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The feedback that changed how I sharpen my chisels

A cabinetmaker in Portland told me I was grinding too hot and ruining the temper on my chisels. He said to dip them in water after every single pass on the grinder, not just a quick dunk at the end. I tried it on a set of three chisels and now they hold an edge twice as long. Has anyone else gotten heat damage advice that totally shifted their routine?
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2 Comments
cameron_webb
Maybe it's just me but I always thought dipping in water was a given. A guy at a woodworking meetup told me to slow the grinder speed down and use a lighter touch too. That combined with the water dips made a huge difference for my edge retention.
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robert_roberts
Man I wish I'd heard that advice before I turned a perfectly good chisel into a glorified butter knife. Guess my grinding technique was more "melt and pray" than "cool and sharpen.
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