by Todd Walker
Axe Junkies to his simple Scary Sharp method.
If you’ve never been able to shave arm hair or slice newsprint with your ax, give Rooster’s Scary Sharp method a try.
Below is a list of trash I use to sharpen my axes in the shop and field.
My Shop Tools
Wet/ Dry Sandpaper: Progress from 220, 400, 600, 1,000, and at times 1500- vehicle duties accumulates carry this sandpaper in 9 ” x 11 ” expanses Bench Belt Sander: 80 to 120 grit Drywall Hand Sanders: One for each soak/ dry sandpaper gumption to speed up the process Leather Strop: A barber’s strop glued to a board Green Buffing Compound: Rub into the skin strop Buffing Wheel: Rarely use this machine on acting axes Files: Bastard file is used for bits needing to be re-profiled or when nicked/ chipped Rigid SuperClamp: This floor vise has revolutionized my store Safe Equipment: Leather gauntlets and gaze armour
My Field Tools
Ax Puck: Medium and coarse struggle sided gumption Strop: Leather belt, leather ax sheath, or timber File: A tiny prick file DiY Fixin’ Wax
Refer to the Ax Anatomy chart below if you’re unfamiliar with any of the terminology in the tutorial. This is my sweet spot on my homemade loop sander.
Make a few passes on one side and repeat on the other side of the part. I sand both sides maybe three times with 80 gumption depending on the need. Swap out to 120 tenacity and reproduction the process.
I don’t use leather mitts. I want to feel the warmth of the ax fleck during the sanding process. The axhead is dipped in water several times throughout the process to keep it cool and preserve the tantrum of the bit.
Pas Sanding
Hand sanding can be done without a vise( picture Rooster’s video below ). However, my Rigid floor vise constitutes the process easier and faster. Clamp the treat in the vise with the axhead horizontal to the floor. Stand to the side and behind the flake you’re going to sharpen. Now would be the time you’ll want to wear leather gloves.
Below is a video demo of me sharpening my broad-spectrum ax with a 12 inch bit…
Cut a strip of each tenacity to fit the drywall sanding direct( s ). With just as much sharpening as I do, multiply treats with each gumption fastened saves period from having to change out sand paper if utilizing merely one treat. Plus, I had these holds in my drywall box from my handyman daylights. Squandering them to sharp axes is room more delightful than their intended use.
Begin swiping from heel to toe of the ax fragment with the 220 gumption sand paper. Move the sander in a semicircular motion. You’ll be reminded of Dustin Hoffman’s character in the movie Rain Man with all the counting you’ll be doing. I stroke one place 30 epoches. There’s no magic number to this and you don’t have to count – it’s just what I do. I snap single part axes in the vise and beach the other side 30 times. For my doubled part axes, I reposition on the opposite side and stroke the second bit before flipping the ax.
On the second grit, 400, I reform from a” end to toe” direction to a” toe to heel” movement. This assistance me see how well I’m replacing the previous blemishes on the flake left by the 220 tenacity. Continue changing grits and direction until you make it to the highest sanding grit. Most eras, I exclusively need to go to 600 tenacity and a good stropping to get my working axes Sherpa Sharp. I rarely go up to 1,500 tenacity unless I’m focu a new-to-me ax.
Stropping
I glued an old leather barber’s strop to a wooden hold several years ago. I rub lettuce compound into the leather and use it in the same way as the sanding directs. I exclusively strop the bit about 10 ages on each side to remove any burrs and give the bit a reflect finish.
Rooster even made a strop for a drywall sanding treat. He expresses his full method in the updated video below.
Rooster’s method makes remarkable outcomes. The foam pad under the drywall sanding administers allows the sandpaper to conform to the convex shape of the bit. So simple a newcomer can do it!
Field Maintenance System
There have been epoches when I lay into a tree and notice the bit not imbuing the wood fibers very well. This is usually because I failed to sharpen my ax in the shop before pate out. You is likely to be dared to overcompensate with more capability in each stroke. Not a intelligent notion. This will lead to early fatigue, damage to the handle, and possible hurt. Stop swinging and touch up the bit.
Puck It
For years I’ve consumed a Lansky Puck to touch up axes in the field. The course surface is 120 gumption with the other side being 280 medium tenacity. The medium gumption( 280) is all I use to hone in the field. I use liquid , not oil, on my puck since I ever have water accessible. Sometimes I use it baked. Either way, I rarely use this stone if I’ve “Rooster’d” my axes in the shop beforehand.
Grip the puck so that your thumbs and digit are not hanging over the bottom of the stone for self-evident concludes. Make several circular movements down and back on one side of the ax bit. Flip to the opposite side of the part and repeat. I like to hold the ax so its flake in my line of vision. I can adjust the tilt of the puck to meet the flake shape as needed. For double chip axes, I capsize one flake into a stump to hold the ax in place while sharpening.
I strop the edge with the skin ax sheath to remove burrs as a final step. A article of timber can also be used as a strop.
I apply a coat of DiY Fixin’ Wax to the axhead when I think about it. This helps prevent rust, which isn’t frequently a number of problems until carbon steel prepares for a while. Due to the beef tallow content in my Fixin’ Wax, it also helps to remove pine sap from my tools.
Steven Edholm( SkillCult) has a video of how he made a arena “puck” from a Japanese spray stone. Pretty imaginative. The stone has 250 and 1,000 grit surfaces. I have a stone like this but haven’t offset the field puck yet.
We’re interested in learning how you keep your working axes sharp-worded. Let us know in the comments, please.
Keep Doing the Stuff of Self-Reliance,
~ Todd
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