opinions wanted! tool sharpening

whats the pros and cons of the work sharp vrs the mkII?
what do you use? stones? paper? or machine?

Sandpaper and marble tile - 1$ a piece at HD and they will make the first cut (in half) for free. What can I say - I'm cheap.

I was looking at the Worksharp just the other day and read a recent review. Maybe - if funds allow - someday.

larry,
i said "other"...........learn with any system that doesn`t use guides, once you have your technique down you`ll be able to sharpen with any type of stone or system. it`s like riding a bike.....hurts like the dickens when you crash but before long all you remember is the wind in your face.....

I put sand paper, which is what I use for basic sharpening. If something really needs some work, it'll hit the grinder. Then strop the edge. Stropping makes a world of difference and if you keep your strop handy, you won't have to sharpen as much!

I use sandpaper also. Seems to work best right now. Would like to get something later on to help speed things up a bit.


Bill

I use only flat cutters so sandpaper and glass work for me along with the Veritas MK-II jig ($about $50). My dad has the work sharp (about $200) and when things need more than a touch up I can do a set of chisels in about a half hour a few times a year. Both methods use a registration system so I hae no problem keeping and repeating the angles. On the plates; I'm still working through my first $20 worth of micro abrasives sold as a 'Scary Sharp' set from Tools for Working Wood. If I give a tool a touch up for just a few minutes as they start to lose their razor's edge, they stay sharp and ready for use for quite awhile. Like Rennie, I use a cut piece of 12" x 12" marble for the heavier grits.

You’re going to laugh…I bought the Veritas® Mk.II Power Sharpening System for SWMBO a few years ago. She briefly thought she wanted to be a wood carver.
Anyway, I don’t see how sharpening could be any easier than the MK.II.
Size matters, the Work Sharp’s 6” disk can only accommodate up to a 2”, #5 blade where the MK.II’s 8” disk allows for up to 2-3/8, #7 blade. I use it for my plane blades and chisels and it works like a charm. The build quality of the all metal, Canadian made MK.II is excellent.
The January `08 issue of American Woodworker gave the Work Sharp “Best Buy” and the MK.II “Editors Choice”

Bruce Page said:

You’re going to laugh…I bought the Veritas® Mk.II Power Sharpening System for SWMBO a few years ago. She briefly thought she wanted to be a wood carver.
The build quality of the all metal, Canadian made MK.II is excellent.
The January `08 issue of American Woodworker gave the Work Sharp “Best Buy” and the MK.II “Editors Choice”

Click to expand...

well dad hasnt let me see the jan isue yet bruce rt now its been stones and paper but was shown the mkII by a couple of elders and was looking that way but havnt decided yet. my wife isnt intersted in one unless it could sharpen scissors real good

I have tried, and continue to try, a variety of sharpening devices and gimmiks. For knives, flat Arkansas stones or the Razor Sharp system. For turning tools, an 80 grit blue wheel or 1" belt sander/grinder, neither of which give the best results I want.

I've never used the MkII, and have only seen/used the Work Sharp once - at a demo where they let me try the machine on a chisel.

The Work Sharp worked very well, but since I have a lot of planes - many of which are 4½, 5½, 6, 7,or 8 - which have blades wider than the WS can handle, I didn't find it useful enough for me.

For about the past six or seven years, the Tormek has been my primary sharpener. It would handle every plane iron except the #8, and could be adapted for the 8, too.

Just a couple months ago, they came out with a new jig (about $45) that handles not only all the plane irons, but will even handle things like the 12/112/80 scraper blades, too. I got mine about mid-December and have been using it since then, with the usual good results from Tormek.

For lathe tools, or grinding a whole new bevel, the Tormek is painfully slow. I use a Woodcraft 8" slow speed (1725 rpm) grinder, and a Wolvering setup for that.

Bottom line - the Tormek is the more versatile, but if you're doing only chisels and <2" plane irons, I'd go for the Work Sharp. It really does a good job. BTW, the WS can do wider blades, they just have to be free-handed on the top of the discs.

Okay - that's my (somewhat biased) opinion. YMMV...

larry merlau said:

whats the pros and cons of the work sharp vrs the mkII?
what do you use? stones? paper? or machine?

Click to expand...

I have a Tormek for things that have strait blades, machine blades, and general carving tool sharpening, a 8" grinder with white 80 grit stones for turning tools other than a skew, and a variety of DMT slip stones and cards for the skew, and dressing up carving edges. All work. Once you understand the Tormek it's the most automated and repeatable but, also the most expensive.

If I were on a budget, I'd go for one of those 1" belt sanders you can get for around $100 with a selection of high grit belts.

I use a combination of sandpaper and water stones with the Veritas MK II.

works great!

joe

OTHER

Started with sandpaper. Amazing results. My first really sharp blades. Literally could shave with them. But I couldn't sharpen my planner and jointer blades that was high on my list. The local guy is not local. Plus he only works at night and is out in the woods. Not convenient at all, but does good work.

I stated looking and I found the Makita Knife sharpener. Uses water stones and I have all three grits. I sharpen all my tools on there now, even my pocket knife and including my 12" planer and jointer blades. Don't know why this one hasn't really caught on. It's a lot cheaper than a Tormek and the one fixture does most anything.

I just bought a worksharp. It seems to do a fine job so far, getting my chisels to a nice mirror-like finish quite quickly. It is a bit of a pity that wider plane blades have to be done free hand atop the wheel but maybe a simple guide is possible to help keep everything square.

Discovered sandpaper and glass (Scary Sharp system) 12 months ago. Can now sharpen (with a guide) quickly and consistently to the point where I can shave the hairs on my arms. I've never been able to get that sharp over the last 40 years using oil stones. Never tried water stones.

I have a couple of water stones that I use, but my go to is the MKII. Quick and easy. I also sharpen my Global and Wusthof kitchen knives on it. I think the MKII is worth every penny.

Karl

I voted other as I started with diamond stones to hone the turning tools then when all else failed, went over to the high speed grinder on the workbench. So,,,, eventually bought a slow speed grinder with two light colored wheels. Really like it, bought one for my school wood shop, but some kids really blue the edges. So went to Menard's and bought a "Tool Shop" (generic) tool sharpener with the horizontal sharpening wheels. A couple of glass with sand paper, one plastic see through (vented wheel) with sandpaper and my students are getting very good with this system. Will be buying this for my home shop this summer. Stayed away from wet systems as my shop still is not heated unless I am in there so was concerned about a wet wheel freezing and breaking apart. Have enough to haul from the house to the garage as it is in the winter!
EDIT: My new grinder in the school shop is a Work Sharp 3000. Money well spent if for no other reason than the students aren't taking off as much metal and coming away with good edges. Have only used the see through wheel at this time.