Sharpening a chisel is crucial for tool care and safety. Eye protection and gloves are recommended during the process. A grindstone and sharpening jig can be used to create a beveled edge, followed by whetstones for razor sharpness. Prevention is the best form of maintenance.
Sharpening a chisel before using it is one of the most important aspects of tool care. As a specialized cutting tool, a dull chisel is less effective, creating more work for the user. In addition to the additional work required in using a dull chisel, the dull blade also presents a serious risk of injury to the individual using the tool and those in the surrounding area.
When sharpening a chisel, precautions must be taken to avoid damage to the tool and possible injury to the person performing the sharpening work. To avoid personal injury, the use of eye protection and gloves is recommended during the sharpening process and while using a chisel. This is especially important if you are using power tools because the sharpening process often causes hot pieces of metal to be thrown at the user as they are removed from the blade.
To sharpen a chisel with a badly damaged edge from misuse or improper maintenance, you can use a grindstone to create a smooth beveled edge. It is often considered good practice to use a sharpening jig when sharpening a chisel with a grinder. This tool is designed to hold the chisel blade at a fixed angle to produce the correct edge. In addition to maintaining the blade angle, the jig also provides a measure of support to prevent the grinder from catching the chisel and throwing it without warning. Different angles may be required depending on the type of chisel being sharpened, so it is important to know what the specific chisel is to be used for.
Once the basic beveled edge is established, the sharpening process continues by hand. By using whetstones and honing stones, the chisel blade can be brought to near razor sharpness. The use of whetstone oil and different types of stones is helpful in ensuring proper maintenance of the chisel blade. It is important to exercise extreme caution during this part of the sharpening process as slipping of the hand could seriously injure the sharp blade.
The most important piece of advice for anyone who sharpens chisels is that prevention is the best form of maintenance. Chisels are often misused, put into service to open open cans of paint, cut objects they were not meant to cut, or in other ways that can damage the blade. A properly maintained and not misused chisel will hold an edge for a long time with little maintenance. Always keeping your tools properly maintained is the key to making the process of sharpening a chisel that much easier.
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