non flat back chisel sharpening questions

[Jhoff]

Hi guys. I have a set of James swan chisels I need to sharpen. (1.5" and 2") the 1.5" is an oval back and the 2" is a bevel back. I have been trying to find a honing guide that will work with non flat back chisels. Do any of you know of something that may work? Jack Sobon showed us in his class this past fall, how to sharpen a slick using a vice and wood jig. However I don't see how it would work with a chisel handle. Any advice would help. Thanks. 

[Jim_Rogers]

See if this idea works for you:

Honing Guides - which is the best one for TF chisels? in Timber Framing/Log construction (forestryforum.com)

Read what Dave Shepard says about using the jig to hold it at the correct angle.

Jim Rogers

[Jhoff]

Thank you Jim. It looks like that may work for me. 

[Brad_bb]

What does he mean by oval back and bevel back?  To me, the back of the chisel is the part that touches the wood when your parring for example.  Or is he talking about the bevel itself?  My chisels have a bevel between 25 and 27 degrees.

Oh wait, I just realized what I think he's talking about.  It's the difference in cross sectional shape of a framing chisel versus parring chisels.  Parring chisel cross section will be rounded on either side of the top (or back as he's calling it), or beveled.  They will also typically be thinner and lighter in weight than a framing chisel.  A framing chisel is thicker and heavier and usually has a rectangular or nearly rectangular cross section, because it takes a lot more beating force.  Parring chisels are more for regular wood working and will not be beat on so much.

[Jim_Rogers]

What does he mean by oval back and bevel back?  To me, the back of the chisel is the part that touches the wood when your parring for example.  Or is he talking about the bevel itself?  My chisels have a bevel between 25 and 27 degrees.

I believe he means the top side of the chisel. That is the side that the bevel is on. The back is flat of course. But the top side of the chisels have three different styles. One is flat, one is barrel or curved, and one is beveled or a better term is ridge back or ridge top.
Here is a flat back chisel:


 
Here is a barrel back or curved back chisel:


 
And here is a ridge back/top chisel:


 
Some sharpening guides have problems with these different style tops. And don't clamp on nicely like a flat top one does.

Dave Shepards jig that holds the chisel at the angle of the cutting bevel and allows it to sweep left and right on the sharpening stone eliminates the need for a clamping guide and solves that problem.

I thought Dave did a video on using that jig, but I could be wrong.

Maybe I'm just remembering watching him use it when we were face to face.
It does work well, for him.

Jim Rogers

[Brad_bb]

@Jim_Rogers  as I'm sure you probably know, I use the sandpaper sharpening method and I use the existing bevel as my guide.  I originally bought the veritas guide, but never used it as it took time to put on and was just awkward to me.  Rocking the chisel onto the bevel by hand and moving across the sand paper is easy to me.  I'm surprised so many people try to use guides, but maybe it's just me.  
Here's the video that Rooster and I did 6 years ago or so showing how I hold it.  
Chisel Sharpening-sand paper method