Sharpening Different Types Of Edgers

[Ellen]

This is a common problem with hard to find on the Internet solution: how to sharpen different types of edgers (edge bevelers), when stroping with rouge no longer works. Some of us get already dull or old tools that need serious sharpening.

If it was answered, please post a link. I did the search.

Books for reference: Leathercraft Tools by Al Stohlman, General Leathercraft by Raymond Cherry.

But how do you do it?

1. Common edger, old Osborne, rounded between "toes".

Requires dowel of slightly smaller diameter to be covered by wet-dry sandpaper 400-600 grit, followed by more fine sandpaper (2000 grit in auto store, and micron grit from fine woodworking stores).

Pitfalls: I have seen use of needle file covered by fine sandpaper, that eventually made a widening between "toes", edger became two sizes larger and not usable anymore for the leather at hand. Better not to keep sharpening dowel in the hands, angle constantly changes, and place it on the table.

2. Round bottom edger, end bent up. Tubing or rod based (with or without hole inside). Example: Rampart Tools.

In "Sharpening Round Edge Edgers" was recommended the use of the slighter smaller diameter rod, placed on the table, covered by wet-dry 600 grit sandpaper.

Pitfalls: Tried with dry paper, it tends to make a bell shape instead of round. Working keeping both in hands changes angle constantly, not good. And how to work without flattening curve of the tool itself, rocking back and forward? Hand tends to change direction all the time.

3. Thin leather edger, short end bent up, triangle opening. Sharpening from the top.

Using fine triangle needle file, covered with sandpaper is difficult because of curved end. And how to sharpen it without increasing the size?

Another variety of thin leather edger has slow graceful curve, with triangle profile groove along all length of the tool.

How to work with its sharpening?

4. Tandy edger, the simper one.

Square narrow opening, what to use?

Help, if you can. Please.

Thanks.

[Tree Reaper]

I wouldn't use dowl or a file shape because it is bound to change the cutting surface to match the shape of the dowl or file.

My best guess is to use strips of leather with various grades of rubbing compound or rouge.

Fine to finish and coarse to take more metal.

The leather strips should be cut to match the width of the cutting edge on the tool.

Leather is soft and will mold to the shape of the cutting groove.

I sharpen this tool on the edge of this leather strip.

Kevin.

Edited February 1, 2011 by Tree Reaper

[Ellen]

Kevin, where they sell the rough rouge? Online or in stores in Canada.

[Tree Reaper]

Kevin, where they sell the rough rouge? Online or in stores in Canada.

I don't know Ellen;

I'm new to this myself.

You can get rubbing compound in different grades at automotive stores.

I've seen different colours of jewelers rouge so I assume they are different.

Gun repair suppliers stock the polishing cakes for different metal also.

I found this ...

http://www.schaffnermfg.com/jewelers-rouge.html

Edited February 1, 2011 by Tree Reaper

[bison]

You might try a woodworking store for the rouge. Here in Oklahoma my local Woodcrafters store sells several grades of rouge. I apply it to my strop and draw my edger backwards across the corner. I do this after each use and it has stayed nice and sharp.

Dave

[Denster]

Weavers sells about the handiest device for both sharpening and stropping edgers. All it is is a 2X6 plank about 18"long. Heavy leather that has been edge beveled is set in four saw kerfs lengthwise in the board. There are two different thicknesses for small and large edgers. On two of the strips you rub with beeswax then sprinkle with powdered aluminum oxide this is for sharpening. On the other two you rub in jewelrs rouge. These are for stropping. Every time I sit down to edge a piece I run the edger a couple of licks over the sharpening side and 8 or 10 strokes over the stropping side. It only takes a few seconds and I always have a sharp edger.

I believe they charge 12 bucks for the tool but it would be easy to make.

[Ellen]

Thank you all. Who can add more on sharpening, not polishing? Not on staying sharp, but making it sharp, for future stropping.

The stroping compounds I saw and tried - white and green - are fine, they do not make the old dull tool sharp.

Weaver is wholesale only, it uses aluminum oxide in wax as a rouge, who knows how fine it is.

I tried wet-dry sandpaper over the rod and only made it worse. Counting that I'm able to sharpen a knife very well.

[Tree Reaper]

Another option would be to take it to a knife sharpener that uses a buffing wheel.

Once they get an edge on it you should be able to keep it sharp yourself.

They might run it on the corner of the wheel to get in the groove or have another option.

That's what they do, it's their profession so that might be a good place to start.

Just tell them what you want.

[Denster]

Thank you all. Who can add more on sharpening, not polishing? Not on staying sharp, but making it sharp, for future stropping.

The stroping compounds I saw and tried - white and green - are fine, they do not make the old dull tool sharp.

Weaver is wholesale only, it uses aluminum oxide in wax as a rouge, who knows how fine it is.

I tried wet-dry sandpaper over the rod and only made it worse. Counting that I'm able to sharpen a knife very well.

The aluminum oxide with beeswax is not a rouge. The beeswax is to hold it to the leather. This will sharpen a dull edger in short order. If you can't buy from Weavers make one.

[bruce johnson]

I have not had a problem with using wet-dry over something round. I use everything from small nails on a size 1 or 2 up to larger nails. I rarely have to get much bigger except on the very large sizes. If you are widening the area, I would suspect the rod is too large.

I personally use 4 styles of edgers but all of them are round on the bottom. I use the old CSO with the forked points, bisonettes, the round bottoms, and the french type edgers with a half rounded bottom and some sweep to the profile from the side. To bring the edge back to shape I use a coarser wet-dry like 400 on a round base, then go to 600. They are pretty easy to do, a few strokes on whatever wrapped in wet dry and then buff on a wheel with a lighter rouge. I usually go from brown to green. I can pretty well maintain them with the spiral sewn wheel and green rouge and touch them to the corner.

I don't like the Osbornes and the Tandys with the slot. They might be alright for a while but still drag and chatter more than any others. They may be the cheapest to buy but for me they were the hardest to sharpen and maintain. For grins I took a few and ground one side off to see what kind of angle the edges were ground at. I should have taken pictures. The angle was pretty steep on some of the ones I dissected. There's a reason for the drag and chatter. To try to get something down in there and maintain an angle is pretty tough. There is some debate, but I think they sharpen up better working on the bottom and then strop out the slot with a hard cardboard or leather disc on a dremel. Still even at their best, not very good compared to a cutting edge with a thinner profile.

[Kevin]

Thread + wax + valve grinding compound from your favorite local auto parts store.

Kevin

[Ellen]

Bruce, thank you so much! I'll try your method and will forget about Tandy-like edgers.

Thank you all, very helpful!

I found these polishing compounds, in both fine woodworking store and jewelry supply store. The last has much wider choice at comparable prices.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but in general:

- the bobbing (tan) compound is the coarsest,

- next is grey, more dry,

- next is brown Tripoli, for removing scratches,

- then white diamond compound, also dry, less coarse,

- green is polishing chrome oxide compound, particle size 0.5 micron.

They also have hard and rock hard felt bobs. Woodworking store has 3M micron abrasive sheets, and recommend them for sharpening the insides of gauges. We'll see.

I wonder, what else one have to learn for leatherworking