Galoots

I have a web page on sharpening radiused blades.

   http://www3.telus.net/BrentBeach/Sharpen/scrubsharp.html

I use a 1" belt sander for rough grinding most edge tools - including 
shovels and axes. It works well for this. I am hoping to switch to coarser 
sheet abrasives (40 micron 3M) or waterstones, but am using the belt sander 
in the meantime. I have seen these belt sanders for $50 CDN lately.

WARNING: In order to get the angles required for plane blades, you will 
probably have to make your own tool rest!

I once did a test of various cambers as well (it must be somewhere in the 
archive). I just marked the back of the blade using templates of different 
diameters (mostly lids of various plastic containers), then ground the 
blade to match the line. Using very coarse abrasive works well without 
overheating the iron, although it is still important to cool the tool in 
water regularly.

IIRC, I first ground the blade to the desired radius, with a 90 degree 
bevel - edge first right into the belt. I then ground a 25 degree bevel the 
usual way. The very thick edge created in the first step is less likely to 
overheat while doing the second step. Only when you are getting pretty 
close on the second step is heat a problem.

I imagine the 1" belt sander would would work to put a flat face on drill 
bits as well.

Brent

Michael Campbell wrote:

> How does one grind the camber into the iron?  It's, naturally, ground
> straight right now.  I'm not above using electrons for this, but is it
> sufficient for a scrub to mark the curve I want, then freehand it on
> the grinder, then sharpen?  Seems it would be, but wanted to get some
> more learned opinions.