# Sharpen your throwaway planer knives



## Chinitorama

Nice review Dan! Another example of something so simple, yet nobody seems to have thought of it before.

-J.


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## Broglea

Dan nice product. I made a jig like this earlier in the year to sharpen my jointer knives. The only draw back is that it takes for ever to sharpen them.


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## 8iowa

Question:

Are all "throw-away" blades capable of being sharpened. I know that some blades are only hard enough on the surface and once this is ground away the softer steel won't hold an edge.

It takes a certain amount of carbon in the steel to produce the fine grains that can be sharpened to a keen edge.


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## tierraverde

From my background in Tool & Die, I'm guessing, unless you found a planer at K-Mart, made in China, the blades in all respectable planers are Hight Speed Steel (HSS). They are probably A-2 or S-7, (air hardened) 60-62 RC or even an M-series steel upwards of 66 RC. They are all hardened thru and thru.
Throwaway blades would be "case" or "surfaced" hardened, and generally would not be ground after heat treatment. I can't believe anyone would produce these other than for lawn mower blades.
Therefore "throwaway" blades on this post refer to the inability to sharpen them yourself, and instead take the easy (expensive route) and purchase new ones.


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## Dusty56

what do you do when you have a three knife system to keep everything balanced and the same dimensions ?

Well , now that I've watched your video , I see that you answered my question. However , you are still sharpening blade #1 twice on the same grit in your video when you insert blade #3 before moving on to the next grit and then when you double up the blades in the 12" holder , you are taking off more metal on the single blade as it is travelling twice as much as the ones on the other side of the holder. It looks like a well made tool , but I can get my knives sharpened 5 times for the price of your 6" holder , and seeing as I already have a spare set of knives , I am never without sharp ones.
This isn't a product review , but merely a sales pitch and belongs in one of the forums sections.


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## Deulen

Hey guys, I want to thank all you for your post. I admit not knowing whether this wasn't the appropriate place I apologize. I'm a fifth generation wood worker who can build a nice guitar, properly harvest a Black Walnut tree, or build a spiral staircase but, I type with two fingers and don't spend much time on the computer. So with that said, I'll try to answer all of the comments or questions about this tool in the order of the posts. 1- Broglea you mentioned that it takes forever to sharpen your own knives. I can sharpen a set of knives in less time than it takes you to drive them to the sharpening center and back. You still have to wait for the phone call that they are done and drive back and return them to your shop for installation. My system doesn't require an automobile, insurance, gas, or travel time. I'm not an anti-send out guy. The reason for my invention was to help woodworkers produce a better quality cut than sending them out. I'm not sure why you don't hone your blades before using them. My tool is merely an option for those who want a better smoother cut with less tear-out.
2- 8Iowa you asked if all throwaway knives could be re-sharpened. I don't know yet. I'm asking you to send me your knives so I can test them. I have sharpened a set of 18" Woodmaster Planer knives successfully after the owner threw away six sets at $160.00 per set. After sharpening them he installed them and called me to tell me he will probably get two more sharpenings on that same set. They were very badly nicked and had a serious bend in one of them so I put a shim behind the bent section to straighten before I could sharpen them. He said even the holder was bent. I have 3 sets of Ridgid 13" throwaways that have hit several nails so, like the Woodmaster set it's a good challenge. I hope to get some results from the owner as I sharpened one set while he waited as well as a six-inch three knife jointer set. After sharpening the six-inch set he was quite convinced not to put jointer knives in his jointer before honing them. He could see the difference from the original factory edge and just smiled. Jim ceriale answered the quality of steel question for me. Thanks Jim!
3- Dusty56- My video shows the alternation of the blades to keep them balanced. Blade #1 does get sharpened twice but then so does #2 and #3 consecutively. It's not perfect but has worked for me for thirty years. Again you state that if two knives are on one side and the third is on the opposite side that the lone knife is traveling twice as far. If you glue three six-inch sticks together, two on one side and one centered on the other side you can perhaps see by marking the starting and ending point on each of the three sticks and measure their travel. That might help you see that they all travel the same distance. And as far as having two sets of knives, you eliminate your three-knife dilemma because you can wait till both sets are dull before sharpening them and do two at a time. Dusty, I'm not so lucky as you when it comes to nicks. I can get several in a day when milling a few hundred board feet of lumber. Perhaps you can share your no-nick secret with us. I'm an old-fashioned beat up high-miler that likes doing things myself. Rather than driving somewhere and back twice and waiting days to get my knives so I can continue my project, I just sharpen them. I have sold over three hundred tools so far with 100% positive feedback (Ebay, Craisgslist). If you'd like I can post some of the many. Sincerely, Dan Deulen


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## alba

Dan I think it is great.
I always use a slip to keep my blades sharp. This
looks a lot easier.

Jamie


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## SCOTSMAN

Sorry not my blades !
I have a dedicated sharpener,and am not in the habit of giving good stuff away. The jig is just another gimick imho, and could be knocked up in a few hours by anyone here.So why pay over the odds for a bit of wood and a few screws? I don't expect many will buy this , but some might copy it. Alistair


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## 8iowa

Daniel:

Thank you for your offer to sharpen my planer knives. I have a jig that I use with the conical disk that works well, taking off just a few thousandths, just enough to create a new sharp edge.

The reason for my asking the question above is that my blades, which cost $109 a set (3), have a hardened M2 edge laminated to lower carbon steel. As such I can sharpen them to a maxium of taking off 1/16" in width, which will take a long time. I'm not convinced that the "disposable" blades for all of the common benchtop planers, selling for half as much, can withstand very much sharpening without getting into softer steel.


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## Deulen

8iowa, I posted so that I might get a few other brands to see how it works on them. I can't afford to buy every planer with throwaway knives to test them. I make everyone of my tools in my home shop. I'm not some big company. I'm head of operations, my wife is C.E.O. and, our world headquarters is located in Washington State (in the shop out back). When I first created my jig I was unaware there were throwaway knives. I'm a hands on, you have to show me guy (My grandmother is from Iowa). I can't know for sure until I try it myself. So if you have a friend with throwaways, I'll be glad to test them. I've done Woodmaster and Rigid. I will post both positive and negative results that I find. I'll try to contact the many happy customers who have thanked me so there will be some posts of actual users instead of supposition and innuendo. Thanks, Dan


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## Deulen

Hi again, This tool is my work and I'm very proud of not only what it does but, the workmanship as well. This is the first time I've had negative feedback about my work. I did have one guy in Atlanta say he doesn't need his knives that sharp. I prefer to say nothing at all rather than attack some one's work or character. I was also taught that it's much better to say nothing and seem a fool, rather than open your mouth and let out all doubt. If you can make a finer tool then do it. I'd love to see how much better you can do. I didn't realize Lumberjocks was supposed to be a roast. If you negative people are looking to run woodworkers off this sight, mission accomplished. This is my last post. Here's another site of mine (eBay) that you can leave negative feedback. Oh! you can't leave feedback until you actually use the products I sell.

Awesome tool, what a time and money saver!!!! Buyer: Member id honehe14 ( Feedback Score Of 20 ) Oct-02-10 15:37 
New! DEULEN 6" Jointer/Planer Knife Sharpener (#250667722171) US $49.95 View Item New! DEULEN 6" Jointer/Planer Knife Sharpener

Beautiful design,think I'll just look at it for a week,greatebayer AAA+++ Buyer: Member id graham2597 ( Feedback Score Of 266 ) Sep-23-10 17:59 
New! DEULEN 12" Jointer/Planer Knife Sharpener Hardwood (#250649599355) US $89.95 View Item New! DEULEN 12" Jointer/Planer Knife Sharpener Hardwood

THANK YOU! MY HUSBAND IS VERY PLEASED WITH THE PURCHASE! Buyer: Member id csrcutie ( Feedback Score Of 430 ) Sep-19-10 20:15 
New! DEULEN 6" Jointer/Planer Knife Sharpener (#250667722171) US $49.95 View Item New! DEULEN 6" Jointer/Planer Knife Sharpener

Member id inventorswife ( 11103 ) 
Positive Feedback (last 12 months): 99.8% [How is Feedback Percentage calculated?]

Member since: Aug-31-05 in United States

This member is a Top-rated seller Consistently receives highest buyers' ratings
Ships items quickly
Has earned a track record of excellent service

Goodbye Lumberjocks, sorry I stopped by. Sincerely, Dan Deulen


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## MarkwithaK

I just think that it is rather biased to "review" your own product.


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## 8iowa

I tried to be polite to the guy by asking a legitimate technical question.

He should have expected some "negitivity" (his words) when he used LJ's review section to promote/sell his own product. None-the-less, he has apparently left LJ in a huff.


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## North40

It's true that this post was a bit of self-promotion, and felt a little spammy being in the reviews section.

However, there are a ton of commercially made jigs and tools on the market that most people here could make (think tenon jigs and coping sleds) ... yet Rockler and Woodcraft sell a bunch of them. Some woodworkers would rather buy something like that than to make it themselves.


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## Deulen

Hi Lumberjockers! I want to apologize to many who use this site to learn and share their woodworking projects. Last Saturday I pulled my back muscles while working on my Band saw and had to get pain medication (Percocett) for my back pain. I couldn't work in my shop so I went online to Craigslist to request local woodworkers who have throwaway planer knives to bring them over to my place to see if after my jig sharpens them, would they still plane lumber in there machines. My add didn't mention where or how to buy them and I got a few calls from those who wanted to purchase them. So come Sunday when I posted on Lumberjocks I put buying info on it as well. All I was trying to get are some dull planer knives of different brands for testing. It's unbelievable to me how difficult it is to obtain worthless knives. I had previously read in an L J forum of several people asking about what to do with their throwaway knives. I thought it would be a great source for me to get knives from different machines so I can test them. I have ran two adds on Craigslist. From the first add I had one person bring knives from an 18" Woodmaster. He has planed several hundred feet of 2×6 and it's still cutting just fine. From my second C L add I had three guys asked where to buy them and one person (Chris) who brought knives over to get them sharpened. Chris brought over 1 set of three six-inch jointer knives and, 3 sets of Ridgid 13 ½ " planer knives. He only had his planer and Jointer for one month and had already toasted all of the knives. He was reclaiming Oak that had hidden nails in them. He got the Oak for a great price but the planer knives are $30.00 per set. To make a long story short, tonight I'm taking the knives over to his place to see how they work in his Ridgid Planer. I'll bring a magnet too! Dan Deulen


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## Deulen

Hi again, here are the before and after pics of the Ridgid 13 ½" disposable planer knives that were sharpened with a twelve-inch "Deulen" Jointer/Planer Knife Sharpener. This time I used a diamond lapping plate after screwing the "Deulen Tool" to my workbench to show the versatility of the tool. Sincerely, Dan Deulen


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## Deulen




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## Deulen

I'm still trying to figure out how to post these pics. Sorry, Dan Deulen PS I'll get my grandson to help. He's thirteen.


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## happy_budah

so for the 3 bladed 13" dewalt planner that in the owners manual states "do not re sharpen these blades" would it be wise / safe to have them sharpened? just a novice here and was wondering? be happy to send them to you, just not sure why i shouldn't resharpen them????

[email protected]


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## Deulen

Hi happy_budah, The reason they say you can't sharpen them is because there was no easy way to do it and, if you throw them away they get to sell you another set of blades. I have sharpened several disposable sets and re-used them. The purpose behind the indexing planers was to make it easy for the craftsman to change planer knives. That is a great relief to most woodworkers becuase they can be a pain to change if you haven't done it very often. If you plane alot of ruff-cut lumber, refurbish used lumber, or harvest small hardwood logs, you're going to go through alot of knives. Like my friend Brian who was on his sixth set of knives at $160.00 per set, it was costing him more for knives than buying already finished lumber. woodworkersparadise.com in Texas has been experimenting with my sharpening jig and have been video taping their results. Go on-line and ask them what they think of my sharpener. They sell them as well. Thank you for offering your knives for me to experiment with. You are the first Lumberjock out 1,356 views that has offered. I'll contact you through your email where I can teach you about the virtues of honing your knives before using them. I've been working on a how to video for my own website. Thanks, Deulen


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## happy_budah

Just to be fair I have a set of SHARPENED ( By the duelen system )Planner knivs now and they are nice and sharp. I cam post the video of how it was done If any are interested. Just wanted to say that i am very satisfied with the results.


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## sikrap

Has anyone else tried this? I've got a WHOLE lot of wood to be jointed and I'd rather sharpen the blades on my Grizzly jointer than replace them. Thanks!!


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## happy_budah

yes, it worked great. just glued some 240 and 600 grit paper to a 2ft long slab of granite and a few runs across each gave me a nice edge. I also used the ones that were sharpened for me and there was no difference from the "new sharp" blades that i bought. there was just a review in one of the woodworking magazines on them and they were one of their favorite new items


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## Deulen

Hey Buddah, I'm glad my jig works well for you. You mentioned a review in one of the woodworking magazines. I'd like to read it. Wood Magazine (550,000 circulation) is featuring a tool review of my jigs in their September/October issue that hits the newsstands August 24th. I'm also planning on attending the A.W.F.S. Fair in Las Vegas in July 20-23. If I go I'll be at the Woodcraft booth #4863. Thanks, Dan


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## happy_budah

Dan, the review is in "shopNotes" Vol 20 Issue 118 page 48. Sounds like your gonna be busy making these! Congrats


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## JimiThing

Now the only thing left unanswered is…..

Does Alistair taste the bitter taste of his own sweaty foot in his mouth??

Hahahaha…. sorry it just had to be said…. It is kinda like one of those under dog stories…. guy comes on here, new to the forum, and, to no fault of his own, posts his "review" of his "own" product in the "wrong" spot (which is all left up to interpretation). An old timer, who posts thousands of times and obviously reveres himself as a "leader" or "elder" LJ. calls him out and basically smears him and his product. A product that he, Dan, obviously put a TON of blood sweat and tears into…. and then Dan goes on to make, presumably, lots of money and notoriety for his product!! BAM… quintessentially rubbing his sweet success in the face of those smug LJ's who doubted him…. Most of all, Alistair.

I Believe its a classic Shakespearean Tale of Turmoil and Conquest…

But I'm just a Woodworker…. so what do I know…


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## Deulen

JimiThing, Thank you for all of the kind comments. When I first came to LJ I was disappointed by the negative response of a few. In life you can meet a lot of nice people that just make it fun to be alive. Then BAM!!!! one person destroys that great feeling with negative input if you let them. I try to realize that they are just very unhappy themselves. If they were happy they wouldn't treat others that way. You mentioned lots of money, noteriety, blood, sweat, and tears. It's all true except the money. I nearly lost my cars and home trying to make a go of it with this tool. The retail market leaves the manufacturer (me) with approx. 50% of the profit after expenses. A 1' piece of brass costs around $8.00 today. My 6" jig retails for $50.00 minus 25.00 for retail minus $8.00 for brass for a profit of $17.00. We still have to buy the hardwood, Stainless steel set screws w/wrench, DVDs, packaging, shipping etc.. There is still overhead and oh yeah! There's labor cost (if you want to make a profit). If I wasn't so hard headed I would buy a cheaper version from China. But I'm an American, who buys American, and hires American. I'm proud to be able to make these fine tools with my name on it and someday might show a profit. I expect to by the middle of 2012. It is rapidly growing in popularity and so far 100% positive feedback, even from "Wood" and "Shop notes" Magazines who gave me a five star review. My tools are carried by Woodcraft and soon will be carried by Rockler and many others. All in all, "Life is Good". From now until Christmas LJs can get my tools at 10% off from my website. You have to call directly at 360-573-0305 and mention Lumberjocks. I'm probably going to get in trouble again for not knowing or taking the time to know the rules but, I'm happy. Happy Holidays to all, Dan


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## DouginVa

I just bought Duelen's jig. I bought the 12" model and intend on using in on my old Rockwell 4" jointer knives and my Delta 12 1/2" planer with the disposable knives. My concern with my planer knives is at what point will the knives have to be replaced due to loss of steel at the knive's edge (reducing the width of the knife). I don't know that Delta publishes any specs on how wide the knife must be to be operated safely.

Anybody know this answer?


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