To restore the original bevel, or angle, of a tool, a flat stone or a honing rod (for long blades) will suffice. To remove a nick and to do rough grinding, you’ll need a bench grinder. To detect nicks — and to check your progress in restoring the edge — examine both sides of the tool under a magnifying glass.

Chisel and plane angles range between 15 and 30 degrees. Some tools have a narrow secondary bevel at the tip that is 5 degrees greater than the primary one. This secondary bevel slows the dulling of the blade and makes sharpening easier. (Its width varies from 2 mm to a micro-bevel.)

Using a bench grinder

Before mounting a wheel, test it for cracks. Insert an old screwdriver into the wheel’s center hole. Hold the wheel in the air and tap it in several places with the handle of another screwdriver. If it rings, the wheel is intact: if it thuds or rattles, discard it.

When using a belt sander for rough sharpening or removing nicks, be sure that the tool doesn’t overheat and lose its temper.

Caution: Wear safety, goggles and use the wheel guard and eye shield. Never grind on the side of a wheel unless it is designed to be used that way. Keep the tool rest 2 mm from the wheel.

Sharpen a dull knife on a coarse stone first; then finish on a fine stone. Move the blade to the right as you pivot and pull it. Repeat on the other side of the blade, pushing it away as you pivot. Stroke alternate faces the same number of times. Keep the angle and pressure consistent.

Use a honing rod for long-bladed knives. Holding the rod motionless, begin with the heel of the blade near the rod handle. Move the length of the blade along the rod in an arcing motion. Stroke each side equally. Keep the blade angle and the pressure constant.

Scissor blades have a secondary bevel that can be sharpened. Place the bevel on the stone, and pull the blade toward you and slightly to the right. Use a pulling motion only.

When sharpening a chisel or a plane iron, use the stone’s coarse side first. Rub the primary bevel back and forth a few times (moving across the stone to even up the wear). To create a secondary bevel, raise the tool slightly and rub again on the fine side. To remove the raised burr, turn the tool over and gently rub the flat side, with the blade held flat on the stone.

To sharpen a chisel or a plane iron on a bench grinder, set the tool rest so it supports the tool at the correct angle. Hold the tool, bevel side down and square to the wheel, with your forefinger against the tool rest. Keep the metal cool by repeatedly dipping it in water. Use a medium-grit wheel; then finish on a stone.

When the wheel of a bench grinder becomes clogged with foreign material or gouged from use, it needs to be cleaned, or dressed. One way to do this is to run a silicon carbide stick over the face of the wheel; the stick will clean and flatten the face, exposing new grit.