Blade sharpening with a dremel

[Ebow1]

Anybody got any advice/experience with this? I'm trying it out and so far all I've accomplished is the grind the blades down and chip the edges.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

I'd use a stone. Dremels are good for a lot of things, but I doubt you would get the kind of edge you would on

a lot of other ways. A stone, stationary belt sanding setup, or other device specifically made to sharpen blades

would be my choice. I guess you could mount a Dremel in a vise, but it would still be expensive. Those stones

aren't cheap and they don't last very long.

[Poor_Dog]

I don't think I would ever use a dremel for that, has to be getting the blade hot and how do you control the thing tjo get a nice edge? Get a ceramic stone and use that is my suggestion.

[Randall53]

I'd end up with a very ugly serrated blade at best.

[bigbabysweets]

You'd have to have the dremel in a vise, with a very fine grit drum, and a hell of a steady hand.....


I wouldn't attempt it with anything I wanted to look nice or keep....

[Jonnin]

it would be fine to put a starter edge on something that had already been abused.  I used a grinder to form the edge on an old bayonet that had been cut in half to make a knife.   I use a grinder on my mower blade. 

 

Grinding an edge.... do NOT let the metal get HOT.   It will ruin it.   So you use a slow speed keep the metal cold as you grind. 

 

For anything that is not practically ruined to begin with,  a grinder should be a no-go.  5 or 6 whetstones is the right way to do a real blade, or if you prefer, the modern tools.  

 

Also beware diamond.  Some of those take off too much metal too fast.  Its a good tool, but many over-use the high abrasive stones/systems and take off 4 times the metal needed to do maintenance sharpening. 

[Ebow1]

Well the good new use I had a pair of my brothers' old heavily chipped blades to experiment with. I can sand down the blades using the roughest of the sandpaper attachments and that'll correct for the chips. Trying to use the stone sharpening attachment ended exactly as Randall said it would. Also, I look at some other things online and apparently, even for people who can use this system effectively, it still damages the blades over time due to the heat issue. So that's a wash.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I'm ignorant but think one would need some kind of guide to keep the sharpening angle under control. And as sweets suggested, a sanding drum with fine grit more likely better results than a grinding bit.

I have a graduated stone knife sharpening set with little clamp accessories that are supposed to keep a proper consistent sharpening angle, but am unskilled and usually don't do a very good sharpening job with the whetstones, even with the guides.

At my low skill level, often get the best results "cheating" with those tools with little angled sharpeners embedded in V notches in plastic handles. Paid maybe $12 for one such tool at academy with three notches, carbide, ceramic, and steel. Sometimes that gives a pretty good result for a doofus.

Have a table belt sander, uses IIRC 4" wide belt, cheap harbor freight, that comes in more handy than a bench grinder at my low skill level. Sometimes it does more good than harm putting a starter edge on badly nicked up blades. Couple of times even managed to get a fine knife edge with the sander, but it cuts so fast, have to hold the proper angle and quick light stroke across the belt a couple of times, and if I managed to do it just right (hit or miss accident) ends up with a real nice edge.

I really like the belt sander for sharpening chisels though. Its lots easier for me to get a decent chisel edge on the sander than the bench grinder.

Lots of people work on knives with those narrow 1 inch belt sanders, which might give more controllable results assuming a fella had some skill.

[Citizen_B]

Used a dremel once on a POS Gerber that out of the box rivaled the worst butter knife for sharpness. Used the dremel just for starter to establish an edge and then moved on to the stone. It's a half straight, half serated blade, so I also used the dremel to grind an edge on the serations. Ugly as sin sharpening job altogether, especially on the serations. Finally got the straight portion of the blade good and sharp, and the serations cut much better than before. Definitely not something you want to do with an anything other than an absolute beater, and even then it's only a start and take it slow so that it doesn't get too hot.

[xjsnake]

I wouldn't even sharpen a machete or ax with a dremel. Way too hard to keep a consistent edge.

[Schadenfreude]

Polishing wheel can be be useful, other than that - no don't do it

[RichardR]

I have a little plastic angle guide that goes on my dremel that I use when sharpening lawn mower blades & machettes, but I wouldn't ever use it to sharpen a knife.

[Guest Broomhead]

If you have a super dull or super chipped blade I can get an edge started on my belt grinder. Then, take my Lansky set to it. If you can do without it for a few days.

[Wyldk2]

If you use the right grinding stone and do not use a high speed. Take your time, do not rush it. You could do it on a junk blade, but on a blade you need a reliable edge on I would advise not using a dremel. I use a Dremel with a mower blade sharpener on machetes and mower blades only.

 

For a regular pocket knife, use a whetstone or a diamond ( smith's is good) kit. Be sure you use the oil in the kit on the stone to help lubricate the sharpening stones.

 

Also use a leather belt for finishing. Friend uses one and it is a huge difference compared to just sharpening.

[RichardR]

If you use the right grinding stone and do not use a high speed. Take your time, do not rush it. You could do it on a junk blade, but on a blade you need a reliable edge on I would advise not using a dremel. I use a Dremel with a mower blade sharpener on machetes and mower blades only.

For a regular pocket knife, use a whetstone or a diamond ( smith's is good) kit. Be sure you use the oil in the kit on the stone to help lubricate the sharpening stones.

Also use a leather belt for finishing. Friend uses one and it is a huge difference compared to just sharpening.

I agree with all of Wylds above comments & suggestions.

[Ebow1]

Okay, so I'm probably gonna sell all my dremel stuff, and get a stone set. What do you guys think about this one? http://www.amazon.com/Smiths-TRI-6-Arkansas-TRI-HONE-Sharpening/dp/B00062BIT4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366690117&sr=8-1&keywords=sharpening+stone+set

 

Also, anybody interested in being a dremel 300, multi-max mm20, and a large accessory kit, all BARELY used?

[Poor_Dog]

Okay, so I'm probably gonna sell all my dremel stuff, and get a stone set. What do you guys think about this one? http://www.amazon.com/Smiths-TRI-6-Arkansas-TRI-HONE-Sharpening/dp/B00062BIT4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366690117&sr=8-1&keywords=sharpening+stone+set

 

Also, anybody interested in being a dremel 300, multi-max mm20, and a large accessory kit, all BARELY used?

Used to be those tri-stones were the cat's ass of sharpeners, I get just as good if not better with the ceramic and leather strop anymore. Got my last one at Dick's, don't use oil on them just water

[Guest Lester Weevils]

It is sacrilege to sell a tool! Dremel is useful for so many things even if it might not be the thing for knife sharpening.

That said, the best value for a dremel-like tool might not have the dremel brand name on it. Actual dremel brand might not be very good except maybe the most expensive models.

I bought a vari-speed dremel 30 years ago that was pretty expensive compare to my wallet but it was strong and rugged and I used the snot out of it til it finally burned up a couple years ago. So bought a fairly expensive lithium battery dremel that was sorely disappointing. Batts didn't last very long, wouldn't hold a charge in the bag, ant the tool was real wimpy with pitiful speed and torque.

So last year looked at other brands and harbor freight sells several, some which most likely such but got one for $30 which so far seems to be at least as good as my old dremel from many decades ago.

There is one european brand "super dremel" unit a bit pricey but looks like the "final solution" in the dremel class of tools. Cant recall the brand name, maybe procyon or something.

[Spots]

I use a 1 x 30" belt grinder to establish the edges on my hand forged blades, working my way to 600 grit. Then I use a medium Arkansas stone to make them shave. I could do it all with stones, but starting with a fresh blade power tools are easier. I will touch a blade up on the grinder from time to time if its in nasty shape, or a super cheap beater.,

[Guest Lester Weevils]

The name of that "dremel on steroids" is proxxon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001FWXEO6

[Guest Broomhead]

Okay, so I'm probably gonna sell all my dremel stuff, and get a stone set. What do you guys think about this one? http://www.amazon.com/Smiths-TRI-6-Arkansas-TRI-HONE-Sharpening/dp/B00062BIT4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366690117&sr=8-1&keywords=sharpening+stone+set

 

Also, anybody interested in being a dremel 300, multi-max mm20, and a large accessory kit, all BARELY used?

 

You wouldn't happen to have the flex shaft attachment would you? I'd be interested in just that.

[RichardR]

You wouldn't happen to have the flex shaft attachment would you? I'd be interested in just that.

Yup, I think the flex shaft is one of the best Dremel accessories, especially if you hang the dremel on a Yo-yo cable over your work bench, makes projects so much easier.

[Guest Broomhead]

Yup, I think the flex shaft is one of the best Dremel accessories, especially if you hang the dremel on a Yo-yo cable over your work bench, makes projects so much easier.

 

I was asking Ebow1 in case he wanted to sell it. I really want one, I just don't have the funds to fork over for a new one right now.

Edited April 23, 2013 by Broomhead

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Drifting topic a bit, but harbor freight sells a tiny little grinder with a cable attachment, pretty cheap--

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/bench-grinder-with-flex-shaft-43533.html

 

 

 

It has a grind wheel and a felt wheel. The felt wheel is surprisingly aggressive and you have to be careful or even the felt wheel can remove far too much material from soft metals. The felt wheel on mine looks like a conventional felt wheel, though in that picture, the wheel looks like some kind of abrasive or what-not.

 

The motor isn't real strong and you can lug it down pretty easy. The cable attachment will work better if you spray a bunch of rem oil down in the cable right from the get-go.

 

But overall its a cool little tool for some uses.

 

I mainly got it looking for a cheap-as-possible way to make a toolhead lathe grinder, to square up the chuck jaws on a mini-lathe. Used epoxy and aluminum stock to make a mounting block on the side of the cable head, so it can be chucked into the quick-connect tool holder on the lathe. But even with the modification, the cable head is usable hand-held as well.

 

So anyway it is a neat little tool for some purposes. Sometimes it is on sale real cheap. Think I only paid about $20 for mine on sale.