there have been quite a few questions on sharpening and how to do it and what to use. i used to like sharpening knives by hand and found it a good way to kill some time when i was younger. now that i'm older i like doing other things with my time other than sharpening a knife, like making them.
like many members here, i used to sharpen by hand using stones until i went to sandpaper. then i found a little system called an ez sharp which is similar to a lansky system. i used the ez sharp for about 8 or 10 years until my friend art summers showed me the paper wheels. i could get a knife shaving sharp but it took me a while, sometimes too long for my liking.
when art showed me how long it took to sharpen a knife he made i became really interested. he went from no edge at all to shaving sharp in no time at all. not long after he showed me the wheels he asked if i wanted to go with him to a knife show in dayton and meet the guy that showed him the wheels. i accepted his offer and went. i watched his friend sharpen knives all day and ended up getting my first set from him.
here is a post about the wheels by another member worth checking out http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9207988&postcount=710
it took me less than a week to learn how to use the wheels but i was hooked once i did. i found out i could also sharpen other things on the wheels like scissors and something my mom was glad of, her favorite pinking shears which were showing signs of getting dull after many years of use.
i even do sheet metal shears for local contractors in my area which saves them from having to buy new ones which arent cheap.
all you need to set up to use the wheels is a 1/2 hp motor that runs 1725 rpm, an arbor attachment and thats it. i practiced on an old hacksaw blade instead of a knife which worked well. when i could go from one side around the end to the other side and get it all shaving sharp i knew i had figured it out.
a few weeks ago i sharpened a couple of pizza knives (see picture) for a local pizza shop. both were 18" long and it took not quite 2 minutes to work up a burr on each one. both were extremely dull and chipped in a few places. i did use a belt sander set at slow speed to work up a burr and to help remove the chips. if there were no chips i would have used the abrasive wheel which would have taken the same ammount of time.
there are 2 wheels, 1 with abrasive grit glued to the outside and the other is smooth with slots every few inches apart to reduce heat and help break the burr. a white rouge is applied to help remove the burr and polish the edge.
str told me a while back that just like driving, some people shouldnt be behind the wheel(s). it does take some practice and if you are scared of power equipment, the wheels might not be a good choice. for more information here is the manufacturers website link http://www.sharpeningwheels.com/
like many members here, i used to sharpen by hand using stones until i went to sandpaper. then i found a little system called an ez sharp which is similar to a lansky system. i used the ez sharp for about 8 or 10 years until my friend art summers showed me the paper wheels. i could get a knife shaving sharp but it took me a while, sometimes too long for my liking.
when art showed me how long it took to sharpen a knife he made i became really interested. he went from no edge at all to shaving sharp in no time at all. not long after he showed me the wheels he asked if i wanted to go with him to a knife show in dayton and meet the guy that showed him the wheels. i accepted his offer and went. i watched his friend sharpen knives all day and ended up getting my first set from him.
here is a post about the wheels by another member worth checking out http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9207988&postcount=710
it took me less than a week to learn how to use the wheels but i was hooked once i did. i found out i could also sharpen other things on the wheels like scissors and something my mom was glad of, her favorite pinking shears which were showing signs of getting dull after many years of use.
i even do sheet metal shears for local contractors in my area which saves them from having to buy new ones which arent cheap.
all you need to set up to use the wheels is a 1/2 hp motor that runs 1725 rpm, an arbor attachment and thats it. i practiced on an old hacksaw blade instead of a knife which worked well. when i could go from one side around the end to the other side and get it all shaving sharp i knew i had figured it out.
a few weeks ago i sharpened a couple of pizza knives (see picture) for a local pizza shop. both were 18" long and it took not quite 2 minutes to work up a burr on each one. both were extremely dull and chipped in a few places. i did use a belt sander set at slow speed to work up a burr and to help remove the chips. if there were no chips i would have used the abrasive wheel which would have taken the same ammount of time.
there are 2 wheels, 1 with abrasive grit glued to the outside and the other is smooth with slots every few inches apart to reduce heat and help break the burr. a white rouge is applied to help remove the burr and polish the edge.
str told me a while back that just like driving, some people shouldnt be behind the wheel(s). it does take some practice and if you are scared of power equipment, the wheels might not be a good choice. for more information here is the manufacturers website link http://www.sharpeningwheels.com/
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