Sharpening the Technatool Dovetail Chisel - How

[Jim Bennett]

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but.... I bought a Technatool Dovetail Chisel a year or so ago and find it excellent for adding a dovetailed recess on the platters I've been turning. But - I'm at a loss as to how to re-sharpen the darn thing. I have a slow speed grinder but looking at the angles on the tool, I can't see how the grinder can be used to get the chisel back to original sharpness. Ideas?

Jim
Eagle, ID

 

[Dean Center]

I believe it's technically a scraper. And I'm assuming you have a bench grinder that runs at slow speed. If you have a really slow speed sharpener, like the Tormek, then I apologize and have no help, but Bill will be along shortly to provide instruction for this system.

Put on a platform set at the correct 'nose' angle, dovetail tool flat on platform with end lined up with surface of wheel and advance til sparks come over top of tool if you have a stone wheel, or until you guess it's sharp if you have CBN. The side cutter/scraper is trickier. Assuming it's the same face angle as the end, you would rotate the tool way the heck around clockwise until the angled face lined up with the surface of the wheel and grind as you did for the end. This will be much easier on the left wheel of a pair. You could also try sharpening on the side of the wheel, but we are not supposed to do this for safety reasons and I am not suggesting you try.

Alternatively, you could refresh the edge with a diamond hone, such as the credit card size ones. This might give you enough edge for a few recesses, and would be very quick to do, and redo as often as needed. Eventually, you'll have to go back to the grinder.

 

[Bill Boehme]

I believe that the acute angle would preclude using a bench grinder. The easiest solution would be to use the coarse-grit DMT Dia-Sharp credit-card size diamond hones.

 

[Jim Bennett]

Thanks guys - I've ordered a set of the DMT hones and will see how they do with this tool.

Jim

 

[robo hippy]

It can be done on a square edge CBN wheel. Other than that, hone the bevel, and a coarse hone/stone, like 220 grit. A few up strokes on the wing, and some cross wise strokes on the front bevel. Those little paddle type stones from DMT are perfect, they are maybe 1 inch wide and 1 1/2 inch long with colored plastic handles. The cards will work too. With standard scrapers, I go straight to the grinder.

robo hippy

 

[John Hicks]

It does need a burr to work well. I get a good enough bur just using either a 180 CBN, or the 120 belt on a proedge

 

[Randy Heinemann]

The DMT diamond hones work well for that and for several other tools that are hard to sharpen on a grinder. Since mine are diamond hones I've found a couple of other uses for them also. It takes a little practice, though to keep them flat on small edges like the dovetail chisel.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

This is a double ended tool that I made from a HS blank and I did put the final form on it with a 80 grit mega square CBN wheel. If get a chance I will take a picture of the position I held it at to get the angle. The handle has 2 T-nuts inside with 1/4-20 set screws that are used to hold it in place, so that may be of interest to a previous thread.

 

[Jim Bennett]

Great photos, Don! I like how you can get it done with the tailstock in place, too.

Jim

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

This is approximately how I got the dove tail angle of course it is much easier when you aren't holding it with one hand and holding the phone and snapping the picture with the other.

 

[Timothy White]

Is this what you are talking about?

I’ve been using mine for about ten years all I sharpen is the top face with a diamond hone. Take a few swipes and continue using. I don’t mess with the bevels at all.
I pre shape my dovetails with a 3/8” (shaft diameter) bowl gouge then lightly touch them up with the dove tail chisel.

 

[Bill Boehme]

This is approximately how I got the dove tail angle of course it is much easier when you aren't holding it with one hand and holding the phone and snapping the picture with the other.

Don, is the tool rest in the photo the one that Stuart Batty used t sell?

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

Don, is the tool rest in the photo the one that Stuart Batty used t sell?

No it is one that I made my self after having seen similar ones. The rounded rests I feel work better for grinding handled tools that are almost used up.