Evaluation: Taytools Drill Press Sharpening System, V2

Taytools Drill Press Sharpening System, V2 Taytools.com $50 (for mannequin with 6-in. disks)

On the coronary heart of Taylor Toolworks’s easy new sharpening system are two thick acrylic disks that mount in your drill press and settle for quite a lot of sanding disks, together with a leather-based stropping disk. The equipment additionally features a size of thick, flat float glass, which accepts the identical self-adhesive disks—or some other sandpaper—for flattening the backs of blades.

The person has to construct one or two easy ramps (directions are included) that sit on the drill-press desk and information the blades into the disks at particular angles. These are straightforward to construct, nonetheless, and upon getting them constructed, the Taytools system will sharpen and hone each chisel in your store faster than some other methodology I’ve used.

To get probably the most from the system, I deviated just a little from the directions. They suggest utilizing a 220-grit disk and a 25° ramp to kind a clear bevel on a chisel or airplane blade, earlier than stropping the blade by hand on the spinning leather-based disk to kind a refined microbevel on the tip. That method required me to press down onerous on the leather-based to take away the sanding scratches, which rounded the tip and left it much less sharp than I would love.

So I began once more with a freshly sanded 220-grit, 25° bevel, and made a second ramp, at 30°, for rapidly forming a micro-bevel on the tip, utilizing a 1000-grit disk (procured elsewhere). This small, finely floor bevel was then a lot sooner and simpler to shine on the stropping disk, with out the necessity to press down so onerous. I additionally adhered 1000-grit sandpaper to the float glass, and used that to take away the sharpening burr on the again of the sting earlier than stropping the bevel.

Although you’ll must construct a few easy ramps, and complement the sandpaper that comes with the equipment, it’s a exceptional worth and requires no particular abilities for fulfillment.

It’s essential to notice that spinning disks reduce sooner towards their perimeter, which may go away an edge barely angled. The directions clarify the best way to counteract this impact by shimming one aspect of the sharpening ramp to tilt it barely. The impact is extra problematic on wider airplane blades, the place squareness is much more essential, which is why I like to recommend this technique for chisels solely.

—Chris Gochnour is a contributing editor.
Pictures: Asa Christiana (besides the place famous)
From Advantageous Woodworking #309.