How to Sharpen Chisels on a Bench Grinder

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Using a sharp and well-maintained tool is far safer than a dull one and the same is the case with chisels. A dull chisel will have a higher chance of slipping or skidding out of the cavity which can lead to an injury. In addition, you also won’t be able to make accurate cuts and grooves using a chipped or dull chisel.

That’s why it’s important to keep your chisels sharp all the time. In this article, I’m going to discuss a detailed step-by-step guide to sharpening chisels on a bench grinder. 

How to Sharpen Chisels on a Bench Grinder

Using a bench grinder is one of the fastest and most effective ways to sharpen your chisels. Use the following steps carefully to sharpen your chisels on a bench grinder:

Step 1: Choose Correct Grinding Wheel

A grinding wheel comes with thousands of tiny abrasive particles, or grains, that stick together with the help of bonding material.

Wheels like this are used on a variety of tools. For example, a wire wheel like this is used on an angle grinder to cut. Different grinding wheels come with different abrasive types and the most commonly used one is known as aluminum oxide.

The price and the color of the grinding wheel depend on its oxide’s purity. I recommend you use a white or gray grinding wheel for sharpening chisels on a bench grinder.

White Grinding Wheel

The white grinding wheel, as the name implies, has a white color because it’s made of nearly pure aluminum oxide. If you want to achieve a razor-sharp cutting edge of a chisel, you should use this type of grinding wheel with a 60 to 100 grit size.

Another reason why white grinding wheels are the best choice is that they’re suitable for heat-sensitive steel. It’s the most commonly used material to make chisels.

Gray Grinding Wheel

A gray grinding wheel is the most common type of grinding wheel as you can use it to sharpen most steel types. If you don’t want to get razor-sharp results, you should go with a gray grinding wheel with 60 to 80 grit size.

Step 2: Clean Grinding Wheel

If you have a brand-new wheel, you can skip this step. Otherwise, you’ll need to clean and dress the grinding wheel properly with the help of a dressing tool. It’s an important step to make sure that you achieve the best sharpening results.

We recommend you use a diamond grinding wheel dresser for this purpose.

  • First, you’ll need to set the tool rest of your grinder to a 90-degree angle.
  • Then move the wheel dresser back and forth against the surface of the grinding wheel.
  • Move the wheel dresser slowly and gently to remove less metal from the surface. It’ll allow you to get a finer cutting edge of your chisel after sharpening it.

Step 3: Ensure Personal Safety

Using a bench grinder to sharpen a chisel creates a lot of minute flying objects. These tiny little particles are extremely hot and can lead to an unwanted injury. That’s why it’s critically important to ensure your personal safety before sharpening a chisel on a bench grinder.

Wear safety goggles with a face shield to cover your eyes, as well as your entire face. You should also wear a pair of leather gloves and a leather work apron to protect your hands and clothing. It’ll also keep flying hot particles from reaching your skin.

Step 4: Choose Correct Grinder Speed

Both fast and slow bench grinders are available on the market. 

  • A slow grinder comes with 1,800 to 2,000 RPM of speed, while a fast one usually rotates at 3,000 to 3,500 RPM. 
  • However, most fast grinders have variable speed settings, which means you can set them to the desired speed depending on your project.

Ideally, you should select a speed of ,1500 to 2,000 RPM for sharpening chisels. 

But if your fast grinder doesn’t allow you to set the desired speed, you can still use it. You’ll only need to make sure that you work with a light touch to keep it from grinding too much material.

Step 5: Set Chisel’s Angle

After setting up your bench grinder and the proper speed settings, the next step is to set a correct chisel angle to the surface of the grinding wheel.

Most chisels come with a 20-degree angle of the bevel. But you should consult with the user’s manual of your product to find the correct angle.

Once you have determined the angle of your chisel’s bevel, place it on the grinding wheel and set the grinder’s tool rest accordingly. This way, you’ll only need to touch the chisel’s blade to the wheel and the tool rest will take care of the angle.

Make sure that your bench grinder is unplugged while performing this step.

Important Note: You can also draw the bevel angle of your chisel on a cardboard piece. Then cut it with scissors and use it as a guide for testing the angle of the grinder’s tool rest. It’ll allow you to make sure that you have set the tool rest with the correct angle.

Step 6: Start Sharpening

Now you need to start the sharpening process. 

  1. Turn your bench grinder on and touch the blade of the chisel to the rotating wheel. The grinding wheel will start sharpening the cutting edge.
  2. Move the chisel’s blade horizontally throughout the sharpening process. Make sure that you don’t keep the blade and grinding wheel in contact for more than five seconds. That’s because it can lead to overheating which can damage the cutting edge of your chisel.
  3. Place a cup of water near your bench grinder. Dip your chisel in water after every five seconds as you remove it from the grinder’s tool rest. It’ll keep your chisel cool all the time and eliminate the risk of overheating.

Step 7: Remove Burr

You’ll need to strop your chisel after sharpening it on a bench grinder. The sharpening process creates a burr on the cutting edge which makes it rough. Stopping allows you to remove that burr and smooth out the blade.

We recommend you use a leather strop fixed onto a wooden block for stropping. You’ll need to place the blade of your chisel on the strop at the same angle you used for sharpening.

Then you’ll need to move it back and forth gently to make the cutting edge smooth. 15 to 20 strokes will be more than enough to remove the burr and smooth out the chisel’s blade.

FAQs

What’s the Best Grinding Wheel to Sharpen Chisels?

Using a white grinding wheel made of nearly pure aluminum oxide is your best option. It’s suitable for heat-sensitive steel, which is the most commonly used material to make chisels. A white grinding wheel also allows you to achieve a razor-sharp cutting edge. Make sure that you choose a grinding wheel that comes with a 60 to 100 grit size to achieve the best results.

What Angle Should Chisels Be Sharpened At?

Most chisels should be sharpened at a 20-degree angle. That’s because most chisels have a bevel with the same angle. However, you should read the user’s manual of your model to find the correct angle in order to achieve the best results.

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Final Words

Chisels are one of the most commonly used woodworking tools that allow you to shape, cut, and carve wood. You must keep your chisels sharpened all the time if you want them to work optimally. I hope this guide will help you understand the right way to sharpen your chisels on a bench grinder efficiently.

An expert at home repair, remodel, and DIY projects for nearly 40 years. His first experience came in completely restoring an antique home. Completely redone from the inside out, and restored to its original form, the home is a featured design by renowned Southern California Architect Cliff May, considered to be the father of the California Ranch Home. Now Dennis spends his time on fine woodworking projects and tool comparisons.