AX SHARPENING WITH POWER TOOLS

The high speed bench grinders are bad and the wrong tool for the job. But you can certainly use what ever you like.
If you have no experience and skill for the job, then know your limits and stay away.
Those that can, do.
Those that can't burn their tools and tell others its bad.

There is more then one way to do something.

Not telling anyone to run out and get a bench grinder.

Nope.

However, a 1x30 from harbor freight and some Norton Blaze belts will make your life easier and get ya swinging faster if you know what you are doing.
 
If you have no experience and skill for the job, then know your limits and stay away.
Those that can, do.
Those that can't burn their tools and tell others its bad.

There is more then one way to do something.

Not telling anyone to run out and get a bench grinder.

Nope.

However, a 1x30 from harbor freight and some Norton Blaze belts will make your life easier and get ya swinging faster if you know what you are doing.
Don't read me wrong I have nothing against a belt. Not all power tools are equal. I will also use a belt on occasion. They do a good job.
 
DeadboxHero- I take exception to some of your statements.

"there aren't any professional axe swinging jobs anymore" lets see-- wildlands firefighters, smoke jumpers, trail crews, historic building preservation workers, competition choppers and everybody who works in the 109 million acres of designated National Wilderness Preservation System. In this 109 million acres NO power tools are allowed, axes and hand tools are the only way to get the work done.

"those that can, do. Those that can't burn their tools and tell others its bad" There are plenty of us who can and choose not to.
 
DeadboxHero- I take exception to some of your statements.

"there aren't any professional axe swinging jobs anymore" lets see-- wildlands firefighters, smoke jumpers, trail crews, historic building preservation workers, competition choppers and everybody who works in the 109 million acres of designated National Wilderness Preservation System. In this 109 million acres NO power tools are allowed, axes and hand tools are the only way to get the work done.

"those that can, do. Those that can't burn their tools and tell others its bad" There are plenty of us who can and choose not to.
Axes aren't the primary tools in those professions, there are no pure axe swinging jobs, no fellers or buckers.
Working on a wildfire wasn't like being Paul buyan that adze saw the most action.
Everyones axe bits were dull for safety and cause they needed that thick geometry for hammering roots in the ground.

Competition choppers still have day jobs.

Trail crew work is seasonal.

That's fine to choose not to.

But if you have enough work time is money.
 
I define "professional" as someone who is paid to swing an axe. All the jobs I mentioned are paid to swing an axe. All the workers in the 109 million acre wilderness areas use the axe and crosscut saw as their primary tools.

It is also fine to choose to use power tools to sharpen axes, if you know what you are doing. What is not fine is your statement " those that can, do. Those that can't burn their tools and tell others its bad"

One more thing, there is no such thing as "axe bits were dull for safety"
 
Someone has never been to a lumberjack show. An hour or two every night for 3 months, more if you are in a travel show......plus practice....plus competitions if are you still into competition...

Professional. No ifs ands or butts.
 
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I define "professional" as someone who is paid to swing an axe. All the jobs I mentioned are paid to swing an axe. All the workers in the 109 million acre wilderness areas use the axe and crosscut saw as their primary tools.

It is also fine to choose to use power tools to sharpen axes, if you know what you are doing. What is not fine is your statement " those that can, do. Those that can't burn their tools and tell others its bad"

One more thing, there is no such thing as "axe bits were dull for safety"
What some consider sharp, others consider dull, I can think of countless occasions were people told me something was Razor sharp and it was dull as a cold chisel.

No one size fits all for geometries some tools need what I consider dull.

Nothing wrong with my previous statement either.

Let me break it down for you,

No one needs anyone's approval to do something.

I find people blanket their experience as everyones experience so if they can't do something no one can.
Meanwhile others are getting along just fine.



There is a lot of hysteria and BS about how bad power equipment is for tools when it's mostly promoted by people that don't know how to use power equipment.

I'm not saying I go out of my way to only use power equipment. I like files and stones just like the rest of you guys.


But if you have the tools and the skills then there is no reason to promote power equipment as a "bogeyman"

Just get it done.

Everything can be so" black and white"on the forums

All or nothing

Power equipment is an option, not an enemy.
 
Everything can be so" black and white"on the forums

All or nothing

Power equipment is an option, not an enemy.

Yup. This. :thumbsup: Emphasis added because context is a huge part of the equation and having more tools and skills at your disposal can make just about any sort of situation easier to deal with because you can better pick an optimum solution for the task at hand. Sometimes speed is important.
 
Damn this is getting crazy. Because I had the nerve to criticize bench grinders for sharpening axes. And it doesn't seem like anyone is using them to sharpen an axe...

One thing I have learned and will take away from the discussion is that it takes more skill to use a power tool than doing it by hand. Never to old to learn.
 
I don't take the advice of salesman I do not personally know or people with only one year or so of recreational casual ax use seriously.



Experience sounds nothing like the echo of a parrot.




DeadboxHero DeadboxHero
If time is only money to you, you have a lot of learning left to do young man.
 
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One thing I have learned and will take away from the discussion is that it takes more skill to use a power tool than doing it by hand. Never to old to learn.

Maybe a bit nitpicky of me, but I wouldn't quite phrase it that way. I'd say that there's just less room for mistakes with power equipment because everything happens so much faster. The damage one can do with a file or wet grinder is inherently less chiefly because of how much slower they are, but they're not necessarily easier to use, if that makes sense. :)
 
The high speed bench grinders are bad and the wrong tool for the job. But you can certainly use what ever you like.

Nonsense. They are more difficult to use without damaging the blade, which would be bad, but there is nothing inherently "bad" about the grinder as a tool. It removes material fast and the friction of an undressed, non-friable wheel can quickly overheat the edge. The tool itself is no more "bad" than an automobile is "bad" compared to a bicycle due to being more dangerous to operate.
 
Nonsense. They are more difficult to use without damaging the blade, which would be bad, but there is nothing inherently "bad" about the grinder as a tool. It removes material fast and the friction of an undressed, non-friable wheel can quickly overheat the edge. The tool itself is no more "bad" than an automobile is "bad" compared to a bicycle due to being more dangerous to operate.
Is that what you sharpen an axe with?
 
This well worn topic inevitably gets out of hand opinion-wise, because of keeners showing off their prowess (and/or labour-saving purchases) and others cautioning about why this is not so much a good thing. Luckily there still are millions of affordable vintage axes out there, and the more impatient folks, tin horns and Google know-it-alls that choose to inadvertently grind them into paperweights and door stops the more valuable the unspoiled originals will ultimately become.
 
This well worn topic inevitably gets out of hand opinion-wise, because of keeners showing off their prowess (and/or labour-saving purchases) and others cautioning about why this is not so much a good thing. Luckily there still are millions of affordable vintage axes out there, and the more impatient folks, tin horns and Google know-it-alls that choose to inadvertently grind them into paperweights and door stops the more valuable the unspoiled originals will ultimately become.
The same can be said vice versa, we have reached an impasse with the topic.

Just remember, there is always more then one way to do something

You only remove too much material if you don't know what you are doing.

Takes more skill
 
Is that what you sharpen an axe with?

If necessary, yes. If the blade is vastly out of my desired profile or if it has nasty chips, then a bench grinder is the tool for the job. Most recently I ground chips out of a Pulaski that had been used in a derelict building demolition and had hit several bolt heads.

I've also been known to use a scotchbrite pad on an angle grinder for a quick polish on an axe. When the axe gets used, I'm reluctant to spend hours polishing.

Hollow grind chisels and plane blades, and the SS kitchen knives see the grinder. Pocket knives are about the only thing that I'll only use hand stones on.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with avoiding grinders if that is one's comfort level -- but they also should not be damned as inevitable blade wreckers. They are very fast, and with that comes certain risks which are easily managed when understood.
 
The same can be said vice versa, we have reached an impasse with the topic.

Just remember, there is always more then one way to do something

You only remove too much material if you don't know what you are doing.

Takes more skill
How long did it take you to develop this high skill set?
Does it look like this?
Hhttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A7Vy8TLIQlo
 
How long did it take you to develop this high skill set?
Does it look like this?
Hhttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A7Vy8TLIQlo

Oof. That's not the worst video with a bench grinder I've seen but it sure isn't great. This isn't with an axe and he's light on the details, but this isn't too bad of a video on grinding thin-edged tools with a bench grinder. Note how he specifically states to use a friable wheel and he uses a very light touch and keeps the tool moving.
 
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