📢
23
c/carpenters•xena_miller31xena_miller31•8d ago

That old timer who told me to stop using sandpaper on my chisels was dead right

I was at a job site in Austin last year and this retired carpenter named Hank watched me sharpening my chisels with 400 grit sandpaper on a flat board. He walked over and said 'you're ruining your edge, kid' and handed me a cheap diamond stone. Took me about 3 tries to get the angle right without rolling the bevel, but damn, my chisels stay sharp for like 5 times longer now. I used to resharpen every 2 projects now I go maybe 8 or 9 before they need touching up. Has anyone else had someone call them out on a bad habit that just clicked?
3 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In
3 Comments
paige514
paige5147d ago
Wait, only 400 grit?! That's rougher than I use on my damn driveway!
6
faithb78
faithb787d ago
Takes a lot of pride to admit you've been doing something wrong for years. Had a mechanic tell me the same thing about over-torquing bolts in my truck and I argued with him for twenty minutes until he showed me the cracked threads. Funny how the folks who have been around the block a few times can spot our mistakes from a mile away even when we cant see them ourselves.
6
the_wyatt
the_wyatt5d ago
Real respect for owning up to that, most people would double down.
1