WHAT’S IN THIS COURSE . . . 

Sharp tools are the key to the best kind of woodworking success, but sharpening tools can take a lot of practice and even more time. That’s why so many people struggle with sharpening.

This course makes the sharpening job easier to master and much faster to use around the shop. You’ll get:

• Five videos that show everything you need to know.
• An understanding of what gear you need to set yourself for fast sharpening.
• Examples of how to sharpen straight tools like chisels and plane irons, plus curved chisels use for carving and sculpture work.

I was 16 years old when I first experienced a truly sharp chisel, and the event changed my life. It happened in the basement of my parents’ house. I’d become passionately interested in woodworking, and set up a workbench and hand tools. I couldn’t afford any power tools or fancy lumber, so I bought rough lumber and worked it by hand using an old Bailey smoothing plane that my great-grandfather bought new sometime in the late 1800s. My projects weren’t turning out as well as I wanted in those days, and I could see my inability to sharpen chisels and planes was the cause. So I shut down my woodworking and concentrated on learning how to sharpen. For weeks I experimented with different techniques before I invested in  black and white Arkansas oil stones and a piece of leather. After a few weeks of working with these, l I finally got it right. The eureka moment of taking that first cut with a truly sharp chisel is one of my favourite memories. It also taught me that sometimes a single, fundamental skill opens the doors to a whole new world of success. My hope is that learning to sharpen woodworking hand tools will do the same thing for you. Very few people know how to sharpen properly any more. Even among professional woodworkers and builders, I’ve only met one other person in the last 30 years who could do what you’ll learn to do here.

Section 1: Getting Started

How to Use This Course

1 of 2

This is where you learn how to get the most from this video course. It’s the next best thing to attending one of my how-to-sharpen workshops in person.

What You’ll Need and Where to Get It

2 of 2

This is where you’ll learn about the few tools you’ll need to master the fast, effective sharpening process you’ll discover here. These tools don’t cost much and they’ll last for decades.

Section 2: Mastering the Honing Process

Recognizing the Power of Sharpness

1 of 4

Until you’ve experienced truly sharp tools, it’s hard to understand the power they have. Read a true story about a surgically-sharp axe to see what I mean.

VIDEO: Power Honing – The Key to Ultra-Fast Sharpening

2 of 4

This is where you learn the main thing about the sharpening process I like so much – a process called power honing – and exactly how it works.

VIDEO: Two Important Tips

3 of 4

This lesson is all about two things you need to understand to ensure success. The first is about safety and the second is key to getting sharp results.

VIDEO: When Not to Use a Hard Felt Wheel

4 of 4

The hard felt buffing wheel is the workhorse of this sharpening system. But sometimes you can’t use a hard felt wheel. Check out this alternative and learn when to use it.

Section 3: Testing Sharpened Edges & Troubleshooting Problems

VIDEO: How to Test an Edge

1 of 2

Just because a honed tool edge is shiny doesn’t mean it can cut well. That’s where testing comes in. Here are two ways to see how your sharpening work has worked.

What To Do If It Doesn’t Cut

2 of 2

It might take you a few attempts to perfect your honing skills. This lesson is all about fixing a honed edge that doesn’t cut like it should.

Section 4: Grinding – The Once-in-a-While Job

VIDEO: How and Why to Grind Tools

1 of 2

Every-so-often you’ll need to re-establish the proper angle of the edges of your tools. This won’t be a regular thing, but it is important that you do it right. Here’s how.

Economical Alternative to a Bench Grinder

2 of 2

You don’t necessarily need a bench grinder to shape the edges of cutting tools properly. You can make-do surprisingly well with a woodworking belt sander, as you’ll see.

Section 5: Final Words & Extra Help

Wrapping Up & Final Help

1 of 1

By now you should have experienced what truly sharp tools can do. You might not be perfect in your skills yet, but it will happen with practice. Check out this lesson to learn how you can get more help if needed.