In households, the use of cutting, sawing and planing tools is often necessary. During operation, they lose their sharpness, and the blade needs to restore its original properties.
Taking your tools to workshops to sharpen them is a reasonable option, but in order not to waste money again, you can make a device for sharpening knives with your own hands.
General information about sharpening knives
The goal of any type of knife sharpening is to ensure a sharp blade. And most important factor, which affects long-term and efficient operation- this is the sharpening angle. The practicality of this parameter is well assessed during the work process. If you look objectively, you will notice that with a smaller angle, the knife blade results in a sharper one. But with this action, it turns out that the period of improved cutting qualities is not very long, i.e. it becomes dull faster. The sharper the knife blade becomes during the sharpening process, the more quickly it will become dull. Based on this pattern, we can come to the conclusion that the angle must be selected correctly and the value must be maintained evenly along the entire length of the edge.
It is worth noting that only those types of blades that have a certain degree of hardening can be sharpened. If the steel hardness of the cutting parts exceeds 55 HRC, then it cannot be sharpened with any available tools.
The golden rule for sharpening knives is to keep the sharpening angle constant. cutting edge throughout its entire length.
To achieve this, you need professionalism, skills and special equipment that will allow you to hold the tool in your hands, maintaining a given angle of inclination of each cutting edge.
In this case, you can take care of purchasing a special device, but such products are usually expensive, so you can try to make it yourself. Read more about how to make such a device at home below.
Video “Homemade design of a simple knife sharpener”
Features of using the device
Of course, a simple sharpener stone will do for sharpening a knife or the cutting edge of a plane. But its quality will not be the best. To ensure uniform removal of the metal layer and precision processing, it is necessary to use special sharpening devices.
The advantage of such a product is not only its ease of use, but also factors such as:
- The ability to fix the blades, which is quite reliable and does not cause unnecessary stress. a properly designed device does not allow the metal to be damaged during operation.
- Possibility of installing the bar at a certain angle. Thanks to this, when the cutting edge moves, the angle value will not change.
- Variation in setting different sharpening angles. With this functionality, it is possible to process various tools, even sharpening knives with a stepped structure.
Materials and tools required for the device
To make a simple and quite high-quality device, you need to take care of preparing the following workpieces and tools:
- plywood or small laminated chipboard sheet;
- steel stud with a diameter of 8 mm (the thread on it must be cut along the entire length);
- textolite or ebonite bars (alternatively can be replaced with hard wood - beech, oak, etc.);
- aluminum plate (with a thickness of at least 5 mm);
- fasteners – bolts, nuts (wing);
- neodymium magnet (you can find it on an old computer HDD).
Drawings of a device for sharpening knives with your own hands
After preparation and provision of materials, you can begin the process of assembling the device. First of all, we take plywood to use as a frame, which should rest on the mounting legs at a certain angle in the range from 15 to 20 degrees. After this, the pin we prepared is screwed into the lower part; its length should be approximately 35-40 cm. To make the mounting thread more durable, you can use glue or sealant.
We fasten an aluminum plate in the center of the installed plywood. Before fastening it, it is necessary to make a groove, which in size will correspond to the diameter of the fixing bolts. It is worth noting that we use an aluminum plate as this will help avoid damage to the steel blade of the knife.
After this, we proceed to making a lever that will allow you to secure the emery to the device. To assemble it we use the remaining part of the pin. Then we take two textolite (or wooden) blocks and, by sawing out, we make holders for the lever. The stops should be secured on one side with a wing nut.
It is optimal to provide a spring-loaded block near the handle, which will allow you to quickly change the emery stone.
As the main elements, you can use blanks from homemade bars - we glue sheets of sandpaper to the aluminum plate, and their grain size should be different. Such a device can be quite easily fixed in the lever.
home design feature- this is the presence of a hinge with a double degree of freedom. Such a device can be easily assembled using the same PCB bars. One of them should be screwed onto the threads of the vertical stud, and used as a horizontal rotary axis and a height adjuster for the lever support (this is necessary for setting the sharpening angle).
The function of the second bar, which has a horizontal hole for the lever, is that it should be screwed to the first.
Thanks to this, it is possible to ensure free vertical movement of the entire lever structure.
The knives are clamped with a plate, or fixed to the surface of a neodymium magnet. When removing the first layer with coarse types of abrasive, the blade must be securely fixed.
If it is necessary to perform fine-tuning, you can install the blade on a magnet and perform the sharpening operation with little effort. The horseshoe of magnets should be recessed at the same level as the table top and set with epoxy glue.
The manufacture of a homemade device for sharpening knives can be considered complete. It is enough to set desired angle, slowly sharpen the edge with a smooth movement along the entire length of the blade.
Video “Do-it-yourself knife sharpener”
Device for sharpening knives using electric sandpaper
An electric sharpener will not only speed up the work, but also make it possible to obtain high-quality concave edge profiles on the blades, the so-called fuller sharpening. It is impossible to achieve such forms using a linear bar; therefore, these types of devices are not interchangeable, but complementary devices.
It is noteworthy that a person, working on a manual sharpening device, controls the speed and intensity of the processes performed, while the emery wheel has a constant high speed rotation, which can negatively affect the condition of the knife.
With friction, metal surface lends itself to strong heating, which results in the “tempering” of the hardening of the steel. The material loses many properties, it becomes less hard, which leads to abrasion and the appearance of torn edges. Another problem with a “released” knife is the rapid loss of sharpness. In this regard, you need to work carefully with an electric sandpaper, bringing the blade for sharpening to the abrasive for short periods of time and taking frequent breaks to allow the knife to cool.
When working in such modes, it is quite problematic to maintain constant angles, so the tool needs to be securely fixed during such processing.
The design of such a device is quite simple to implement. In the direction of the rotating axis, there are guides on the emery along which carriages with knives move. The angles are maintained mechanically, and the forces are determined directly by the operator.
This type of device is quite simple to make with your own hands - there is no need to carry out precision work for processing metal parts. The base material is actually used to make the guides.
On the workbench, near the sharpener, guides are mounted, with the help of which it is possible to change the distance from the knife stops to the abrasive. This distance affects the sharpening angle. The vertical rod must necessarily have up and down free movement regulators that have durable types of fixation of the current positions.
The knife blade should be held horizontally, pressing against the thrust element. The force in contact with the emery must be adjusted directly during operation. The processing needs to be done symmetrically; you just need to change the sides of the knife and sharpen them at the same angles.
Application this method may only be suitable for processing classic types of knives. Kitchen, hunting, hiking and other types of cutting surfaces of various tools require a slightly different approach.
A common type of design for sharpening knives is the “Jointer”
For such a device, it is necessary to use a specialized sandpaper, with an end type work surface. The guide under the carriage is placed at the bottom so that it is located away from the rotating axis. This is due to the fact that in this part abrasive wheel, his work is considered the most effective. Guides with cutting elements move manually, the clamps are provided by the tool’s own weight.
A drawing of each structural design is shown in the image.
This type of machine was used at the beginning of the last century, and throughout this time the technology of its operation has remained unchanged. Thanks to simplicity of this device it's easy to make for your home workshop. Any components made of metal, plastic, or wood are suitable for this.
Replacing cutting element on a jointer, you can sharpen the knives of ice axes, the main thing is to maintain the correct angle, which should be flatter. Devices for sharpening scissors work on the same principle.
To sharpen a chisel and a plane knife, you can also use an electric sandpaper and locking carriages. But these types of tools are compact and can be sharpened with a mechanical tool.
There are equivalent methods - along the edges and across. In terms of quality, the processing is virtually identical; therefore, it is therefore impossible to primarily single out a specific type of device.
For factory products, blades are supposed to be adjusted transversely.
Using a similar principle, thick plywood is taken from which the frame is made. Any rollers can be used as a guide, preferably more than two. By moving the machine along the surface of the emery, the chisel blade is given an ideal shape.
If not required serious types sharpening, simpler devices are also suitable for minor edits.
Attach the bars with the required angles of inclination to the chisel. Place sandpaper and a piece of glass near them. Apply a soap solution to the glass surface.
You will be pleasantly surprised by the effectiveness of such devices.
For transverse sharpening, it is worth making a simpler device, where the guide element also acts as a support. The blade is attached vertically to the moving part. The only drawback This is a fixed angle that is set during the manufacturing process.
But, compared to a knife, the resulting deviations from ideals are not so critical.
This type of device can be used for sharpening plane knives. But due to the wide size of the blades, the process becomes somewhat more complicated. In this regard, you can use an electric sharpener that has an end working surface.
The stops are made of wooden blocks. It is important to provide for the possibility of changing angles. Clamps are provided by the operator, and semicircular sharpening can be performed, which is very indispensable for carpenters.
Naturally, this device is convenient to use for sharpening the edges of chisels. If, given the high performance indicator, you will be able to restore tools even with a large number jagged
Now you know how to create a homemade sharpening unit to do everything necessary operations on sharpening knives at home.
Video “Device for sharpening various types of knives”
Sharpening knives with your own hands is a painstaking procedure due to the hardness of the products being cut, the frequency of use of the tool, and the thickness of the cutting edge.
The need for surgery arises regardless of the quality of the blade. How to do this at home? Let's try to figure it out.
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Why do you need to sharpen knives? Is it possible to do it yourself?
Any housewife knows that sharpening knives is very important: working with a blunt tool is not only difficult, but also dangerous. The process slows down significantly and requires serious effort, as a result of which the muscles of the hand quickly tire. In addition, the blade is capable of jumping off at the most crucial moment and causing injury.
You can take the product to a workshop, where they will quickly sharpen it for you. But where is the guarantee that the work will be done correctly and the blade will not be damaged? In addition, this service is far from free and requires significant time. And sometimes this is really lacking when preparing for a celebration, for example, in order to prepare dinner on time. If you have a knife sharpening machine at home, you won’t have to go anywhere. The quality will depend only on your skills, the tools and devices used.
Why do knives lose their sharpness?
No matter how high-quality the steel of the blade is, sooner or later any knife will become dull. Why is this happening?
In the process of interacting with the material being cut, the cutting edge loses microscopic fragments of steel. At the same time, its shape changes, and the blade loses its sharpness.
In addition, such a process causes deformation of the blade. When cutting food, we apply force, which almost always deviates in one direction or another. Of course, if this were the only reason, then there would be no need to sharpen knives so often. Another detail is important, the influence of which on the severity is much more significant.
It is almost impossible to maintain the direction in accordance with the plane of the blade. As a result, the thinned edge is slightly curved, and it becomes much more difficult for the knife to overcome the resistance of the material being cut. This process occurs especially quickly if the blade is made of low-quality steel.
There is a point of view that hot water can dull the blade. To some extent this is true. During contact with steel, salts dissolved in water react with the metal, causing a change in its properties far beyond better side. But such an impact is not decisive and does not have serious significance.
Basic principles of knife sharpening
There are several sharpening methods. The choice depends on the time you have, the purpose of the knife, and the tools and accessories available.
The general principles are:
- initial processing is carried out with coarse abrasive;
- subsequent grinding is performed with fine-grained material;
- For final finishing, leather or various pastes of varying degrees of abrasiveness are used.
To make work easier, you can use a purchased or homemade knife sharpening device.
At what angle should knives be sharpened?
The sharpening angle mainly depends on their purpose and, accordingly, the quality of the material from which they are made. What sharpening angle should be used for knives designed for various needs is indicated in the table:
In some cases, the angle can be reduced to 15º if the tool is used for special purpose, for example, slicing fresh baked goods.
Materials used
Do-it-yourself manual knife sharpeners can be made using bars of varying degrees of abrasiveness. The latter are conventionally divided into the following groups:
- the rudest one in in this case not applicable (from 200 to 250);
- rough - to form the profile of the cutting blade of the blade. If no visible defects are detected, such stones are not used (from 300 to 350);
- medium - like those listed above, are used infrequently, mainly for rough adjustment of the blade profile (from 400 to 500);
- small - the main type of stones used for sharpening knives (from 600 to 700);
- very small - used to bring an already sharpened blade to a mirror-like appearance.
These stones are made from various materials. A do-it-yourself hand sharpener can be made from natural and artificial bars. Natural - from natural stone(corundum, slate, etc.). Artificial - from synthetic materials or diamond. Moreover, natural ones wear out more and are not very grainy.
Before use, it is preferable to moisten the bars with water or soap solution.
Note: You should use a block that has a length significantly greater than the blade being sharpened.
In addition to abrasive bars, the following can be used:
- homemade devices that serve as their holder;
- knife sharpening machines;
- mechanical sharpeners;
- musats are devices for fine-tuning a sharpened blade and are several metal disks nested one inside the other.
This list may be expanded. We have provided only the main tools used.
Manual sharpening rules
In order to sharpen the cutting edge correctly, you must follow the specified sequence of actions:
- on initial stage We carry out the work with a medium or coarse grain block, depending on the condition of the blade; it would be more correct to secure the block from displacement;
- determine the required sharpening angle; on each side of the blade, its size is half of the total; the main thing is to keep this angle unchanged;
- movements should not be jerky; no significant effort should be made;
- The initial move is made from yourself, the edge should pass along the entire length of the block. Please note: when contacting the block, the blade must be directed at a right angle to the direction of movement;
- at the point where the blade is rounded, it should be rotated to maintain the desired angle;
- when completing the movement, the blade should not leave the block, because this may cause it to become dull or damage the side surface;
- then we move in the opposite direction;
- We continue the sequence of these operations until a thin bending strip appears on the blade; when checking its presence, you cannot run your finger along the blade, because you can easily get hurt on the sharp edges; if the knife is sharpened correctly, this edge should be the same width throughout the entire blade;
- turn the tool over and repeat the operations until a similar result;
- we take a smaller whetstone and sharpen it further, but we no longer move towards ourselves - only in the forward direction; since the grain size of the bar is smaller, the size of the burr along the edge is also reduced;
- We process the reverse side in the same way;
- we repeat these operations on both sides on an even smaller stone; if the burr still remains, remove it with the finest-grained stone; We remind you that movements are still carried out in one direction - away from you; We reduce the clamping force towards the end of the operation.
Sharpening is finished. It is also possible to finalize the blade on a leather strip. An old belt will do just fine.
How to make a homemade device
It is quite possible to make a machine for sharpening knives at home yourself. Let's look at some of them.
Option No. 1: the blade is fixed on a stationary platform
This device helps sharpen the blade, ensuring the required edge angle. Below is a tool for sharpening knives with your own hands. Drawings and drawings.
A homemade knife sharpener can be made in the same way as shown in the figure.
The principle of operation and design are clear. The manufacturing sequence is as follows:
- the base can be chipboard or steel plate; it is marked and drilled out for the stand and blade holder;
- on the side of the base opposite to the mounting of the rack, a hole is drilled for an M8 bolt to attach the knife clamp;
- two M10 studs are made: one for the stand, the second for the holder for the abrasive stone;
- a bracket is made for attaching the holder stud to the stand (by drilling and bending a steel or aluminum plate;
- the brackets for the sharpening stone holder itself are made from two corners;
- a clamp for the blade is made;
- The structure is assembled in the form shown in the figure.
This device has one drawback: it is not able to provide a right angle between the movement being performed and the blade of the blade at the point where it is rounded.
Option No. 2: with a movable platform and a magnetic holder
This problem is solved using the following construction. It is performed in a similar way, but a magnetic holder is used to attach the knife. Thus, it is possible to move magnetic holder with a blade installed in it and rotated to the required angle. This knife sharpening device is equipped with a plate at the base or can be attached to the table, as shown in the photo.
It will greatly facilitate the process of sharpening knives.
How to sharpen jointer knives with your own hands
Any man who has such equipment in his home has had to deal with sharpening his knives. To accomplish this, use special devices and abrasives. Certainly, if the machine is often used, it is advisable to have it at home required device . Let's look at how to make it yourself.
How to make a machine for sharpening a jointer knife yourself (step-by-step instructions)
To do grinder To edit this knife with your own hands, you will need to select the necessary parts:
- plan-washer;
- bed;
- electric motor;
- vacuum cleaner;
- fencing.
Manufacturing is carried out as follows:
- The electric motor is mounted directly under the frame; You should definitely take care of equipping it with “stop” and “start” control buttons;
- A plan washer is installed on the output shaft, which is closed by a square guard with a cut-out groove;
- A hole is made on the bottom plane of the table the size of a vacuum cleaner sleeve, the latter is designed to remove dust generated during sharpening.
What you need to know
The electric motor may not necessarily be secured under the base of the washer. It is possible to use a belt drive, but this will complicate the design.
Using this machine you can also sharpen axes and saws.
Ice screw sharpening
The sharpness of the ice drill allows the fisherman not to make efforts to drill holes in the ice during winter fishing. But for this it is necessary to sharpen the knives of this device.
Sharpening methods are quite varied. One of them is to use a self-made tool.
How to make a machine for an ice drill with your own hands
Two steel strips with a thickness of 4 mm and dimensions of 60x200 mm are required. You can use automotive spring steel, but it is difficult to bend. Therefore, it is advisable to choose a different material.
Progress
First, the frame of the device is completed. The strips are bent so that the knife chamfers, which are pressed against the edges of the rounding, are at the same level and parallel to each other.
Then a clamp for the items being sharpened is made from another strip.
Holes are made in the plate and body. Bolted connection the pressure plate is attached to the body, clamping the knives. It is checked how tightly they adhere to the surface of the end part of the abrasive wheel.
If the angle of the knives is incorrect, the device should be modified by bending the arc of the body. After making sure correct placement, disassemble the device and weld the stiffeners to the body arch.
It is better to place the emery wheel horizontally, this ensures water retention on its surface. Cooling the knives with water will prevent the steel from overheating when sharpening.
Disadvantage of the device
The disadvantage of this machine is that it cannot be used if the chamfers on the knives are located at different angles. Since different manufacturers of ice augers have different designs, a universal device can be of great help.
Making a universal device for sharpening an ice drill
It overcomes the above obstacle. The knives are adjusted with screws, and there is also the possibility of reliable fixation in different positions relative to the abrasive wheel.
This device will require door hinge with a minimum stroke and an M8 screw with a nut. Holes with a diameter of up to 7 mm are drilled on the shelves of the canopy to secure the knives.
Made from a metal strip 3 mm thick clamping bar with groove for clamping screw. They are welded to the canopy slats.
Additionally, you can drill a few more holes for greater versatility of the device, so that non-standard knives can be sharpened.
How to sharpen planer knives
This equipment is also widely used at home. It allows you to bring untreated lumber to the required condition. Naturally, knives for woodworking machines need to be sharpened periodically.
To make the necessary devices, you will need different materials: steel, wood, etc.
The clamp itself is made of wood. Grooves are made on it at 45º. Knives are edited using a belt grinder or an abrasive stone.
It is important to maintain the exact angle - this ensures correct processing.
Sharpening with an electric sharpener
Equipment equipped with an electric drive greatly facilitates the work and reduces the duration of the process. But such devices require precision movements and work experience.
A do-it-yourself electric knife sharpener is made with an installed tool rest to support the item being sharpened, with the ability to adjust the gap between it and the abrasive wheel.
Note: A protective shield must be equipped to protect the eyes from dust.
Processing is performed with the front surface of the circle. Can't use it side faces. The knife is placed on the tool rest with the cutting edge up and held along the axis of the product. The movement is carried out evenly, smoothly, without strong pressure.
After sharpening on both sides, the final finishing of the cutting edge should be done with fine-grained stones until the bend of the edge of the blade completely disappears.
Of course, you can make a knife yourself, but specialized sharpeners are offered for sale that are absolutely safe and allow you to freely sharpen knives for any purpose.
To do this, after turning on the device, the knife is inserted into the desired slot and evenly drawn along it until the edge is completely sharpened.
These devices provide excellent sharpening quality. Their disadvantage is the inability to adjust the angle of the cutting edge.
Useful video: ideas for sharpening knives
Whatever equipment and tools you use, the main thing is to maintain safety when performing this operation. Remember that it is much easier to cut yourself with a dull knife than with a sharp one. Therefore, let the knives in your home always be sharpened.
A DIY knife sharpening device is a necessary device for any work in the kitchen or workshop. Usage is perfect sharp knives makes cooking much easier, allowing you to use less force to cut meat, slice vegetables or bread. Working with a dull knife is not only inconvenient, but also dangerous, because such a tool can fall off the material being cut at any moment and cause injury to you.
By using homemade sharpener for knives, you can sharpen the knife at any angle, since the sharpening angle is independently adjustable.
In order to bring any knife to a sharp state, you should know optimal angle his sharpening. This parameter depends on the grade of steel and the purpose of the knife. Homemade tools will help you set the knife at the right angle to sharpen it quickly and efficiently.
How to sharpen knives correctly
Figure 1. Device for sharpening knives “Domik”.
Some types kitchen knives impossible to sharpen yourself. These include specially shaped tools (for example, a bread knife or other types of knives with a raised edge). Also cannot be sharpened Ceramic knives. However, the advantage of the listed tools is that manufacturers try to make them from especially hard grades of steel, so they do not become dull for a long time.
For correct sharpening you should choose good abrasives of different grain sizes. Store-bought versions of such bars are quite expensive, but you can always make a block yourself from a piece of wood covered with fine sandpaper. It is important to have devices of different grain sizes: large ones for preliminary “grinding”, and small ones for grinding.
The optimal sharpening angle for a knife edge is from 20 to 30 degrees, depending on the functional purpose of the tool. Produce manual sharpening at this angle it is quite difficult, so simple homemade mechanisms are used for this purpose.
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Assembling a knife sharpening device
Among the many tools for sharpening knives with your own hands, you should choose the one that will best suit your goals. All devices have a fairly simple structure and consist of two main parts:
- stop for securely fastening the knife;
- a movable block of abrasive material.
Figure 2. Wooden body in the form of a right triangle to accommodate the whetstone.
The simplest tool for creating a sharp edge on a blade is called a “house” (Fig. 1). It looks like a rectangular or wooden block square shape, the upper edge of which is processed in the form of a gable “roof”. The angle of inclination of the edges of such a block is 20-25°. The knife to be sharpened is placed with its edge close to the ridge of the “roof”. By moving the abrasive bar in a horizontal plane along the blade, we will ensure that the sharpening angle remains constant.
There are also quite complex devices. To create them you will need some materials, tools and a little time, but you will provide yourself with a convenient sharpening tool for a long time. The device is assembled from the following materials:
- wooden board, dimensions 500x150x20 mm;
- metal studs, 8 mm in diameter with thread;
- several M8 bolts and nuts, wood screws;
- wing-type clamping screws;
- textolite or piece of steel for the pressure plate;
- optional neodymium magnet for securely fastening the knife during the sharpening process.
From wooden board you need to make the body in the form of a right triangle, and the lower leg should be slightly longer, since a stand for the grindstone will be placed on it (Fig. 2). The inclined board is attached at an angle of 20° to the base. A hole is made in it for attaching the pressure plate, through which a screw with a wing nut will pass.
Figure 3. It is necessary to drill a hole for a vertical pin, which will serve as a holder for the abrasive device.
Near the acute corner of the structure, you need to drill a hole for a vertical pin, which will serve as a holder for a movable abrasive structure (Fig. 3). A small one is put on the hairpin wooden block, which is clamped with a screw and a clamping nut.
The last element of the device is another pin with a clamp holder for an abrasive bar (Fig. 4). Clamps can be made independently from wood, metal, ebonite or other material, or you can use a disassembled clamp for this. For better stability, you can glue rubber feet to the bottom of the instrument (video 1).
In order to sharpen a knife using such a device, it is placed on a magnet, and if there is no magnet, it is pressed against the stop, holding it with your hand. The angle that occurs between the surface of the knife blade and the horizon provides optimal sharpness for kitchen knives. By making longitudinal movements with the holder with an abrasive stone, you need to achieve a sharp edge of the knife, then turn it over to the other side and repeat the steps.
As abrasive bars, you can use ready-made products that you can purchase at a hardware store or make them yourself. For this, small rectangular glass plates, 4-5 mm thick, are used. With help double sided tape Sandpaper of different grain sizes is glued onto their surface. The cost of such bars is very low, and the sandpaper can be replaced with new sandpaper at any time. The only caution is to tighten the clamp nuts carefully, otherwise the glass may easily break.
One of the problems that arises when using such a device is rapid wear of the abrasive, since water is not used during operation. For the same reason, you should avoid too fast movements, which lead to overheating of the metal and loss of the properties of the cutting edge.
Almost every person in life is faced with the question of sharpening knives. After all, any knife, regardless of its quality, sooner or later becomes dull. Therefore, the blade must be carefully maintained.
In stores today you can choose any sharpener from a huge variety.
What types of sharpening stones are there?
In general, there are several main types of such devices. Namely:
Oil-based, on the surface of which there is oil, specifically to save material.
Water, similar to the previous one, but water is used here.
Natural, industrially processed.
Artificial, made from non-natural materials.
Rubber, extremely rare. Completely inconvenient to use.
Nuances in the matter of sharpening
Every knife sharpening has its moments.
For example, Japanese independent type requires sharpening special attention quite an experienced specialist, since the Japanese type of steel is quite fragile. To sharpen them, manufacturers recommend using different water stones with different grain sizes.
Housewives use store-bought sharpeners for sharpening. When using several knives, their sharpness remains longer.
But this is very important, even though it takes a lot of time and effort.
How to sharpen knives correctly?
For this it is necessary to create special conditions. Thanks to them, the knife will remain sharp for a very long time.
Therefore, it is important to choose the right angle at which you will sharpen your knives. According to the basic rule in this matter, the smaller the angle at which the knife is sharpened, the stronger the cutting edge will be.
It is important not to forget that the next sharpening depends on the maximum sharpness. The sharper the knife, the faster you will have to sharpen it. At the same time, making it “workable” again will be much more difficult.
Why do they sharpen knives?
The purpose of sharpening is to restore the sharpness of the blade. To do this, take care of the correct sharpening angle. That is, it is necessary to restore the previously specified angle, which complies with the standards from a technological point of view.
To check how well the sharpening is done, cut the material that is cut by the blade of this particular knife. If the material is cut simply, you will do everything absolutely correctly.
Possible problems during the sharpening process
In order to choose the right angle correctly, it is important to have some experience, without which it is quite difficult to cope with this issue. And even more so if there is no special equipment for this.
After all, if you hold a knife with your hands during the sharpening process, it is quite difficult to achieve its ideal “sharpness” as a result.
How do you sharpen knives at home?
Sometimes it happens that the knife needs to be sharpened quickly. A block of wood, a hacksaw, sandpaper, a ceramic plate, a chisel, etc. may come in handy here.
And there are even those who can sharpen them on a foundation made of cement and sand. But this method is not recommended at all. After all, there are a lot of other and more proven ones!
The best of all is to make homemade device. This is not only convenient, but also hardly distinguishable from the factory one.
How to sharpen a planer knife
Knives of this type can be handled by an experienced professional craftsman who has not only knowledge, but also skills in this matter. The process is actually quite complicated.
At the same time, in simple store Equipment for sharpening such a knife is quite difficult to find. You should know what will help here modern instrument, in which you can set low speed with water cooling.
You need to use a new stone with a flat surface. The best type of stone will be the water type.
In addition, without specific experience and sharpening skills planing knives, you can also contact a service station, which probably has equipment such as a sharpener.
Often, ordinary abrasive stones are used to sharpen knives at home. But their use requires special practice, since if the angle for sharpening is incorrect, the result will be disastrous. The blade will not have proper sharpness, which will require additional processing.
Rules for sharpening knives
Before you start making homemade device To sharpen knives, you need to familiarize yourself with the recommendations of specialists. At the first stage, it is necessary to determine the angle between the working part of the blade and the block. This can be done individually for each model.
The knife should be positioned strictly perpendicular to the direction of the block. The angle in this case can be equal to half the sharpening. This is due to the fact that during processing, grooves are formed on the surface of the blade. They appear due to exposure to abrasive components. With minimal tool grit, they will be negligible. But there will also be a small degree of impact on the knife.
In addition to this factor, when sharpening a knife with your own hands, you should consider:
- the average sharpening angle is 20-25 degrees;
- processing is performed from the beginning of the blade;
- To control the sharpening angle, you can paint over part of the blade with a marker. In this way, the actual area of influence can be controlled.
It should be remembered that the deformation along the entire length of the working blade will be non-uniform. Therefore, when sharpening with your own hands, the “point of reference” should be the bluntest part of the knife.
The grooves formed due to the impact of the bar must be strictly perpendicular to the line of the knife. This is the main condition for proper sharpening.
Selecting whetstones for sharpening knives
Main component homemade machine There will be a whetstone for sharpening. This is an abrasive material that, when applied to the blade, thins it, increasing its sharpness. Therefore, before choosing a design, you should choose the right bars.
The main indicator of the bar is the grain size, but the dimensions should also be taken into account. Ideally, the length of the tool should be no less than the length of the knife. This will ensure uniform processing and reduce the likelihood of defects.
To sharpen knives with your own hands, you will need the following types of whetstones:
- high grain size. With their help, primary processing occurs, the shape of the blade is corrected;
- medium grit. They are designed to remove grooves formed during the first operation;
- whetstone or leather belt rubbed with GOM paste. This stage is called polishing or finishing the blade.
The main task of drawing up a design diagram is correct location bars. Therefore, we will consider several options for fixing them relative to the knife blade.
To sharpen ordinary kitchen knives, two types of whetstones will be sufficient - with high and medium grit. In addition to them you will need a touchstone.
A simple version of the machine
The simplest version of the machine design consists of two pairs wooden slats, connected to each other using adjustable screws. A block is attached between these components.
The main condition for the manufacture of this structure is stability. While working, it should not change its location on the desktop. For better fixation of the beam, it is recommended to provide support strips located between the wooden components.
Despite the ease of making it yourself, this machine has a number of disadvantages:
- the blade is manually adjusted relative to the stone. At long work it is not always possible to control the sharpening angle;
- an additional fixation unit will be required. Since the structure must be stable, it must be firmly fixed on the desktop;
- During operation, the ties may loosen, thereby changing the location of the bar.
The main advantage of this scheme is its ease of manufacture. The design is suitable for sharpening kitchen knives at home. Touchstone will be required as additional components.
The thickness of the wooden slats may vary. In fact for self-made For a similar design, you can use any available materials.
Manual sharpening machine with whetstone adjustment
For achievement best result It is recommended to take drawings of factory tool models as a basis. Their difference from the instructions described above lies in the rigid fixation of the knife, but this will require great effort to manufacture.
The design consists of a support table on which the knife blade is mounted. A screw stand is installed in a vertical position. A bar with a slot is attached to it. The whetstone is mounted on a guide rod. The sharpening angle is changed by moving the slotted bar along the screw post.
Features of operating a machine of this type:
- The sharpening angle is set with high accuracy. Its change depends on the thread pitch of the rack;
- Instead of a block, you can use sandpaper. For this purpose, a base is made of plexiglass. A hole is made along it for installation on the guide rod. Sandpaper glues to the surface of plexiglass;
- It is best to make the supporting base wide. This will make it possible to secure it with clamps on any tabletop.
The main problem with using this design is the long adjustment of the sharpening angle. This may affect the speed of work completion if several types of knives are processed. Each of them requires a long setup of the machine.
To increase the quality, you can use water or oil. They are applied to the abrasive surface, thereby reducing the impact of chipped stone particles on the blade.
Sharpening machine with adjustable knife position
An alternative option for manufacturing the machine is to change the position of the knife relative to the stone. In general, the design is in many ways similar to that described above, but much simpler to manufacture.
A movable fastening block for a pin with a stone is installed on the base. Two clamps are mounted on the same plane. One of them will be persistent, and the second will be adjustable. By changing the distances between the clamps you can adjust the sharpening angle.
The main disadvantage of this design is the wear of the bar in one place. To solve this problem, it is recommended to make a long pin to adjust the position of the edge relative to the blade.
In addition to the schemes described above, there are a lot of sharpening machines that you can make yourself. When choosing optimal model should be based on the actual availability of available materials. It is also recommended to analyze factory machines. Often they are the basis for the manufacture of a unique design.
