Sharpening bench chisels is a fundamental skill for woodworking, involving the use of abrasive surfaces to create a keen edge capable of slicing wood fibers cleanly. A key aspect of sharpening is working through different levels of abrasives, from coarse to super fine, to gradually refine the cutting edge.
The Sharpening Process: A Multi-Level Approach
Based on the sequence described in the provided reference, sharpening a bench chisel can be broken down into distinct stages using different abrasive levels.
Here is a typical progression:
- Start at a Course Level: Begin with a coarse abrasive surface (like a coarse sharpening stone or sandpaper). The goal here is to quickly remove metal, establish the correct bevel angle, and remove any significant damage from the edge. You work the bevel of the chisel on this surface.
- Create a Burr: Continue sharpening at the coarse level until you feel or see a small burr (a thin wire of metal) form along the back edge of the chisel. This burr indicates that you have ground all the way to the edge and metal has been pushed over. As the reference states, this "gives me a burr on the back."
- Move to the Next Level: Once the burr is established on the back from the course level, you transition to the "next level" of abrasive. This refers to an abrasive with a finer grit than the initial coarse level.
- Work the Whole Bevel: On this finer abrasive, you continue to work the whole bevel of the chisel. The purpose is to refine the scratches left by the coarser abrasive and further sharpen the edge.
- Proceed to Super Fine: After working the bevel on the "next level" abrasive, the final step involves moving to a "super. Fine." abrasive. This is the finest level used in this sequence.
- Finishing: Sharpening on the super fine abrasive removes the last of the coarse scratches, hones the very tip of the edge, and brings it to its sharpest state. As the reference notes, reaching the super fine stage "is it" for this sharpening process.
Understanding the Levels
While the reference mentions "course level," "next level," and "super. Fine," these generally correspond to different grit sizes of sharpening media, such as:
- Course: Often grits between 150 and 600, used for initial shaping or removing nicks.
- Next Level: Medium to fine grits, perhaps 800 to 4000, used for refining the edge after the coarse stage.
- Super Fine: Very fine to ultra-fine grits, often 5000, 8000, or higher, used for polishing and achieving a razor-sharp edge.
The progression through these levels ensures that scratches from coarser abrasives are removed by successively finer ones, resulting in a polished and extremely sharp cutting edge. The creation of a burr serves as a reliable indicator that you have reached the edge at a given stage and are ready to move to the next, finer abrasive level.
