ruthless Report post Posted March 18, 2009 Does anyone know how to sharpen the blade on a Tandy Craftool High-Tech Leather Splitter? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bree Report post Posted March 18, 2009 Does anyone know how to sharpen the blade on a Tandy Craftool High-Tech Leather Splitter? I sharpen mine (Osborne 84 type splitter) by removing it and honing it on a granite surface plate. You can use a stones like soft/hard Arkansas stones or waterstones. You can also use sandpaper affixed to the surface plate if you have one with sufficient certified flatness. Be careful because that blade is very sharp even when it seems dull and can easily inflict a serious wound very fast. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gtwister09 Report post Posted March 18, 2009 This guy has some great ideas on sharpening and it is very well researched. Beach Sharpening There are a lot of different areas to read about. I like him a lot because he is ALL about jigs and the repeatability. In my research, I talked with a couple of tooling and grinding experts who I worked with in the past that perform cutter tool and grinding in a large manufacturing site. They were impressed with his work and his research. They knew that I was not a great fan of microbevels in sharpening but I also can't argue with the data that they have compiled over tens of thousands of hours of tool monitoring comparing with and without microbevels. It cuts thier sharpening time dramatically and yields a slightly longer cutter time. The time was not that much different but when using CNC machines that time counts because setup in a holder and checking it on a digital comparator takes time. So if they can leave it in a little longer it adds up over time when you are discussing thousands of tools that are used in their high speed machining environment. I have used it for plane irons and chisels but will have to modify the setup to use it for my 10" splitter blade. I was also thinking of using a setup for my smaller planer blades as well (12-1/2). Instead of having all three cutting surfaces together I will have to make it where I can do one at a time. Enjoy the reading... Regards, Ben P.S. As Bree said BE CAREFUL!!!!! More than one person has cut themselves on these blades. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bruce johnson Report post Posted March 18, 2009 Regards,Ben P.S. As Bree said BE CAREFUL!!!!! More than one person has cut themselves on these blades. That is a fact, says Bruce, someone who is pretty careful and doesn't follow the Stohlman diagrams of pushing a stone into any edge as illustrated on page 4 of the tool book. One of my pals accidentally had his finger hanging over the edge of a stone and sliced the end off when he got a little close to the edge. I keep my fingers behind the cutting edge. and work the stone back to me for shaping. That works well for me. However a bit more caution is warranted after that. A guy might want to be careful replacing the blade into the splitter. Maybe watch the edge and not accidentally brush a finger over it while watching the bolt holes line up. I am healing up nicely but have a flat spot on the end of a finger. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hidepounder Report post Posted March 18, 2009 Ben, That's a great site...very informative! Thanks! Bob Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tonyc1 Report post Posted March 18, 2009 On the Osborne you can just turn the blade around, screw down tight on the frame again and use that as a means to keep the blade in place as you stone it. Tony. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Report post Posted March 19, 2009 Now, I'm not an engineer, or a machinist, or a metalurgist, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. When I sharpen my splitter blades, I just take it off the splitter. Lay it flat on the stone, lift it up 'til you feel the angle that's already there and sharpen it. Then I turn it over and lay it flat and draw it across the stone ONCE on the flat side and follow with a little buffing and that's it. If your not in control of the blade you WILL get cut. But it's not that difficult. My go to splitter is a Leather Factory copy of the 84 that is about 16 or 17 years old, I took a day to work it over when I got it and I've replaced the handle a couple times, but it's been a great splitter and when anyone in the shop has some thing precise to split, they come use mine, even from another shop we have across the street, and there's a nice old Randall over there. I do have an Osborne 84, the 6" Osborne, 2, ok 3 Chase patterns, the High Tech, which was $40 new and my first splitter and two Landis sole splitters and maybe parts enough for an 8" Osborne, but I wouldn't take them to work, "They're mine all mine, do you hear?" No problems here. Kevin Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ruthless Report post Posted March 19, 2009 I emailed Tandy and they sent me instructions, I'll upload them here in case anyone else needs them Thanks for the safety tips! I'll make sure my husband is careful not to cut himself Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gtwister09 Report post Posted March 19, 2009 Now, I'm not an engineer, or a machinist, or a metalurgist, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. Bob, It does have a lot of GREAT information and it uses jigs.... It would be fairly easy to use his method for splitter blades especially the smaller ones. It would only take slight modifications to do the larger blades. Regards, Ben Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
