Guide on How to Use a Veritas Sharpener
A hand-plane cutting tool was once a carpenter's best friend, and even with the advent of electric saws, many woodworkers still use this type of tool for fine carving or trimming jobs. The key to an effective cutting plane is the angle and sharpness of the blade itself, which gradually wears down over time. Woodworkers can use electric grinding wheels or whetstones to sharpen their tools, but it can be difficult for these workers to maintain the correct cutting angle. The Veritas sharpening guide helps hold your blades at the correct angle while you sharpen to ensure the best cutting edge. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Screwdriver
- Whetstones and grinding wheel
- Veritas pad and blade guide
- Water
Instructions
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1
Disassemble your hand-plane tool and remove the cutting blade. The method of disassembly varies by product, but often requires you to unscrew the pieces that hold the blade in place. Be very careful when handling the blade.
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2
Set the bottom or face of the blade on a fine-grit sharpening stone and rub it across the surface until the face of the blade is completely shiny, indicating that it is completely flat. If the bottom is not completely flat, the angle of the Veritas guide may be skewed.
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3
Stick the adhesive rubber pad firmly onto your workspace so that the screw on the side of the pad is pointed toward the top of your work area, away from you. Turn the disk on the pad to match your chosen angle of sharpening, and tighten the screw to hold it in place at that angle. In general, you should use a 25-degree angle to cut softwood, 30 degrees to cut hardwood and 35 degrees for constant, heavy use on hardwood.
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4
Slide the blade bevel-side down across the pad, toward the disk, until the top-face side of the blade sits firmly against the angle of the disk. Slide the Veritas blade guide down the length of the blade until it sits where the blade contacts the disk, and tighten it into place. The guide will now hold the blade at the appropriate angle for your entire sharpening task.
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5
Work the clamped blade back and forth over a wet grinding stone or whetstone until you have achieved a sharp, flat beveled edge. Depending on the dullness of your bevel, you may need to work through multiple levels of coarseness on your whetstones; as long as you do not loosen the guide, you will maintain the same angle throughout the whole process.
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Carefully unscrew the guide and remove it from the blade when sharpening is complete. Reassemble your hand plane and rinse the guide, as well as the pad, with clean warm water to remove any residue from sharpening.
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Tips & Warnings
The Veritas sharpening guide holds planing blades up to 2 3/8 inches wide and 5/8 inches thick. The guides work best on blades that are at least 2 ½ to 3 inches long.
If in doubt of the angle to use for sharpening your blade, lean toward the larger angles. This will ensure that the blade will cut whatever surface it contacts.
References
- Photo Credit Martin Poole/Digital Vision/Getty Images
