shave with" a myth then?

 

[the naughty boy]

i dont believe i said that, although mine are and i do reccomend it.i dont put them in the stream either, but feel free. :roll:

 

[Adi007]

One reason I prefer having sharp tools (shaving sharp) is that they are easier to use, therefore you have fewer accidents. Also, the cuts you do get off them are cleaner and heal better. The difference between a mediocre edge and a shaving sharp edge on an axe for me is a few minutes extra work, and the edge lasts longer than it takes to put on the tool

 

[the naughty boy]

when oil is put on a stone isnt the idea to stop it clogging so the stone bites better? if so surly water is used to the same effect? also is there a heat issue . i thought a lubricant was used to enhance the cutting ability to a stone
anyway im sure youll find how to get a razor edge from the forum.the sharpest edge is always preferrable,just balance between the angle of the edge and the function its used for.force and intelligence are the guide marks.
.................remember to wear your wellies when wading through bulls*it

 

[sargey]

when oil is put on a stone isnt the idea to stop it clogging so the stone bites better? if so surly water is used to the same effect? also is there a heat issue . i thought a lubricant was used to enhance the cutting ability to a stone

yes,

sometimes,

no,

not really, more like your first point.

:-D

oil or water, or water and soap emulsion, any fluid that is thick enough to float off the particles of metal and stone to stop them clogging your stone will do. spit is ideal in the field. some posh waterstones really do need to be saturated.

there's only a heat issue with powered grinders.

it could be argued that a lubricant would reduce friction and the cutting ability of the stone, in practise it stops the stone getting clogged and polished as mentioned.

i second the wet'n'dry on a mousemat bit.

cheers, and.

 

[the naughty boy]

yes thats what i meant about anti clogging when i mentioned lubricant.perhaps the wrong use of word but couldnt think of one that meant " to float off the metal bits"
what was the original question again? lol
moving on..... :roll:

 

[Keith_Beef]

there's only a heat issue with powered grinders.

My flat grinder and my bevel grinder are both powered by elbow grease, and I've managed to burn my fingers when using the stones too dry.

OK, so I didn't get up to the heat that would have spoiled the temper, but I reckon it was up to 50ºC - 60ºC.


Keith.

 

[the naughty boy]

lol faster m8 then add your tinder. dirrerent kind of firesteel eh? it,ll never catch on. :-D