Almost every person in life is faced with the question of sharpening knives. After all, any knife, regardless of its quality, sooner or later becomes dull. Therefore, the blade must be carefully looked after.
In stores today you can choose any sharpener among a huge variety.
What are sharpening stones?
In general, there are several main types of such devices. Namely:
Oil, on the surface of which there is oil, especially to save material.
Water, similar to the previous one, but water is used here.
Natural, industrially processed.
Artificial, made from non-natural materials.
Rubber, extremely rare. Completely inconvenient to use.
Nuances in the issue of sharpening
There are moments in sharpening every knife.
For example, a Japanese self-sharpening type requires special attention from a rather experienced specialist, since the Japanese type of steel is quite fragile. To sharpen them, manufacturers give a recommendation to use different water stones, endowed with a variety of grain sizes.
Mistresses use sharpeners bought in the store for sharpening. When using several knives, their sharpness lasts longer.
But this is very important, even though it takes a lot of time and effort.
How to sharpen knives properly?
For this, special conditions must be created. Thanks to them, the knife will remain sharp for a very long time.
Therefore, it is important to choose the right angle at which you will sharpen your knives. According to the basic rule in this matter, the smaller the angle at which the knife is sharpened, the stronger the cutting edge will be.
It is important not to forget that the next sharpening depends on the maximum sharpness. The sharper the knife, the faster it will need to be sharpened. At the same time, it will be much more difficult to make it “workable” again.
Why sharpen knives?
The purpose of sharpening is to restore the sharpness of the blade. To do this, take care of the correct sharpening angle. That is, it is necessary to restore the previously set angle that meets the standards from a technological point of view.
To check how well the sharpening is done, cut the material that is cut with the blade of this particular knife. If the material is cut elementarily, you will do everything absolutely right.
Possible problems during the sharpening process
In order to choose the right angle correctly, it is important to have some experience, without which it is quite difficult to cope with this issue. And even more so if there is no special equipment for this.
After all, if you hold the knife with your hands during the sharpening process, it is quite difficult to achieve its ideal “sharpness” as a result.
How do you sharpen knives at home?
Sometimes it happens that the knife needs to be sharpened quickly. A block of wood, a hacksaw, sandpaper, a ceramic plate, a chisel, etc. can come in handy here.
And there are even those who can sharpen on the foundation of cement with sand. But, this method is not recommended at all. After all, there are many other and more proven ones!
The best of all is to make a homemade device. It is not only convenient, but also indistinguishable from the factory.
How to sharpen a planer knife
An experienced professional master who has not only knowledge, but also skills in this matter can handle knives of such a plan. The process is quite complicated actually.
At the same time, in a simple store, equipment for sharpening such a knife is quite difficult to find. You should know that a modern tool will help here, in which you can set low speeds with water cooling.
It is necessary to apply a new stone on which a flat surface. The best will be exactly the water type of stone.
In addition, without having certain experience and skills in sharpening planing knives, you can also contact the service station, where you probably have equipment such as a sharpener.
The blades in the cutting tool are the basis of everything. A kitchen knife, grinder discs, chains for a lawn mower or a chainsaw with a well-sharpened blade simplify and speed up the work process.
You can sharpen a tool in a professional workshop or at home if you make a do-it-yourself knife sharpening machine from simple materials.
For knives that are in household use, you do not need a special tool for sharpening, it is enough to have a sharpener in the form of a bar at hand. But if there is a chainsaw at home, the chains of which also need regular sharpening, or a grinder, the disks of which are constantly dulling, then it is better to make the installation yourself. The essence of the device is as follows: a bar is attached to the desktop in two variations - with or without adjustment. For those who do not understand the essence of making a sharpener with their own hands according to the text, they can watch photo or video master classes.
Device manufacturing scheme
In order for the device to turn out to be of high quality and safe, you need to calculate in advance the dimensions of the machine for sharpening knives with your own hands and select the necessary materials. The first thing to do is to calculate the angle between the working part of the cutting blade and the bar.
This is followed by the selection of base materials (support) and stone. You can make a machine from glass covered with sandpaper or stone attached to a support. The first option is less expensive, and the sandpaper can be changed at any time, but a more reliable installation is made of stone.
Process Nuances
In order for the machine for sharpening knives according to the drawings with your own hands to turn out to be ideal and last for more than one year, you need to use the advice of specialists. The first thing to take into account is what kind of blade will be sharpened.
After all, an individual angle is selected for each knife:
- Blades for cutting hard objects (for example, cardboard, wood, metal), chainsaws - 30-45 degrees.
- Hunting, tourist knives - at an angle of 25-30 degrees.
- Kitchen cutting tools for cutting various products need to be sharpened at 20-25 degrees.
- Simple knives for cutting bread, vegetables and fruits require 15-20 degrees of sharpening. At the same angle, you need to sharpen ordinary household scissors, as well as razor knives.
Necessary materials
If you need to make a sharpening machine, you will need the following materials:
- several wooden bars;
- sandpaper;
- cutting tools;
- drill with several drills.
Simple machine. Step-by-step instruction
- Step 1. Take three rails and place them so that together they form the letter H. The width of the middle rail should be equal to the width of the saw bar. Repeat procedure.
- Step 2. Place the rails perpendicular to each other, connecting their bases - the main structure for holding the saw bar is ready.
- Step 3. This is one of the most important steps! It is necessary to correctly calculate the angle of attachment of the bar relative to the rails. Calculate it using measuring tools and mark the places where the timber is attached to the vertical and horizontal rails.
If you want a universal fixture, then you need to make several retractable bolts at the spacing distance so that you can change the slope of the beam if necessary. This can be done with simple measuring tools and drills. After that, you can cut the slats to a convenient length.
The inconvenience of such a machine is that you have to independently control the location of the knife relative to the beam. If you do not want to think about anything at all while sharpening knives, scissors or chains, then you should make a more complex machine.
Universal machine. Step-by-step instruction
Read each step carefully and, where possible, draw a drawing for each step with all dimensions - this will be a great help in your work:
- Cut out two rectangular trapezoids from plywood, the bases of which will be 60 and 170 mm, and the sidewall along the right angle will be 230 mm.
- Cut out a rectangular plank with dimensions of 230 by 150 mm.
- Fasten the rectangle between the bases so that it protrudes 40 mm upwards.
- Cut out a 60mm by 60mm block and attach it to the base of the wedge.
- Using a drill, make a vertical hole in the bar at a distance of 50 mm from the center. Insert the futors from above and below the hole, and into them - a hairpin of the appropriate diameter, 25 cm long.
- Work on a rectangular base. At the level of 40 mm of the protrusion, make a cut of about 2 mm so that a sheet of sandpaper can be attached to this place
- Make a fixer:
- Take an L-shaped plank with dimensions of 15 by 18 cm along the long edges and an approximate width of each shelf up to 5 cm.
- Take a rectangular bar 5 by 5 cm.
- Make a groove in the plank at the level of the hairpin and fix the planks on it with minimal mobility.
8. Make a traffic controller:
- Secure the stud with a nut so that it does not rotate.
- From hard wood, cut out a block with dimensions of 20x40x80 mm and fasten it to the stud with nuts.
- On the wide side, make a hole of 9 mm indented from the edge of 15 mm.
- Cut out two bars of 50x80x20 mm from hardwood and make one hole in them at a distance of 20 mm from the edge in the center.
- Take the welding of a stud and a smooth rod and fasten the bars on it as follows: first the fixing nut, then the first bar. Then an aluminum profile, then a second bar and another retainer.
- Glue the sandpaper to the aluminum profile.
The universal sharpening tool is ready. Cut out several templates with different angles so that you can refer to them as you work. Remember that at each stage of creating a tool, pre-created drawings will help you - do not neglect this step, otherwise it will be very difficult to avoid mistakes.
No matter what you need to sharpen - a simple kitchen knife, garden or nail clippers or chainsaw chains - such a tool will cope with any job if you set the angle correctly and remember to use it when the need arises.
There are two main reasons why buying a factory sharpener is not an option. Firstly, the purchase of an inexpensive device made in China, in further operation, will not provide the product with the sharpness of the proper quality.
Branded copies can be a solution to this problem, but a significant drawback is the cost. There is no opportunity or just a desire to shell out a tidy sum for a device, then you can make a machine for sharpening knives with your own hands. There is no need to develop new designs, create your creation based on existing models. Do-it-yourself knife sharpening machine, different types with detailed instructions.
We imitate a sharpener model from Lansky
This machine for sharpening knives is presented in the form of two metal corners connected to each other. The sharpening angle is determined by the hole into which the needle is inserted, at the end of which there is a nozzle.
Of the options considered, this one is the least user-friendly, but not easy to manufacture. Let's improve the device, try to make a device for sharpening knives with a wider range of degrees of pressure angle.
We take ordinary metal plates,
whose dimensions are 4x11 cm. Or more, all the same, during operation, the parts will be filed and adjusted to the desired parameters.
With the help of a grinder, sharp corners are removed at the ends of the parts (sides that act as clamps). Using a file, grind the edges of the clamps, you should get a smooth bevel from the middle of the base to the edges of the plates.
According to the drawing, we make markings for future holes. We drill them and cut the thread. We round off all sharp edges and corners on the plates with a file (not only for the sake of the nobility of appearance, but also for the sake of comfortable use, so that nothing crashes into your hands).
We purchase a standard aluminum corner, and make holes in it in accordance with the drawing above. In the holes intended for the entry of the stud, we cut the thread. And the hole that is intended to support the spokes must be expanded with a needle file.
Next, you need two cuts of a metal rod
about 15 cm long. We insert them into the extreme holes and fix the entry depth with two nuts of the appropriate diameter. In our case, these elements are equal to the size of M6. We screw a bolt (length about 14 cm) of size M8 into a hole of a larger diameter, on which a lamb nut is already screwed, and on top of it a pair of ordinary ones, but of a larger diameter than the bolt itself. It will be used as a support post for the structure. The remaining holes are for bolts, which will be used to adjust the clamping force of the blade.
Nuts are strung on the ends of the rods, then corners are put on, which are again pressed with nuts. By lowering them up or down, we can adjust the required sharpening angle.
The element that will hold the blade for sharpening is assembled from a thin metal rod (in the shape of the letter “G”), two holders (the last one with a through hole for the knitting needle), a wing nut and an M6 threaded rod.
We imitate a sharpener model from Spyderco
This knife sharpening machine is presented in the form of a plastic horizontal holder with several holes. And each nest has its own angle of inclination.
Of all the options that will be considered, this one has the lowest level of sharpening quality. The problem is that the blade will be pressed manually, unlike the first option, without additional fixation on the support. But, despite this, this device for sharpening knives is quite suitable for domestic use, and plus - it is very simple in terms of manufacturing.
In the process of work, we will need two wooden bars with dimensions of 6x4x30 cm, two bolts and wing nuts with dimensions M6 or M8, two thin knitting needles (curved in the shape of the letter “G”).
Of the tools you need a hacksaw blade, a chisel and a hammer, a file with sandpaper, a school protractor and a drill.
With a conventional conveyor
we apply markings with the required angle of inclination. We take the canvas and file the first mark on one of the parts. It is not necessary to go deeper than the width of the canvas itself.
We turn the hacksaw over and insert it with the blunt side into the sawn slot. We apply the second part from above and make sure that both the edges of the elements themselves and the markings on them match. Next, we saw through all the remaining lines in the same way.
We apply a chisel to the excess wood that needs to be removed. With a hammer, tap lightly on the top of the chisel and knock out small chips. When the bulk of the wood is removed, we bring the site to the required evenness with a file.
We drill holes for the entry of bolts and spokes as shown in the figure. Using fine grit sandpaper, smooth the edges of the holes, the corners of the parts and their entire surface.
We thread bolts into larger holes, then we string ordinary nuts and tighten them tighter. In smaller ones, locking needles pass (necessary so that the canvases do not move down during operation). We insert the canvases themselves into the grooves and press them against the second half of the product. We fix everything at the end with a pair of wing nuts.
We imitate a sharpener model from Apex
This machine for sharpening knives is presented in the form of a fairly massive device with a stand and a platform placed on it at an angle, a rod is mounted on the side, on which the end of the nozzle rests. This type of grinding device, despite its dimensions, in comparison with the previous ones, is the most successful.
It is easy to use and the quality of sharpening is high. In addition, making such a knife sharpener with your own hands is very simple.
To work, we need the following:
- (not a whole, even a quarter is enough);
- magnet (with slots for bolts, if it is not possible to drill them yourself);
- metal rod M6 or M8;
- small wooden block;
- a small piece of plexiglass;
- two bolts and three wing nuts;
- 10 self-tapping screws;
- 4 rubber feet;
- saw;
- drill;
- ceramic clips (or wood blanks).
First you need to cut three small blanks from a chipboard sheet. Dimensions of the first: 37x12 cm. Dimensions of the second: 30x8 cm, measuring 6 cm from the edge on the longer side, we drill a hole. Dimensions of the third: 7x8 cm. We saw off an element 8 cm long from the bar (section 4x2 cm).
We drill two through holes perpendicular to each other in the segment. The first at a distance of 3 cm from one edge, the second at the same distance from the other. Starting from the edge of the bar to the very hole, we cut out a bunch of wood 1 cm thick. At the cut of plexiglass, the following parameters are: 6x12 cm. A slot is drilled along the middle of the canvas.
We take the first largest blank
from chipboard and drill holes in the corners for the future legs of the product. At a distance of 4 cm from its edge, we put the smallest workpiece perpendicularly and connect them together using 2 self-tapping screws.
On the top of a small workpiece, we put the edge of a medium-sized part and again connect them with 2 self-tapping screws. The hole in the middle part should be closer to the top of the smaller one. The free edge of a medium-sized workpiece is rigidly attached to the site of a large part, again with the help of 2 self-tapping screws.
Using a drill, we drill a shallow depression on medium-sized parts. It should be located almost on the very edge of its highest point, and the dimensions correspond to the parameters of the magnet.
We mount the magnet inside (so that it does not rise above the level of the surface of the plank) and fix it with small self-tapping screws.
We put a piece of plexiglass on a medium-sized board, so that their hole and slot coincide with each other. We pass a bolt through them with a washer put on it and screw the nut from below.
A hole is drilled on the free edge of the largest chipboard part with a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the iron rod. The rod itself is fixed with two nuts: a regular one and a lamb. So that they do not crash into the surface of the board, we separate them with washers.
A blank from a bar is wound onto a fixed rod.
A bolt is inserted into the hole to which the cut was made, screwed with a nut from the outside. Tightening the lamb, we fix the part at a certain height of the rod, release it - move up and down freely. The sharpening angle is regulated precisely with the help of this bar (raise or lower along the rod).
The element for clamping the grinding blade is assembled from a cut of a metal rod of two ceramic or wooden blanks and 4 nuts with washers. They are strung in the same order as in the photo. At the very end, rubber feet are screwed for greater stability of the product.
We looked at three different options for sharpening devices. And each of them has its pros and cons. You should choose a particular option based on your needs, as well as skills in a similar work plan.
Note information : , .
It is quite difficult to sharpen a knife by hand. It will take some time to develop the habit of maintaining a constant sharpening angle, which is not at all easy. A tool for sharpening knives can make the task easier. There are factory options. But for good copies you have to fork off a couple of hundred dollars, and this is clearly a lot. The good news is that these devices are easy to make with your own hands. Moreover, many home-made knife sharpeners are no worse in functionality than those from eminent manufacturers, but they are many times cheaper.
Knife sharpening basics
Knives have different uses, and there are several of them even in non-ordinary kitchens. There is for slicing bread, other soft foods, there is for cutting meat, chopping bones, and other hard objects. And that's just household items. But there are still those who take hunting and fishing. If you look closely, you will see that they all have a different sharpening angle (this is if they have not been sharpened at home already). It is the sharpening angle that is the most important characteristic, which is determined by the purpose of this blade.
At what angle
The sharpening angle is determined based on the main field of application of a particular blade:
These are general recommendations based on many years of experience. There are, however, options: some blades have several zones with different sharpening. This makes them more versatile, but the complexity of sharpening increases many times over.
It follows from the foregoing that the device for sharpening knives should be able to set the required sharpening angle. And this is the main difficulty in its design and manufacture.
How to sharpen
For sharpening knives, sharpening stones of various grain sizes are used. They are conditionally divided into coarse, medium and small. Why conditionally? Because different countries have their own designation of grit. The most convenient classification is according to the number of grains per unit area. It is expressed in numbers: 300, 600, 1000, etc. Some firms duplicate even English terms. Here is an example division:
In addition to grit, grindstones are also distinguished by origin: they are of natural origin (shale, corundum, etc.), there are ceramic and diamond ones. Which ones are better? It's hard to say - a matter of taste, but natural ones wear off faster and are rarely fine-grained.
Natural ones are soaked in water before use or simply moistened with it. They absorb water and, during sharpening, an abrasive paste is formed on the surface from water and separated abrasive particles, which increases the efficiency of sharpening. For the same purposes, you can use a special little (honing oil) or a mixture of water and soap (whatever you like). In general, with each of the grindstones, you need to try all these options and choose the best one.
The shape of a whetstone for sharpening knives is a bar, and it is desirable that its length be much longer than the length of the blade - it is easier to sharpen. Convenient bars with double grain - on the one hand larger, on the other - smaller. To sharpen knives for ordinary purposes, it is enough to have two bars with medium grain (different) and two small ones (one can be very fine).
Manual sharpening procedure
A knife sharpening device only facilitates the process of edging, so knowledge of manual sharpening techniques is a must. Without them, it is impossible to sharpen the knife correctly.
The procedure for sharpening knives is as follows:
On this we can assume that the sharpening of the knife is completed. Some still bring the edge on the old belt. A piece of the belt can be fixed on a wooden block (glued, not nailed), rubbed with goyim paste. Then several times alternately hold one or the other side, but turning the cutting edge back. So the last grooves left by the abrasive are polished and the belt is not “cut” at the same time.
How to make a homemade knife sharpener
All homemade knife sharpeners solve the main problem - they allow you to accurately maintain a given angle of inclination of the bar to the blade, which is very important for obtaining a good cutting edge. There are very simple devices, there are a little more complicated, but they allow you to work with great comfort. Choose to your taste.
One of the options - from improvised means
Simple knife sharpener
In fact, this is a holder for whetstones. Everything is elementary: two triangles of wood, which are connected with studs with “lambs”. A bar is clamped between the corners at the required angle. You can set the angle using a protractor, a special program on your smartphone, or using the rules of trigonometry (right triangle).
Knife sharpener - abrasive holder
When sharpening on such a device, the knife must be kept directed strictly vertically at all times. It's much easier than holding it at a certain angle.
The same idea has a different embodiment: on a reliable basis, make movable holders into which bars are inserted and fixed in the desired position. Corporate prototype in the photo below.
Homemade tool for sharpening knives made of wooden blocks. It turns out that it is light so that it does not move from its place, it must be fixed with something. In order not to hold by hand, you can use clamps.
Swivel holders allow you to set a given angle, and then fix it with the help of "lambs"
Such a device for sharpening knives, of course, facilitates the work, but it is still quite difficult to maintain the angle: you must constantly control the verticality of the blade. Such a habit develops over time, but it is difficult to start.
Fittings on wheels
An interesting variant of a manual knife sharpener with a fixed bar and a trolley on wheels, on which the knife is fixed. It is made on the basis of sharpeners for knives, chisels and planes. With a knife, such a device also works well, but you need to adapt to sharpening the rounded edge.
In this version, as in manual sharpening, the bar is stationary, and the blade of the knife, mounted on a movable cart, moves. The angle is set by the height of the bar relative to the platform on which the blade is attached. The peculiarity of this device is that the table must be level. It can be a countertop made of natural stone, you can put glass on a regular table.
In the embodiment presented above, the angle changes slightly, which is usually sufficient for sharpening the same type of kitchen knives, for example. If necessary, the design can be improved by adding holders (pictured below).
All this is implemented very simply, as it resembles an ordinary constructor: strips, there are holes in them, everything is assembled on bolts and screws.
To ensure the immobility of the bar, there is also a device.
The advantage of this whole design is that it is easy to unfold the knife while maintaining perpendicularity in the rounded area, and it is also very easy to process on the other side: you need to turn the trolley over. For this, four pairs of wheels are made.
Homemade manual knife sharpening machine
Slightly more complex and much more convenient home-made devices, which are made on the basis of well-known branded devices. They have an adjustable platform on which the knife is fixed. The site is set at a given angle. The bar is mounted on a movable bar attached to the rack.
Do-it-yourself devices somewhat repeat the design presented above, but there are some differences. There are many options. Let's bring some.
Option one: a fixed platform on which the blade is fixed
This fixture is made from the remnants of a laminate (can be used), two steel rods with a diameter of 8 mm and a movable mount.
This design has a fixed base, to which a platform with a knife lock is attached on ordinary hinges. The near edge of the platform can be raised at some angle convenient for work. But other than that, she's immobile.
On a vertically mounted steel bar, there is a movably mounted latch in which a loop is attached to the side. A rod is inserted into it, on which a bar is fixed. This loop is a simple, but not the best solution: there is no rigid fixation, which means that the corner will “walk”.
Particular attention should be paid to the latch of the bar. On the rod at some distance from the edge (about 30-35 cm) they make an emphasis. This will be the fixed anchor. The second is made movable, it is fixed after installing the bar with a screw and a thread cut into the body of the holder. The second option is to cut a thread on the rod and press the installed bar with a nut.
Knife holder - one or two steel plates fixed on a movable platform. They are fixed movably - with the help of screws and "lambs". After loosening the fasteners, insert the knife blade, clamp it. It is very difficult to move it. Then, having installed a hairpin with a fixed bar in the loop, its height is adjusted so that the required angle is set.
You can, as in the photo, make templates with the desired angles and achieve the coincidence of the planes. After the transverse bar is fixed, you can work - hold the bar in the right direction.
This tool for sharpening knives works well, but you can only move the abrasive along the blade when sharpening a kitchen knife. Classic sharpening - movement perpendicular to the cutting edge. On the straight part of the blade, this can be achieved. If the blade is short, it will be almost perpendicular, but on the rounded part on the fixed holder, this cannot be done. And all such devices “suffer” from this shortcoming. Once again, they are a great option for sharpening kitchen knives (below is another good option from the same series).
Option two: with a movable platform and a magnetic holder
In this version of a homemade knife sharpener, the problem of previous sharpening is solved. Here the frame remains motionless, which sets the angle of movement of the bar. The bar holder moves freely along the guide, set at the desired angle. The knife is mounted on a movable table. You can, as in the presented version, make a magnetic holder, you can - the usual one from a metal plate and “lambs”. Move the table so that the movement of the abrasive is perpendicular. Actually, everything is in the video.
One clarification: in this case it is very important that the surface on which the table with the fixed knife moves is horizontal and even. You can put glass or use a polymer countertop (marble will do too).
A convenient sharpening machine will be useful to every man in the house. After all, the owner is often judged by how sharp this kitchen tool is.
There are many techniques for sharpening knife blades. For example, for a process carried out at home, only a turning bar or ready-made fixtures with an angular gap shape will be sufficient.
To touch up expensive hunting knives, European manufacturers produce devices in the form of solid bars, which are based on a high-strength alloy.
This article will describe the manufacture of a machine for sharpening knives with your own hands.
Why do knives get dull?
What is the reason why a knife becomes dull when cutting? This can be explained by the fact that abrasive particles that are present in the material being cut have a negative effect on the cutting edge. For example, they are present on vegetables, paper. In simple terms, the blade is subject to gradual wear.
The next reason is the inability to keep the blade in the right position all the time. Any trembling of the hand causes the knife to tilt, which entails a lateral load.
sharpening technique
The sharpening technique consists in unified, but at the same time quite laborious methods. The main task is to eliminate damage to the blade. It should be noted that for many, such a procedure as sharpening knives provides a good mood and calm.
The basic rule in this process is to maintain a precisely set constant angle. Strength is not required here. The main thing is that the bar and the blade meet at a certain angle. This is the basic rule of sharpening technique.
What needs to be done to maintain a constant angle?
In order for the angle to have a constant index, there are two ways. The first is to acquire the skill of sharpening. The angle indicator can be controlled using a conventional marker. They should paint over the carts and after several sharpening cycles, see how much the paint has survived. If it is worn unevenly, then the blade is not well processed.
If the knife being sharpened is decorative, then the blade should be sealed with adhesive tape so that only the edge for cutting remains open. Even if you unsuccessfully direct your hand, there will be no scratches on the blade.
It is also important that the direction of the blade along the bar is perpendicular to the edge at the points of contact. In fact, this is quite difficult to do. It is acceptable for the angle between the edge and the blade to be less than 90 degrees. But when directed along the cutting edge, this indicator is not suitable.
The abrasive particles of the bar can leave grooves on the blade that will never be sharpened, but will play a positive role when cutting. If the grooves are oriented along the cutting edge, then they will not be useful when cutting. The worst thing is that the cutting edge can break off altogether.
It is important that the bar is long. It should be one and a half or two blade lengths. It is acceptable that the diamond bar be somewhat shorter, as it grinds faster and better. Its width does not play a significant role. If it is wider, then it is more convenient to work on it and there is less chance of leading the blade beyond the device. This can damage its side surface or the blade.
Homemade knife sharpeners come in a variety of designs. All that is required from the manufacturer is the availability of the necessary material and skills in working with tools.
The principle of operation of such a device as a manual machine for sharpening knives with your own hands is to hold the knife blade in a vertical position and drive it along a bar fixed at the right angle. This is much easier than placing the sharpener horizontally and holding the knife at just the right angle.
In order to make a do-it-yourself knife sharpening machine, you need a piece of laminate, a wooden rail, sandpaper and a pair of lamb bots. Chipboard or plywood can serve as a replacement for laminate
To make a knife holder, you need to cut off part of the material. So that the bar does not touch the holder when sharpening, it is necessary to clean its edge at an angle with emery.
It is necessary to mark and cut off the top of the vertical rack, which will serve as a support for the bar. The angle is chosen two times less than the one with which the knife will be sharpened. For kitchen knives, it is recommended to take an angle of 10-15 degrees.
A do-it-yourself knife sharpening machine, the drawings of which are obviously drawn up, involves the correct calculation of the length of the base of the racks. Please note that the subsequent installation of the transverse support will affect the height indicator. After that, all the details are cut off, and the edges are cleaned.
Holes are marked and drilled in the base and plate for pressing the bolts that fix the blade. When marking, the distance of the holes from the edge of the base is maintained. This is necessary for the versatility of the fixture, since all knives have their own width. The pressure plate is fixed with bolts.
Vertical posts are attached with screws. The moment that the load on the bottom is small is also taken into account. In this case, it is better to resort to using thermal glue. The horizontal bar is attached in exactly the same way. The grinder is almost ready. It remains to make a bar.
For its manufacture, a rail of the desired length is cut. Sandpaper with the desired size of abrasive is glued to one edge. To optimize the result, you can resort to the manufacture of several bars with different grain sizes. The range P600 - P2000 is considered the best. In order to protect your hands from cuts, you need to screw the handle on the top side of the rail.
The result is a homemade machine for sharpening knives with your own hands, characterized by high functionality and practicality. During operation, the device rests against the edge of the table, which is quite comfortable when using it.
A do-it-yourself knife sharpening machine can also be of a different type. In this case, it is based on the M8 threaded rod. Two large washers and nuts were used, which serve to hold a bar 200 mm long.
Closes the thread. A pair of paper clips hold the rail stand at the correct height. This ensures smooth adjustment of the sharpening angle. The base is a beam, the thickness of which is 40 mm. It is supported by hand.
How to sharpen planer knives with your own hands
Every owner who has a planer or jointer has probably faced the problem of sharpening their knives. Buying new ones from time to time is expensive. Knives can be easily sharpened by hand. In this case, specialized machines are used, or if it is used constantly, then it would be better to make a machine for sharpening knives with your own hands.
Do-it-yourself planer knife sharpening machine
To sharpen the planer knife, special sharpening equipment is used. The machine for sharpening knives with your own hands has a compact size. It can be installed in the garage or on the plot.
Many are interested in how to make a machine for sharpening knives with their own hands. To make a device, you need to find certain parts. Perhaps these parts are lying around in your shed or garage. They can also be purchased online.
The machine for sharpening planer knives with your own hands consists of:
- faceplates;
- table;
- engine;
- vacuum cleaner;
- casing.
First of all, you should find a faceplate. This is the most important component of future equipment. It is she who is responsible for the sharpening process. Jointer knives are narrow, and the faceplate serves as a guarantor of complete and safe sharpening. This part will have to be bought new, but the rest can be used old.
It is better to purchase faceplates of German or American production. The average cost of a part is 25,000 rubles.
The next step is to find the engine, the power of which should be 1-1.5 kW. It is not necessary to buy it. Anyone will do, even from an old washing machine. But everyone will surely have a table, a casing and a vacuum cleaner.
The main steps in the manufacture of the device
When the table is selected, the engine is fixed directly below it. A faceplate is attached to the moving part. The engine must initially be equipped with a button that turns the unit on and off. It should be comfortable.
For reliable protection, the faceplate is covered with a square-shaped casing with one cut corner. It is this area that needs to be sharpened.
On the bottom surface of the table in the area of sharpening, a hole is made of the same diameter as that of a vacuum cleaner hose. The presence of a vacuum cleaner is not essential, but it is desirable to install it. It removes unnecessary dirt from blade processing.
What do you need to know?
Mounting the motor under the faceplate base is optional. You can make sure that the parts are connected by means of a belt. In this case, the design will be complex.
A do-it-yourself jointer knife sharpening machine is also suitable for saws and axes.
Ice screw sharpening
The sharp knives of the ice drill enable the fisherman to quickly make holes in the ice of reservoirs. However, over time, all cutting tools become dull and require sharpening.
For fishermen, a quality ice drill is a great pride. Often, true competitions are held on water bodies in terms of the speed of drilling ice holes. And victory does not always smile at young and strong fishermen who are armed with imported devices. There are cases when seasoned fishermen equipped with simple Soviet-made tools are the winners in the competition. The reason for the high hole drilling speed lies in the good sharpening of the knives and the correct setting of the device. Beginner anglers, having bought new Swedish devices, do not even have time to blink an eye as their knives become blunt. The smallest grains of sand and pebbles in the ice contribute to the formation of chips and gouges on the blade.
Sharpening devices is carried out in a variety of ways. Many of our ancestors did not even know what a professional was. In most cases, sharpening was carried out using hand-made devices.
Homemade ice drill machine: what is needed to make it?
For the manufacture of such a device as a knife sharpening machine, you will need two strips of steel, the thickness of which is 4 mm, the width is 60 mm, and the length is 200 mm. A spring from a car is often used as a strip. But she is very hard to bend.
Progress
First you need to make the body of the device. The steel strips are bent in such a way that the chamfers of the knives pressed against the ends of the arc are not only parallel, but also in the same plane.
After making the arc from the same steel strip, the pressure plate is bent, which serves as a lock for the sharpened knives.
Holes for M12 or M14 bolts are drilled in the body and pressure plate. Having pulled the body and pressure plate together with a bolt and nut, we clamp the knives between them and check the strength of their fit to the surface of the end face of the emery circle.
If the knives are not located at the required angle (the chamfers do not fit exactly to the circle), then the device is modified by bending the body arc to the appropriate level. If the knives stand correctly, then the structure is disassembled, and stiffeners are welded to the arc of the body on both sides.
Sharpening of knives is carried out better on which rotates horizontally. In this case, when wetting the knives with water, the latter remains on the blade and stone longer, ensuring their safety. Dip your knives in the water more often. This will help prevent overheating of the steel.
Minus the device
The disadvantages of the device include the impossibility of sharpening knives with different angles of the cutting chamfer. But each manufacturer of ice drills offers its own models. In this case, a universal device will do.
Making a universal fixture for sharpening an ice drill
The universal design allows sharpening knives at any angle of the cutting edge. By smoothly changing the angle between the shoulders of the unit, on which the knives are fastened with screws, it is possible to fix the desired position of the knives in relation to the plane of the grindstone.
To manufacture this device, you need to find a door canopy with minimal play, as well as an M8 or M10 screw with its own nut. Holes are drilled in the shoulders of the canopy. Their diameter is 6-7 mm (for attaching knives to them with screws).
From a steel strip, the thickness of which is 3 mm, a fixing plate with a slot for the fixing screw is made. The plate and screw are welded to the shoulders of the canopy.
It happens that sharpening of knives is carried out, the location of the holes of which does not correspond to the holes in the canopy. In this case, additional holes are drilled in the shoulders for non-standard knives. In this case, the device has more versatility.
How are planer knives sharpened?
Devices such as planers and thicknessers can often be seen in country houses. By means of them, raw lumber is brought to the desired state. Knives of these devices, like any others, become dull. If you use them often, then the best way out is to sharpen the knives for the planer with your own hands. For the manufacture of grinding equipment at home, various materials will be required: metal, aluminum or wood.
The knife holder can be made from a wooden block. Having made cuts at 45 degrees with a circular saw, you can sharpen knives with a belt grinder or with a large bar. If the latter is not present, then sandpaper is attached to a smooth surface made of metal, wood, chipboard or glass.
Knife holders can be made from improvised materials. The best solution would be to use metal corners that have an indicator of 90 degrees. When placing two knives on the sides, the sharpening angle of each will be equal to 45 degrees. Using screws, you can fix the knives with a second corner.