How to Sharpen Lathe Chisels

Learn how to sharpen lathe chisels correctly so you can spend less time sharpening and more time at the lathe. Unlike table saw blades or jointer knives that you send out to be sharpened, lathe users have to sharpen their own lathe chisels. On large projects, you may need to hone your chisels several times during the course of the project.

Getting Started

As you learn how to sharpen lathe chisels, your goal is to achieve a good angle and edge every time you sharpen. In this video, we use a low-RPM sharpening machine because you can use finer abrasives which improve the quality of the edge. Also, it’s easy to change abrasives on this machine, which means you’ll be more likely to actually change abrasives rather than just using whatever is already on the machine.

Lathe Chisel Sharpening Options

We’ll show you several different approaches to sharpening chisels. One is simply freehand. You touch the bevel of the tool on the bed of the sharpener and uniformly roll the tool on the abrasive. You’re after a smooth surface with no facets. Freehand is the ultra-low-tech method, with consistency being the biggest challenge. Another approach is to add a tool rest, which gives you something to rest the chisel on as you roll it across the abrasive. And to achieve even more stability, you can add a table, set to the correct angle so the bevel angle you’re holding can’t change.

Sharp Chisels Make Woodturners Happy

When you watch woodturning videos and see someone turning something spectacular, you can be sure they spent time at the sharpening machine getting their chisels honed before they went to the lathe. That’s why it’s so important for beginning turners to learn how to sharpen lathe chisels. So whether you’re turning a baseball bat, a stair spindle or a simple bowl, always begin and end with sharp chisels.