Sharpening angles for miscellaneous tools

[Elden]

Pictures attached


In response to a previous thread about sharpening yard tools, etc., here is a list of suggested sharpening angles from an old book.

This is from:

Saw and Tool Sharpening Guidebook
By Roman Dicaire and Ronald A. Skoglund

[Jeff Farris]

What a great resource!

Do you have the name of the book? I'd like it added to the post, if you do.

[Elden]

I'll get it and post it. It's at my wife's work now, our scanner is down here at home.

[Elden]

The book is:

Saw and Tool Sharpening Guidebook
By Roman Dicaire and Ronald A. Skoglund

[Mike Fairleigh]

Really a great resource!  I would, however, include a disclaimer that certain newer steel alloys may perform better at different angles in some applications (e.g., A2 should be at 30* in most applications, etc.).

[Rob]

Do you know when it was published?  It looks a real venerable classic, pages have an almost parchment quality to them....sort of "dead sea scrolls" type thang!

Fabulous

[Elden]

Bibliographic information

Title             Saw and Tool Sharpening Guidebook
Authors        Roman Dicaire, Ronald A. Skoglund
Publisher      Skog Company, 1982
Length         98 pages
Subjects       Saws   Sharpening of tools


As far as I can find out, the Skog Co. is no longer around. Years ago when I was doing saw sharpening, I stumbled across them. I was subscribed to a monthly news letter from them that was very informative. I used mainly Foley equipment. They and Belsaw merged making Foley-Belsaw.

Foley-Belsaw also had information on sharpening. They had a 5 day school that I attended. Foley- Belsaw never mentioned Skog. I always figured that was because Skog talked about other sharpening equipment as well as Foley-Belsaw.

I used to have a wall chart with the sharpening angles on it. It might still be around, too many times of moving to know!   If I'd tear my library apart, I "might" find it. 

Rob, actually the book is a soft cover with what I would call standard cheap pages. The scanner made it look differently.

[Rob]

Wow. So 1982, not in fact all that old.  Looks great on the scanner :-)

[Herman Trivilino]

It's the font and spacing that gives it that old-timey look.  Looks like it was done on a typewriter.  I bet that in 1982 it was copied from an older source for inclusion in that book.

I didn't realize that anyone recommended a 45^o angle for a shovel.  I've seen old timers take a file to them but didn't pay much attention to the angle they were using.

[Rob]

Funny you mention shovels Herman. I too never really considered them "tools" in the sort of proper sense of the word until I observed one of the builders that helped build my house. He was extremely fussy about everything to do with his shovel

He'd owned it for near 30 years and had repaired the handle numerous times with resin and rope lashings and all manner of older style means of fastening

He used to sharpen it frequently and it was so used the spade bit had worn down to about half its original capacity

This was just fine because he had terrible back trouble so that lower weight suited him

I'd never seen or heard of anyone giving a common shovel so much respect and tlc. It kind of opened my eyes to the notion that tools don't just need to be expensive planes or power tools to deserve a proper looking after

I remember being really impressed by his attitude which I observed over the course of a year or so. He used it for everything, a really versatile tool :-)

[Rob]

The epilogue to that story is that I now treat my shovels with a lot more dignity, sharpening them and oiling them for winter storage etc

[Elden]

Occasionally I sharpen the shovels and mattock (grubbing hoe is another name over here, Rob). They don't see a lot of use anymore as I have to have someone else run them for me. The garden hoes definitely need it if they are used. I use a garden scratcher more than the hoe anymore.

Shovels definitely cut into the dirt better when sharpened. I have gotten some used ones where the point is worn back leaving the edge in a slight U-shape. That is when it's time to bring out the hand held angle grinder to reform the shape before sharpening (hmm I think that similar to Tormek talk  ) it. Watch that heat so you don't ruin the temper.

My Dad always kept the dirt polished off his tools and oiled after each use. That's kind of like polishing your wood chisel back! They definitely work better with no rust.

[Elden]

I don't believe it was mentioned on the above chart, but I found in another older sharpening book that taps and dies can be touched up.
The basis of this idea comes from:

How To Sharpen Anything        By Don Geary

Bibliographic information

Title   How to sharpen anything
Author   Don Geary
Edition   illustrated
Publisher   Tab Books, 1983
Original from   Pennsylvania State University
Digitized   Apr 14, 2011
ISBN   0830624635, 9780830624638
Length   213 pages
Subjects   House & Home › Hand Tools
                House & Home / Power Tools
                Sharpening of tools

In my own words-   They are like pinking shears, i.e. don't mess with the vee grooves. Using a Dremel type tool with extreme carefulness so as not to lay over (taper back) the edges of the teeth, grind the larger vertical grooves with a proper sized grinding wheel (cylinder shaped) to effectively refresh the initial cutting edges.



This book appears to be more readily available than the Saw and Tool Sharpening Guidebook. It covers several major topics and a lot of different tools in those topics. The above was just one example to whet your interest. They cover taps in more detail and have pictures as well.

[Herman Trivilino]

He'd owned it for near 30 years and had repaired the handle numerous times with resin and rope lashings and all manner of older style means of fastening

Reminds me of the guy who had an axe he was proud of because it had been in his family for over 60 years.  The head had been replaced twice, and the handle a half dozen times or more.  But it was still a good axe.