NWGeoFan Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 Does anyone have any good tips for sharpening a chisel? Mine has recently grown dull from excursions to the local quarry for quartz. Any tips are appreciated! "I am going to dig up dinosaurs whether they are liquid or solid" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Rico Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 What I do always find really helpful in any DIY situation is to look on YouTube. Can i say that, hear? Never has let me down . Sorry TFF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 Get yourself a grinding wheel or go to someone who has one. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWGeoFan Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 Thank you both for replying I will definitely check youtube and I think my neighbor has a wheel. "I am going to dig up dinosaurs whether they are liquid or solid" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Rico Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 If you never used a grinding wheel be very careful and get your neighbor to show you. Sorry I work in Design Technology collage in the UK they drum so much health and safety into use I can't stop my self saying this. Cheers Bobby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 I would be extremely careful using a grinding wheel and not just for the safety aspect. If done improperly a wheel can cause you to overheat the blade.This can cause the blade to dull prematurley and basically ruin the blade. Personally, I use a good file to sharpen my chisels, whether for rock or woodworking Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt behind the trailer, my desert Them red clay piles are heaven on earth I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt Patterson Hood; Drive-By Truckers May 2016 May 2012 Aug 2013, May 2016, Apr 2020 Oct 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NWGeoFan Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 42 minutes ago, sixgill pete said: I would be extremely careful using a grinding wheel and not just for the safety aspect. If done improperly a wheel can cause you to overheat the blade.This can cause the blade to dull prematurley and basically ruin the blade. Personally, I use a good file to sharpen my chisels, whether for rock or woodworking He should be able to help he sharpens axe blades and such quite often. What type of file do you use? This would probably be a lot easier for the future. 1 hour ago, Bobby Rico said: If you never used a grinding wheel be very careful and get your neighbor to show you. Sorry I work in Design Technology collage in the UK they drum so much health and safety into use I can't stop my self saying this. Cheers Bobby Thanks for the warning, safety is always good to have on your mind. My neighbor is experienced in using it so it will be fine if I end up going over there to sharpen it. "I am going to dig up dinosaurs whether they are liquid or solid" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeepTimeIsotopes Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 Grinding wheels are great. Once you get practiced on it, you'll be able to whip it out in minutes and be on your way back to the quarrry. Each dot is 50,000,000 years: Hadean............Archean..............................Proterozoic.......................................Phanerozoic........... Paleo......Meso....Ceno.. Ꞓ.OSD.C.P.Tr.J.K..Pg.NgQ< You are here Doesn't time just fly by? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJB Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 Like UtahFossilHunter says, just get yourself a grinding wheel and sharpen it, Only take a couple of minutes and your done. Wear some safety glasses. RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 A file is a cheaper option and works fine. You should use a full sized "fine" file to sharpen a chisel. Also try to keep a similar angle on the tip to what is there already. Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 I'm in the grinder camp. The thought of sharpening a hardened chisel with a file makes me cringe. It is very easy to touch up a chisel with a grinder without ruining the heat treatment. All you need to do is dunk the tip in a bucket of water once for every 20 seconds or so of grinding. This will keep the hardened edge cold enough to stay happy. I do this all the time when I'm doing finish work on treated and tempered knives. I've never ruined a heat treat doing this. Regards, Kris Global Paleo Services, LLC https://globalpaleoservices.com http://instagram.com/globalpaleoservices http://instagram.com/kris.howe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilcrazy Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 While grinding, keep periodically quenching the tip in water. Overheating the grind area will make the tool lose it's "temper" or hardness. If that happens the chisel will dull fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike from North Queensland Posted October 30, 2017 Share Posted October 30, 2017 I use the grinder wheel on a stationary motor. You can use an angle grinder with a metal grinding wheel as a cheaper solution. Always wear glasses or use a shield, quench in water as you go and take your time. Remember to always grind off the splayed material on the striking surface as that is where pieces will fly of the chisel when in the field. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptychodus04 Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 Personally, I like to take old tools and forge them into knives... but I have been accused (rather unfairly in my opinion) of being a bit odd.I have an old digging bar that is just begging to turn into a claymore! Regards, Kris Global Paleo Services, LLC https://globalpaleoservices.com http://instagram.com/globalpaleoservices http://instagram.com/kris.howe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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