Sharpening knives: theory and rules, making sharpeners with your own hands for various purposes. We are not stupid! Knife sharpeners that will free you from the man's work

Do-it-yourself knife sharpener is very useful in the household.

With the help of fairly simple ones, you can accurately and safely sharpen cutting tools, which is simply necessary in the kitchen, fishermen and hunters, in the workshop.

Of course, sharpeners a wide range available in stores, but homemade devices get rid of extra costs.

A dull knife is a torment for the hostess when she cuts bread, cooks food, butchers meat. Cutting them is not only difficult, but also dangerous, because. exactly blunt instruments are more likely to cause injury. It makes no sense to prove the need for a sharp blade for a fisherman, hunter, shoemaker, etc. Everyone is absolutely clear that the knife requires periodic sharpening. Another thing is how to provide it.

Many people use tools such as abrasive stones, emery wheels and sandpaper, files. Most often, for these purposes, abrasive or grinding bars are purchased, and the procedure itself is carried out “by eye”. After such sharpening, the knife becomes sharp, but also dulls quickly enough.

Why is this happening? The blade of the knife is made of various steels, has different thicknesses and sharpening parameters. The process of high-quality sharpening should completely restore the shape of the blade, and only in this case its sharpness will meet the planned standards.

It is very difficult even for professionals to ensure uniform sharpening without fixing the position and guide elements. The task is much easier when using special devices that allow you to stabilize the processing mode (loads, directions, speed).

For mechanization of rather laborious work, it is better to use appropriate grinding machines. Both fixtures and machines can be made by hand.

Basic sharpening principles

When carrying out the correct sharpening of the knife, the main condition must be met - forming a sharp edge of the blade while maintaining its shape, which is ensured by the removal of metal at a certain angle.

Turning is carried out with abrasive material, which has a different grain size. Its choice is determined by the strength characteristics of steel. Proper sharpening implies a certain order of work.

Sharpening angle

The effectiveness and quality of the event under consideration is limited by the fundamental parameter - the angle of sharpening. Depending on the purpose, the knives have the following meanings:

• have the smallest angle straight razors– (7-11)°;
• knives for fillet cutting - (11-14) °;
• kitchen knives for most products, incl. bread, vegetables, meat, etc. – (16-21)°;
• hunting tools and knives for general technical purposes - (21-26) °;
• universal hunting knives - (21-40) °;
• a special tool that is used for cutting and chopping (for example, a machete) - (29-50) °.

The angle of sharpening largely determines the thickness of the blade. At the smallest angles, it should resemble a razor, and at high angles the possibility of manufacturing extra-strong, massive knives is created.

Important. Holding the abrasive element and the knife itself in your hands, it is very difficult to provide a given angle along the entire length of the blade, which leads to uneven manual sharpening.

The main purpose of the device is hard fixation one of the elements and a clear direction of movement of the second element.

Types and choice of abrasive

Required for knife sharpening abrasive stone, which will provide the necessary cutting of the metal. The abrasive ability is provided by a certain value of the surface graininess, i.e. the number of abrasive grains per unit area. According to this parameter, the following stones are distinguished:

• very coarse abrasives international classification- extra coarse) - have a grain size of less than 260;
• coarse (coarse) abrasives - 310-360;
• medium (medium) abrasives - 390-510;
• fine (fine) abrasives - 590-720. This is the main category of whetstones used for sharpening knives;
• very fine (ultra, extra fine) or grinding abrasives. They are used for sharpening razors and fine surface finishing of knife blades.

According to the nature of origin, abrasive stones are divided into natural or natural(corundum, shale) and artificial (ceramics, artificial diamond). In addition, rubber elements are sometimes used for fine workmanship. When using abrasives, their surface moistened with water or soapy water solution(water tool), as well as oil painting(oil stones).

The shape of abrasives can be round (discs) or rectangular (bars). The most commonly used bars, and they are selected so that length significantly exceeded the length of the knife blade.

For complete sharpening of the tool, it is recommended to have 2 bars of medium and fine grit. The set is best supplemented with a very small stone. The best option the use of double-sided bars is considered, in which one side has a medium grain size, and the opposite side has a fine grain size.

Manual sharpening procedure

Any devices are designed to facilitate work and improve its quality, and general order manual sharpening remains the same:

1. The process begins with a coarse or medium-grained bar, which is laid on a plane. It is desirable to ensure its fixation.
2. The knife blade is brought to the abrasive surface at an angle, half sharpening angle. The main task is to ensure the constancy of the angle throughout the event.
3. With a smooth movement with light pressure, the blade moves from the beginning to the end of the bar in the direction “away from you”. The edge of the bar must always be perpendicular to the direction of movement of the blade. It is impossible to allow the blade to break off at the end of the stone.
4. After reaching the edge of the bar, the movement is carried out in the opposite direction, while the sharp edge must always be on the surface of the abrasive. Direction change is provided by turning the handle.
5. The process is repeated until a burr appears along the entire length on the back of the blade tip. It should move to the opposite side when changing direction.
6. Next, a bar of medium grain is taken, but with smaller grains. Sharpening continues, but the movements are carried out at first only “away from you” until the metal shines on one side, and then the second side is also processed.
7. A fine-grained bar is taken and the blade is processed until a mirror surface appears.
8. If a small burr remains, then sharpening is completed using a grinding stone with a very fine grit. Some experienced people prefer to use instead of such a bar leather belt. It perfectly polishes the blade of the knife.

Homemade devices

Home craftsmen make sharpening tools various designs, but they all include 2 main elements - abrasive block and knife attachment mechanism. A ready-made abrasive block is best suited for adaptation, but you can also make it yourself.

To do this, sandpaper of different grain sizes is glued onto glass with a thickness of at least 4 mm. The connection can be secured with double-sided tape.

fixed fixture

One of the most simple fixtures is being done from 2 triangular wooden blocks. They are fastened together with thumbscrews. An abrasive bar is clamped between the wooden elements at the right angle. This angle is set strictly according to the protractor.

When turning a knife on such a device, the blade must be constantly held strictly vertical. Naturally, it is much easier to provide such a direction than to constantly direct the knife at an angle.

Movable structure

To improve the quality of sharpening, it is necessary to fix not only the abrasive, but also the knife. Such a device can also be made by hand. It is assembled on a flat, horizontal, massive surface. The device consists of 2 parts - rigidly fixed abrasive block at the right angle(similar to a fixed structure) and carts on wheels(rollers) with a horizontally fixed knife.

The trolley moves manually along the guide rail. hand provided and slight blade pressure to the abrasive surface. This ensures the correct sharpening angle and eliminates the need to provide the desired direction manually.

Direction change can be made different ways. The easiest is to make a cart with wheels at the top and bottom. At the end of the bar, the trolley simply turns over.

Point machine

Sharpening machines have more than complex structure, which allows you to change the angle of sharpening. There are several design options available:

1. A knife is fixed on the platform with the possibility of regulation. It is set to the required angle and fixed permanently. The abrasive bar is mounted on a movable bar mounted on a vertical support. It moves strictly horizontally. Sharpening is provided by moving the abrasive relative to the knife blade.
2. It is fixed on a fixed frame, but the bar can be moved along the guide to set the desired sharpening angle. The knife is installed in a movable table, and is fixed with a magnetic holder, which makes it possible to turn it over.

DIY example

An example is the technology self-manufacturing grinding attachment - analogue Lansky sharpeners. It has a standard design.

A knife is fixed on a horizontal base, and its fastening provides magnet. The emery element is located on the rod, along which it can move perpendicular to the knife. The guide rod is installed in the holes of the upright.

These holes are drilled at an angle to the surface of the rack and thus set a certain angle to the rod. Several holes are drilled vertically in the rack and by rearranging the guide, you can still change the sharpening angle.

Manufacturing adaptations are carried out in the following order:

1. On the base plate ( , board, a metal sheet) on the edge rails are installed limiting the displacement of the knife in the transverse direction. One of them is fastened in the slots on the screws with a “lamb” for fixing knives with different blade widths. In the center of the knife location area is fixed magnet.
2. The emery bar is fixed on two segments of the corner, which are fastened with studs. Holes are drilled on both sides of this part for installation on a rod.
3. Steel rod with a diameter of 10-15 mm is passed through the indicated holes, and a limiter to prevent the fall of the bar. cut at the other end thread.
4. On an aluminum U-profile 30-50 mm wide, 5-6 holes are drilled with a diameter 1-2 mm larger than the diameter of the rod. Holes are drilled at an angle corresponding to the sharpening angles, taking into account the height of the location on the rack.
5. The rod is set in the right hole and fixed bolts.

This device works in the following way:

• the knife is fixed on the base and attracted by a magnet;
• a bar of the desired grain size is installed on the grinding element;
• the rod is fixed in the desired hole on the rack;
• with a hand, the bar moves along the rod, processing the blade, and the movement is carried out “away from itself” and “towards itself”;
• with the other hand, the knife gradually moves in the longitudinal direction.

See the detailed drawings, descriptions and illustrations of the knife sharpener with and without a magnetic holder in the video below:

Sharpener for scissors

With the help of tools for knives, you can also sharpen scissors, but such an event has its own specifics. The sharpening angle is within (60-74)°. Tailor's scissors usually have an angle of (72-74)°. The cutting part at the point of contact of both parts is flat, and the bevel is performed on one side. Basic sharpening carried out from the outside, beveled side. Inner surface only polished with a small bar.

The process is carried out in this order:

1. Disassembly of scissors. To do this, unscrew the screw that holds the halves together and carefully separate them. A "minus" screwdriver is used.
2. With the help of a large abrasive sharpening at the right angle. Movements are made only in one direction - "toward yourself." Half of the scissors is held by the ring, and turning starts from the tip of the blade.
3. Using small bar, carried out fine-tuning.

Some scissors cannot be disassembled. They can also be sharpened, for which they open up as much as possible. The halves are sharpened one by one.

How to check sharpness?

To check the quality of sharpening knives, there are several folk ways:

1. Paper. A sheet of paper is taken (for example, for a printer) and a strip is cut off at the edge. If the knife is well soaked, then the strip is easily cut off and has smooth edges. A dull knife crumples the edge and cuts unevenly, with tatters.
2. Tomato. A sharp knife cuts a tomato in half evenly, and a dull one crushes it.
3. Hair on the arm. A sharp blade works like a razor and cuts hairs, while a dull tool only crushes them.
4. Sharpness can be checked finger while maintaining caution. The presence of burrs indicates poor quality processing. Absolutely smooth edges speak of quality work.

Knives tend to become dull, making them difficult to use. Sharpening devices and machines will help solve the problem by ensuring that the blade is sharpened correctly, restoring the set angle. There are many designs of simple knife sharpeners, and the owner himself must decide which one to choose.

The service life of any knife directly depends on the methods of its operation and the procedure for sharpening the blade. Tools for sharpening knives are so diverse that they allow modern man do not resort to the work of specialists, but do all the work yourself at home. For sharpening knives, you can use as a special tool industrial production, and any device made with my own hands. It is important to know that simple elements for sharpening knives (for example, a whetstone) that are at hand can do a bad job and the sharpness of the product will not only not return, but gradually the product will completely become unusable. At the same time, any makeshift fixture for sharpening knives can be based on the use of these very simple sharpening devices. Detailed information on how to make a sharpener with your own hands can be found below.

A home-made manual knife sharpening machine, subject to all the requirements for its creation, will simplify the sharpening of knives and its performance will be no worse than a professional one. Correct sharpening includes the following rule: each type of cutting product has a certain edge sharpening angle, which must be constant along the entire length of the blade (see table No. 1). The sharpener, which will be initially based on this principle, will give the master a sharp knife edge for a long time.

Table No. 1. Sharpening angle in parallel with the type of cutting device

Edge processing during sharpening should be even. To fulfill this condition, the following rules must be observed:

• the blade must be fixed in the vise of the fixture reliably and efficiently, without exposing the metal of the blade to damage;
• the movement of the touchstone along the axis of the knife edge must be uniform and strictly at a certain angle;
• the point of contact of the blade must be strictly perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sharpener;
• the pressure on the knife blade should change smoothly depending on the change in the contact area between the blade and sharpener.

Simple knife sharpener

The simplest device for sharpening knives is based on the use of an angle frame and a whetstone. The price of such a primitive factory-made device is quite high, as is the price of interchangeable whetstones, while making such a device for sharpening knives at home will not be the slightest difficulty for the master. You will need the following inventory:

1. Wooden blocks of the same size - 4 pcs.
2. Drill (or any other drilling tool).
3. Bolts and nuts (about 4 pcs.).
4. Touchstone.
5. Protractor.

First you need to make a couple wooden corners, placing the bars to each other strictly at an angle of 90º (Fig. 1). Close the resulting wooden corners with each other in parallel as a whole and drill holes through the diameter of the bolts. Insert bolts into the holes, and tighten the corners a little to each other with nuts.

The point of this invention is to be able to sharpen simply by holding the knife vertically in relation to the sharpening surface located at a given angle.

The most important thing is to correctly fix the donkey between the wooden corners of the fixture. To do this, using a protractor, you need to set the desired angle of inclination of the touchstone and tighten the bolts tightly to clearly fix the position of the touchstone.

With some refinement of the fixture, it is possible to fix the position of the knife relative to the grinding stone. A significant disadvantage of such a machine for manual sharpening is the impossibility of smoothly adjusting the angle of inclination of the grindstone.

Sharpening device from mounting brackets

The diagram and drawings of a homemade knife sharpener from mounting brackets, based on the Lansky fixture, are clearly shown below.

To assemble this device you will need:

1. Metal corners 90*90 mm with a wall thickness of 6 mm.
2. Stud with thread M6 and length 160 mm.
3. Thin rod (electrode, needle, etc.).
4. Touchstone.
5. 2 rectangular pieces of metal (sponges for clamping the donkey).
6. Pliers.
7. Hacksaw for metal.
8. File (or any other tool for processing sharp corners).
9. A set of hardware (nuts and bolts).

In both metal sponges intended for fixing the donkey, you need to drill under the connecting bolt. Fix the donkey. A thin smooth needle, previously bent at an angle of 90 º, must be inserted and fixed in the hole in one of the jaws. In the future, with the help of this lock in the form of a knitting needle, a certain angle of inclination of the touchstone will be set. Such a device for sharpening knives is characterized by an extensive coverage of the sharpening angle, which, no doubt, will be of interest to most craftsmen.

Machines with fixed blades

Machines for sharpening knives with fixed blades will attract the attention of those people who want to sharpen a knife not only qualitatively, but also quickly. The design, which rigidly fixes the knife blade relative to the grinding stone moving at a set angle, allows you to accurately set the angle of inclination.

To create such homemade machine with your own hands you will need:

1. The base is a rectangular wooden plate with dimensions of 440 * 92 mm and a thickness of 18 mm.
2. Wooden plate 92 * 45 * 45 mm (for fixing a vertical threaded stud).
3. Wooden block 245 * 92 mm and 18 mm thick (plate to which the knife will be attached).
4. Iron plate 200*65mm and metal thickness 4mm.
5. Piano loop, 92 mm long.
6. Hairpin M8 325 mm long.
7. Nuts and bolts with M8 thread.
8. Drill 6.5 mm.
9. Tap M8.
10. Self-tapping screws 50 mm, 4 pcs.

A die designed to fix a vertical threaded stud must be drilled through with a 6.5 mm drill. The hole should be located at a distance of 15 mm from the edge of the plate, approximately in the center.

Further, in the resulting hole, it is required to cut the thread for the M8 stud. A wooden plate prepared in this way must be screwed to the base at a distance of 265 mm from the edge using ordinary self-tapping screws 50 mm long, screwed in from the back of the base.

After securing the wooden part of the restraint, you can proceed to attach the iron plate. In the center of the plate 200 * 65 mm, an oblong groove should be drilled, 90 mm long and about 1 cm wide. The groove should be located at a distance of 60 mm from the edge of the clamping plate. Additionally, it is required to drill a hole at a distance of 20 mm from the opposite edge and cut a thread in it for an M8 bolt. Then you need to attach the clamping plate to the previously prepared wooden base using this bolt. Using another bolt and a suitable washer, it is necessary to fix the clamping plate in the center of the cut groove. The fixation should be clear, but at the same time neat, so as not to damage the surface of the blade.

The most hard part The assembly of this device consists in preparing a regulating device that will set the angle of sharpening the knife. For this you will need:

• metal square profile 40×40 mm;
• furniture bracket, 40 mm wide;
• a pair of rivets;
• plywood block 42 × 25 and 18 mm thick;
• bolt and nut M5;
• a pair of wing nuts M8;
• touchstone;
• steel bar with a diameter of 0.8 cm and a length of 40 cm.

A pair of holes must be drilled on a plywood bar: a through hole with a diameter of 8 mm along a section of 42 × 18 mm (the distance from the edge along the side of 42 mm is set at 15 mm) and a through hole with a diameter of 5 mm along a side with a section of 42 × 25 mm (distance from edges 10 mm). The square pipe should be cut in half so that a “U”-shaped bracket with a width of 40 * 15 mm and lugs of 20 mm is obtained. In the ears, you need to drill 8 mm holes, into which the M8 pin will be inserted later. Connect the resulting bracket with furniture hinge with the help of rivets. To the resulting structure, using the second part of the furniture bracket, tighten the plywood bar with an M5 bolt.

Connect the touchstone to the guide rod, which is a steel rod with a cross section of 8 mm. When connecting the touchstone and the guide rod, you should strictly ensure that their center lines coincide. If desired, for the convenience of using a sharpener, a handle-holder can be adapted to the touchstone on the reverse side. It remains to fix the donkey in the guide mechanism, fix it with a lamb and a home-made device for sharpening knives is ready.

Machine tools with fixed sharpening surfaces

Machines with fixed sharpened surfaces are a simple modification of a device for processing household knives. AT similar device it is not possible to adjust the sharpening angle, while you can pre-set several different angles for sharpening different types of knives. The work of sharpening blades with the help of such machines is not difficult, it is enough just to drive the blade along the abrasive surfaces in the recess.

The device consists of a pair of planes inclined to each other at a certain angle, one of which is a grindstone.

Electric knife sharpeners

The procedure for creating an electric sharpening machine is simple: it is enough to supply almost any device for sharpening knives and scissors with an electric drive. Such a sharpening machine allows you to quickly and accurately sharpen the product and at the same time provides a better concave shelf at the edge of the blade.

The mechanism of the electric sharpener for sharpening knives contains a guide, which is placed along the axis of rotation of the whetstone, and with the help of which the blade is adjusted at a given angle. The sharpening angle is set and set by the guide, and the clamping force is determined by the master.

Particular attention must be paid to the speed of sharpening, because. the electric drive allows you to sharpen the product at high speed, as a result of which the surface of the knife heats up. Such surface heating leads to the tempering of hardened steel, as a result of which the knife can quickly lose its hardness and its service life will be noticeably reduced. To prevent steel tempering, sharpening on a high-speed electric sharpener should be performed at short intervals and with sufficient breaks to allow the knife to cool.

Making stones for sharpening

It will not be difficult for a modern master to make stones for sharpening with his own hands. For this you will need:

• a wooden plate according to the size of the future grindstone;
• epoxy resin;
• cardboard box according to the size of the bar;
• abrasive;
• protective rubber gloves.

As an abrasive, you can use ready-made powder, or you can prepare an abrasive of your own production, for example, from an old bar Green colour also Soviet-made. Such a bar can be powdered and used later as an abrasive.

A wooden plate needs to be processed on one side with sandpaper and a saw to make frequent notches. Epoxy resin mixed with abrasive crumb. Having previously placed the bar in a cardboard box glued to the size of the bar, cover the prepared surface of the wooden bar with a mixture of epoxy and abrasive. After complete curing of the resin, the bar is ready for use.

Another option for making sharpening stones with your own hands is to create a whetstone from small rectangular glass plates about 5 mm thick. Using double-sided adhesive tape, sandpaper is glued to the surface of the glass plate. The whetstone is ready to go.

Tool for sharpening wood blocks

A simple device for sharpening knives is a tool consisting of a pair of wooden slats and a pair of bars with abrasive, with the same geometric dimensions.

Wooden slats should be carefully sanded with abrasive skins. Then, after applying auxiliary markings, depending on the angle of sharpening the knife, make cuts to a depth of 15 mm. Insert emery bars into the resulting holes so that each groove matches, and then fasten them with bolts. To give the grinding device greater stability, the lower part of the surface can be laid with a piece of rubber.

The types of devices for sharpening cutting tools are different and each master will be able to choose the manual machine that will fully satisfy his needs.

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 necessary materials. The first thing to do is calculate the angle between working part cutting blade and 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 sandpaper can be changed at any time, but more reliable installation- 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:

1. Blades for cutting hard objects (for example, cardboard, wood, metal), chainsaws - 30-45 degrees.
2. Hunting, tourist knives - at an angle of 25-30 degrees.
3. Kitchen cutting tools for cutting various products need to be sharpened at 20-25 degrees.
4. 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 milestones! 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 timber. 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:

1. Cut out two rectangular trapezoids from plywood, the bases of which will be equal to 60 and 170 mm, and the sidewall along right angle- 230 mm.
2. Cut out a rectangular plank with dimensions of 230 by 150 mm.
3. Fasten the rectangle between the bases so that it protrudes 40 mm upwards.
4. Cut out a 60mm by 60mm block and attach it to the base of the wedge.
5. 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.
6. 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
7. 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 aluminum profile, then the second bar and another latch.
  • 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 - simple kitchen knife, garden or manicure scissors or chains for a chainsaw - such a tool will cope with any job if you set the angle correctly and do not forget to use it when such a need arises.

The myth of supposedly self-sharpening knives was shattered very quickly…. About life. This is not surprising, the laws of physics, there are laws of physics, against them, so to speak, even marketers are powerless. If there are no sharpened knives in the house, if you remember the famous bard, there is nothing good. Today, the editors of the site will help solve the problem of blunt blades and tell you how and with what you can properly sharpen a knife at home. We will introduce our readers to different types tools for sharpening knives, talk about their effectiveness, and also teach you how to make a simple grinder at home.

Read in the article

Types of devices for sharpening knives

A sharpening stone for sharpening knives is probably the very first device of this type. A simple, and, most importantly, affordable tool has been successfully coping with its task for many millennia.

Until now, the classification of machine tools depends on this once uncontested sharpener. By type of abrasive material can be:

• bars;
• grinding stones.

Drive type:

• manual;
• electric.

By place of use:

• domestic;
• professional.

However, in modern world a whetstone can only sharpen a simple hunting knife. In other cases, the quality will be poor. In addition, only sharpening with a stone soft metals, if the cutting part of the blade has a hardness above 55 HRC, you cannot sharpen it with improvised means.

Important! Each type of blade has its own edge angle. And during sharpening, it must be held along the entire length of the workpiece surface.

Some types of modern whetstones are still in use today. An example of this natural stones- Japanese water stone (we showed it in the photo above) or American "Arkansas". Master grinders even conduct special master classes on sharpening knives using natural stone. Interestingly, before the processing process, it is soaked in water, sometimes with soapy water, and dried after work. The whole process resembles a sacrament for the initiates. Therefore, it should not be surprising that these rocks are too expensive, and most grinding devices use artificial abrasive surfaces.

Blades for sharpening knives

These are artificially machined abrasive-coated whetstones, which are suitable for manual sharpening of both carpentry and locksmith tools, as well as kitchen knives.

Bars, depending on the material from which they are made, can be of varying degrees of wear resistance and grain size. Consider the main types of materials that are used in the manufacture of whetstones:

1. natural stones, such as novaculite or Japanese water stone. Working with such a tool is not very easy. They require certain skills and craftsmanship.
2. Diamond(with diamond coating) - can be of different shapes and grain sizes. Wear resistant. Democratic price.
3. Ceramic. Relate to more modern look sharpening bars. Combine the strength of a diamond coating with the hardness of natural stone.
4. artificial: electrocorundum or carbide. Fast grinding abrasive, low quality and the same price.

Artificial abrasives are created by mixing diamond powders of different fractions, as well as electrocorundum and carbide.

Important! Great value at the same time, it has a material used for gluing the rock, as well as the percentage of all elements. The stronger and better composition(this also applies to the particles themselves), the more resistant the grinding abrasive will be.

Moreover, there are two types of a bunch of elements - a galvanic bunch and a soft one. In the first case, the crystals are glued strictly on the surface of their base, made of nickel alloy. In fact, the crystals are located in a very thin layer on the bar. A soft bond is a chaotic arrangement of bonding and abrasive elements. The second type is less durable.

Sharpening stones for knives

If we talk in more detail about grindstones, we need to talk about the main varieties used in such tools, this will help to understand the process in detail and understand how to sharpen a knife correctly. But before talking about them, it is impossible not to mention the stages of sharpening, which in this context will play a decisive role in the description of different materials and machines.

Stage	Description	Illustration
sharpening	Restoring a dull edge without adjusting the sharpening angle.
fine-tuning	Edge grinding with fine grit abrasives.
Edit	Polishing bevels and cutting edges with a ceramic pencil, GOI paste or on a leather belt.
Regrinding (deep sharpening)	Full restoration of the desired sharpening angle, blade profile geometry and elimination of chips on the edge. Most often, such work is carried out on special machines.

Let's move on to the description of the main options for grindstones.

Japanese Waterstone

They are used equally effectively at all stages of sharpening. There are artificial analogues (ceramic-based), but professionals use the original, natural materials. Stones require special care, because the most important rule masters - a perfectly flat surface of a grindstone.

Comment

“To check the degree of evenness of a stone, use a simple method. Wet the timber and place it on the paper sheet on a flat surface. The print will allow you to assess the degree of evenness of the stone.

Novaculites, or "Arkansas", "Turkish", "Belgian" stones, are natural shales and chalcedony interspersed with the smallest particles of garnet and quartz. Today, both natural stones and their artificial substitutes are used.

Important! Stones work only in combination with special oil lubrication. The extraordinary and unique structure of the stones allows them to be used at different stages of processing.

Musat for sharpening knives

Musat is a kind of file, most often installed vertically. The peculiarity of this tool is that its surface is magnetized, which means that metal flour will not fall on you.

Each variation has its own merits. So, for example, a round musat weighs a little, but an oval sharpens better, since its edges provide more complete contact with the surface to be treated. Tetrahedral - more versatile, here you can better refine the required sharpening angle.

Household manual knife sharpeners

You can talk for hours about the options and varieties of manual machines used in everyday life. These are the usual home mini-sharpeners, known to almost everyone, and more specific devices with a polishing wheel.

The easiest way to work with mini-sharpeners that control the course of the tool. In this case, the degree of sharpening depends on the effort that the person makes.

Household electric knife sharpeners

Electrical grinding machines more comfortable. Working with them saves time. Most often, such drive machines have various modes of operation, which are controlled by switches.

Usually such machines are compact, safe, simple and reliable, since all grinding wheels hidden inside the case. In this case, the sharpening angle is regulated by a special spring, which completely eliminates errors in sharpening.

Professional manual knife sharpeners

Professional hand tool a bit like a carpenter's vise. The subject of sharpening, in fact, the knife, is clamped with special clamps.

The grinder itself is mounted on an emphasis. Here it is very important to properly fix the machine and avoid slipping of the device during sharpening.

Comment

Specialist in the selection of tools "VseInstrumenty.ru"

“If you do not have the skills to work on this tool, it is better to use automatic sharpeners. In addition, such a machine cannot be assembled without certain knowledge.”

Professional electric knife sharpeners

Professional machines are distinguished by their versatility. Usually this is a machine with a massive abrasive disc. Such tools allow you to sharpen not only knives, but also metalwork tools, for example, planers and chisels.

The combination of low speed and continuous cooling results in high-quality workpiece processing already at the stage of incisal formation. And at the final stages of work, they provide the blade with razor sharpness. AT professional tool a large number of nozzles and interchangeable disks are provided. Moreover, the clamp where the blade is fixed can move freely along the caliper in the horizontal direction. Moreover, the angle of sharpening can be adjusted.

How to sharpen a knife

For high-quality sharpening of the machine, experience and certain knowledge are needed. Let's start with the basics.

Optimal sharpening angles and sharpness for kitchen knives

It's no secret that there are a lot of knives for different materials. A good housewife has her own knife for vegetables and meat. Consider the correct sharpening angles for different tools.

Note! Blades with a sharpening angle of 50 ° are considered the sharpest knives; such versions with a certain steel grade can cut nails. When sharpening knives, you can vary the angle at your discretion within the named range.

In general, the sharpness of the blade depends on the shape of the blade. And it, in turn, must correlate with certain clear correspondences between the blade and the blade.

How to sharpen a knife at home with a bar

The process is simple, but rather painstaking. Try without sharpening experience this process meaningless. Typically, craftsmen use two whetstones with different abrasive densities - with coarse grain and fine.

Comment

Specialist in the selection of tools "VseInstrumenty.ru"

“The blade of a knife must always be wet. You can use special oils or grinding lubricants.

The next step is to choose the angle of sharpening. Here we are guided by the table above and take the range from and to. Remember, the smaller the sharpening angle, the faster the knife will dull. For a beginner, it will be difficult to maintain the same angle. In order to successfully pass this stage, it is important to hold the knife with both hands.

We start work on a coarse-grained bar, and then, when the stage of edge grinding comes, with a fine abrasive

How to sharpen a knife with musat at home

Sharpening passes on weight. The blade is carried out along the entire length of the tool, usually several such “rides” are enough.

In order for the blade not to slip, the musat is equipped with a special stopper or guard, which does not allow the blade to injure the hand.

How to sharpen a knife on an electric grinder

The sharpening process is almost the same as sharpening manually. The only difference is that in this case it is not the blade that is wetted, but the grinding disc itself. Usually this happens automatically, as in the machines we talked about above.

Common mistakes when sharpening knives with your own hands

Everyone knows that it is better to prevent mistakes than to correct them later. That is why the editors of the site have prepared a list of the most common mistakes newcomers make when sharpening knives:

1. Incorrectly maintained sharpening angle level.
2. Blade regrinding. Occurs when excessive pressure is applied to the sharpener with a blade, due to which it can be damaged or even cracked.
3. Sharpening an unprepared tool or a worn grinding wheel.
4. The use of musat at all stages of work. As we remember, musat is used to finish the cutting edge.
5. Use of fine grit abrasive.

All these subtleties are important to take into account already at the stage of organizing work. For information on how to sharpen a knife with a bar, see this video.

Do-it-yourself machine for sharpening knives

Buying a ready-made knife sharpening machine is not always necessary. For domestic needs, you can do it yourself. It doesn’t matter if you create a mechanical or electric machine, be guided, as mentioned earlier, by existing diagrams and drawings.

What tools do you need to make a do-it-yourself knife

To make a simple machine, we need:

1. A piece of chipboard 10-12 mm thick. Can be used from old cabinet furniture.
2. Wooden block.
3. Metal rod M8 or M6.
4. Sheet steel 1 mm thick.
5. Mounting screws or nuts with washer, appropriate for the diameter of the stud used.
6. abrasive material.
7. Hacksaw or electric jigsaw
8. Screwdriver.

Do-it-yourself step-by-step instructions for making a grinder with your own hands

Consider assembling the simplest do-it-yourself knife sharpener from improvised materials.

Illustration	Action Description
	As we can see, the base here is quite simple - several chipboard boards. Size - 37 × 12 cm. Pressure board - 30 × 8 cm. When lifted - something about 7 cm.
	A nut with a diameter of 6 mm for fixing the clamping mechanism of the blade is attached to the lamb. The clamp itself is made of a piece of Plexiglas, you can use a metal plate.
	A magnet was used, attached to 2 screws in a special recess.
	A groove is drilled in the plexiglass with a drill for free walking.
As a bar, you can use ready-made special stones or make it yourself.
	The sharpening process does not cause problems, the main thing is to follow the recommendations indicated above

We have tried to introduce you to the main points related to the right technology sharpening knives with your own hands, as well as with the features of this whole process, besides this, you now know how to make the simplest with your own hands manual sharpeners for knives. And if you have any questions for the author of the article, ask them in the comments and tell us about your own experience, which will certainly come in handy for our readers.

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 already existing models. Do-it-yourself knife sharpening machine, different types with detailed instructions.

We imitate a sharpener model from Lansky

This knife sharpening machine 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 wing nut is already screwed, and on top of it a pair of ordinary, but 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 “L”).

From 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;
• not large sizes 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 almost on the very edge of her 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 metal rod 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 have considered three various options 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 : , .