Sharpening Lathe Chisels

Sharpened and polished lathe chisels

Lathe chisels can quickly become dull and are usually a pain to polish. However, by using the correct tools, the process can become quite simple and short. Correctly sharpening your chisels can greatly extend their life and prevent you from having to replace them.

Things You'll Need

• Angle grinder Strop leather Standard metal polish

Instructions

1. Soak the chisel ends in hot, soapy water, taking care to keep the handles as dry as possible. Do this to begin cleaning the chisels, as it is very important to have clean surfaces for a good sharpening. Let them soak in the water for around 30 minutes.

2. Remove the chisels and dry them thoroughly. Place the chisel tips on a standard angle grinder and sharpen them according to the contours of the tips. Grind the metal back and forth, very gently, to smooth out scratches and grooves.

3. Once the chisel ends have been smoothened, place them back on the grinder and grind a slightly deeper angle on the tips of their ends.

4. Upon finishing grinding the chisels, run their ends repeatedly across a piece of strop leather. This will help finish filling cracks and crevices in the chisel ends.

5. Place the chisels in a small container full of metal polish. This will help seal and protect the sharpness. Although this polish won't last long, it will help extend the life of your chisels.

Tips & Warnings

• Apply a little of the polish to the leather strop if the leather has become very dried out.

• Always be careful when using power tools. Always use caution when working with toxic chemicals.