(1) Wear thick leather gloves: If your file doesn't have hand guards, please cut a gap in a piece of leather and put it on the file.
(2) Wear safety goggles to prevent metal dust: When grinding by hand, you can choose to wear a dust mask. If you use power tools, you should wear a respirator.
2. Wash and polish the axe. If there is rust on your axe, you can clean it with a rust eraser or steel wool. Further polishing is mainly for beauty, but it is not difficult to complete.
(1) Polished with rough alumina or silicon carbide sandpaper. Wipe the axe with even pressure, from the pollen (hammer) end to the blade.
(2) Repeated grinding with fine sandpaper: In order to obtain good grinding effect, please repeatedly grind with ultra-fine sandpaper and/or with a rag coated with metal polishing agent. This step can wait until after polishing.
3. Clamp the axe in the pliers: clamp the axe horizontally to facilitate the processing of the file, or clamp the axe vertically to make the cutting edge more uniform (because both sides can be alternately clamped). For horizontal clamping, it may be necessary to tilt the axe to the inclined angle (generally 20 or 30o), so that the file can be parallel to the workbench. This is easier than judging whether the angle is correct by visual inspection.
4. Select raw file: 10- 12 inch (25-30cm) illegitimate child milling file (thick, single cut and slightly tapered) is the best choice for most shafts. Shorter illegitimate children have different tooth densities, so the length is not only a matter of convenience. You can use a smaller sharpening file and a smaller sharpening file. Clean up the blocked file teeth with a file card. If the document is new, it can be wiped with soft chalk to prevent blockage.
5. Check the inclined plane of the axe: the edges of most axes are slightly convex, about 20-30o. Wider and more convex edges are more suitable for hardwood or frozen wood, because curves will push the wood away to protect the edges. The carving axe has a straight triangular tip. Before you start sharpening the knife, decide the shape of your axe and pay close attention to the changes of the blade in the development process. In most cases, you will want to match the existing bevel and remove the uniform metal layer along the curve of the blade.
6. The action of the file should be firmly inserted into the blade: put the file handle in your dominant palm and put your thumb on it. Bend the finger of the other hand around the tip of the file. Stand one foot in front of the other so that you can push the file with your shoulder. In order to prevent the file from shaking back and forth, guide it with your front hand, and then transfer it smoothly to the file pushed at the end of the trip with the handle.
7. Archive repeatedly along the sector area. File the edges flat with a stable brush. By changing the starting point of the scribing, a fan-shaped curve is formed on the blade: starting from the top of the axe near the blade, starting from the center about 2-3 inches (5-7.5 cm), and bending down to the blade again at the bottom of the axe. Don't touch the blade on the return trip, otherwise it will blunt the axe and may damage your file. When metal particles accumulate on the file, please remove them with a file card or a wire brush.
8. When you can feel the burr, switch to the other side. Once you feel the burr on the raw edge, turn the axe over and repeat the same step on the other side. Continue grinding until the burr returns to the first surface. Switching the cutting edge more frequently during the whole process can make the cutting edge more uniform.
9. Measure the edge with a bevel gauge. Also known as sliding slope, these are just two hinge arms, and you can tighten them to any angle with nuts. You can easily make it yourself from waste wood. Adjust the bevel ruler to the required angle (generally around 25o) with a protractor, and then slot the edge of the shaft. If the angle is wrong, you can further use the file to delete the material where necessary.
10, polish the edge with a coarse whetstone. Apply polishing oil or sewing machine oil to the outermost edge, and then rub with the tip of the rough grindstone in a circular motion along the edge. Grind both sides alternately, and grind the burr from one side to the other until the burr almost disappears. This burr is a feathered edge, or a very thin curved end. Move your finger along the edge and describe its shape. Water stones made of clay or sandstone sharpen faster, but wear faster. They need water instead of oil to float metal particles.
1 1. Grind with a fine grindstone or leather bar (optional). To completely remove the edges of feathers, repeat the same polishing process with a thin grindstone, or cut feathers from the edges with a belt. A perfect grinding blade will not reflect any light, but some small scratches are not a big problem. Most grindstones are double-sided, with rough and fine surfaces. It's safer to have a finger groove in the middle. Every time you want to use an axe, you should repeat honing (at least with rough stones).
12, protect the blade and prevent the blade from rusting. Wipe the blade with light oil, and then apply a mixture of beeswax and more oil. It is best to do this when the temperature of molten steel is high.