KNIFE & TOOL SHARPENER USER’S GUIDE WORKSHARPTOOLS.COM • CAUTION! To reduce the risk of injury, the user must read and understand this instruction manual before using product. Save these instructions for future reference.
Table of Contents Safety Information.........................................................................3 Sharpening Basics...........................................................................8 Getting To Know Your Tool...........................................................10 Setting Up Your Tool.....................................................................12 Know Your Knife............................................................................13 Sharpening Reference Chart........
Safety Information You will be creating incredibly sharp knives and tools with this sharpener. Please handle them with care. Use caution to avoid cutting yourself. General Power Tool Safety Warnings • WARNING! Read all safety warnings and all instructions. Failure to follow the warnings and instructions may result in electric shock, fire and/or serious injury. Save all warnings and instructions for future reference.
3) Personal safety a) Stay alert, watch what you are doing and use common sense when operating a power tool. Do not use a power tool while you are tired or under the influence of drugs, alcohol or medication. A moment of inattention while operating power tool may result in serious personal injury. b) Use personal protective equipment. Always wear eye protection.
parts, breakage of parts and any other condition that may affect the power tool’s operation. If damaged, have the power tool repaired before use. Many accidents are caused by poorly maintained power tools. f) Keep cutting tools sharp and clean. Properly maintained cutting tools with sharp cutting edges are less likely to bind and are easier to control. g) Use the power tool, accessories and tool bits etc.
• WARNING: Use of this tool can generate and/or disperse dust, which may cause serious and permanent respiratory or other injury. Always use NIOSH/ OSHA approved respiratory protection appropriate for the dust exposure. Direct particles away from face and body. • CAUTION: Wear appropriate hearing protection during use. Under some conditions and duration of use, noise from this product may contribute to hearing loss.
Motor Be sure your power supply agrees with nameplate marking. 110 Volts AC only means your tool will operate on standard 60 Hz household power. Do not operate AC tools on DC. A rating of 110 volts AC/DC means that your tool will operate on standard 60 Hz AC or DC power. This information is printed on the nameplate. Lower voltage will cause loss of power and can result in overheating. Extension Cords When using an extension cord, be sure to use one heavy enough to carry the current your product will draw.
Sharpening Basics: What edge angle and why? Our recommendations (found in section 4) are based on our extensive testing and driven by three primary factors: 1) Optimizing the edge angle for the intended purpose of the knife. 2) Optimizing edge retention for the knife’s purpose. 3) Speed of sharpening process. Why is a convex edge superior? Our blade use and sharpness testing have taught us that a convex edge is a superior edge.
Sharpening Basics (cont.) Definitions of sharp: • Toothy Sharp: This is a sharp edge that has micro serrations at the cutting edge and is considered a ‘toothy’ edge since it bites into material. This is the ideal knife edge for general kitchen use and a working edge on a pocket knife for tasks like cutting rope or boxes. • Shaving Sharp: This is a sharp edge that has been sharpened / honed / refined past a Toothy edge. The micro serrations or ‘teeth’ have been honed away to reveal a smooth keen edge.
1 Getting To Know Your Tool Sharpening Cassette Power Platform Handle Cassette Lock Lever Edge Guide Belt Tensioner Sharpening Guide Slots Angle Adjustment Knob Power Switch Lock Out Power Switch with variable speed dial Belt Tracking Lever Belt Change Lever Not Pictured: Bench Mount Fastener (1/4” x 20) 10
Knife Sharpening Guide Adjustment 15° - 30° in 1° increments. Included (total) edge angle is 2 x the angle selected. Align desired angle with the indicator line on top of guide.
2 Setting Up Your Tool Slide guide onto cassette (A) Snap into place. Pull firmly to release. Cassette Lock Lever (B) A Push & hold to rotate cassette from sharpening to grind mode. A Edge Guide: Pull & Rotate (C) Clockwise to use, Counterclockwise to raised position. B Side View C Bench Mounting (D) Use 1/4” 20 fastener to secure tool. B Belt Change: Lift & hold Belt Change Lever to remove belt. Route belt D around all 3 pulleys, then release the lever. Be sure belt is within pulley flanges.
3 Know Your Knife Kitchen Knife Blade Handle Spine Tip Bolster Heel Point Finger Guard Edge Outdoor Knife Primary Bevel Blade Spine Tip Heel Point Edge Handle Ricasso Belly Choil Re-Curve Finger Guard Blade Types Re-Curve Skinner Sheepfoot Combo Tanto Drop Point Clip Hawk Bill Spear Point 13
4 Sharpening Reference Chart Kitchen Knives Pull rate: 1”/sec • Use Edge Guide Angle Speed X65 X22 X4 6000 Western 20° L 4-8 4-8 10 0 Asian 16° L 0 4-8 10 0 Paring 20° L 4-8 4-8 10 0 Cleaver 30° H 4-8 2-8 0 0 X L 0 0 0 2 Bread Number of strokes per side.
5 Sharpening Outdoor Knives Reference Section 4 and the Sharpening Reference Chart for recommended angle settings, belt selection, stroke count, speed and choice of edge type. 1. Place the blade in the guide With power off, insert blade into right side of sharpening guide all the way to the start of the edge. Place knife to bottom and outside edge of guide slot. Do not put pressure onto / into the sharpening guide. It is intended to provide a reference point for blade position.
Sharpening Outdoor Knives (continued) 3. Repeat and feel for burr Continue sharpening on right side of guide. Check for a burr every 2-3 strokes (see picture). Sharpen only until a burr is created along the entire length of the edge or you reach the recommended stroke count found in the Sharpening Reference Check for a burr by brushing fingers across/away from the Chart in section 4. blade edge. If burr is not yet raised, See“Knife not getting sharp” in Sharpening Basics section.
6 Sharpen Serrated Knives Most serrated knives have a flat side and a bevel side on the blade; Sharpen only the flat side. Flat Side Beveled Side Only use the finest grit 6000 belt (purple, narrow) for serrated sharpening. Place flat side of blade at the bolster / handle against the fine grit abrasive belt. Set to low speed and squeeze the power switch and pull knife steadily across the belt from bolster to tip. An 8” blade should take 8 seconds.
7 Sharpening Fillet Knives Reference the Sharpening Reference Chart in section 4 for recommended angle settings, belt selection and speed. Otherwise sharpening a fillet knife is the same as other knives. Use the Edge Guide to help support these long, flexible blades during sharpening to ensure a consistent sharpening along the entire edge. Use very light pressure in the sharpening guide so the blade does not flex.
9 Sharpening Kitchen Knives Reference the Sharpening Reference Chart in section 4 for recommended angle settings, belt selection and speed. Otherwise sharpening a kitchen knife is the same as other knives. Most kitchen knives should be sharpened with the Edge-Guide. No finger guard Finger guard 1. Place the blade in the guide With power off, insert blade into right side of sharpening guide all the way to the beginning of the edge or finger guard. Place knife to bottom and outside edge of guide slot. 2.
10 Sharpening Scissors Sharpen only the beveled side of your scissors. Marking the beveled side with a black marker will make it easier to see when the cutting edge has been sharpened. Use the X22 belt at medium speed to sharpen scissors. Beveled Side Once scissor blade is properly placed in Sharpening Guide, squeeze power switch and simultaneously pull the scissor blade steadily through the guide. Repeat 1-2 more times or until marker is removed from cutting edge. Repeat on other scissor blade.
11 Grinding, Polishing, Deburring Remove Sharpening Guide. Pull up firmly. Ensure the Edge Guide is in the raised position and that the Knife Sharpening Guide has been removed before grinding. Push Cassette Lock Release Lever to rotate cassette to grind mode. Use the P120 belt and high speed for light sharpening and grinding tasks. NOTE: Tools such as these do not require sharpening to a precise angle; just let the belt conform to the edge of the tool.
12 Tool Grinding Attachment Hub Fastener (Left-Handed Thread) Tracking Lever Quick Lock Tensioner Ball Detent Platen Grind Slack Grind Push lock release lever and rotate knife sharpening cassette to position shown, pull outward to remove cassette. 1. Install pulley drive hub onto tool using provided Left-Hand Thread Hub Fastener – turn LEFT to tighten and RIGHT to loosen, do not over-tighten fastener. Be sure the drive pulley is properly aligned onto the keyed motor shaft. 2.
Sharpen Mower Blade Deburr Pipe Belt Information: P60 Belt Selection and Education: Norton ZA P60 grit Zirconia Alumina belt from Norton is designed and intended for grinding tasks in metal. Grinding Best Techniques: • Remember – Lefty Tighty / Righty Loosey on Hub Fastener. • Keep tool and attachment clean for optimum life and performance. • Avoid overheating tool. - Allow tool to cool to room temperature between rated operating periods. • Speed Setting: Use at full speed for optimum performance.
13 Blade Grinding Attachment Short Center Distance Angle Indicator Tensioner Assembly Angle Adjustment Lever 90° Grind Plate Reference Plate Long Center Distance Angle Selection Clamp Knob Hub Fastener Tracking (Left-Handed Thread) Knob Bench Mount Tabs Tensioner Assembly Clamp Lever Belt Information: Grit X65 X22 X4 12000MM Size Norax 65µ Norax 22µ Norax 4µ SiC 1µ Use Shape Sharpen Hone Strop For reference, belts are equivalent to: X65 (P220) | X22 (P1000) | X4 (P3000) Installati
fig. 1 fig. 2 1) Choose either short or long center location for pulley depending on preference 2) Select desired sharpening angle by moving the Angle Adjustment lever 3) Tighten Angle Selection Clamp Knob to secure selected angle 4) Mount the belt of your choice based on task at hand (see chart left) 5) Turn on power to medium speed and press switch lock out button 6) Ensure belt is properly tracking so it is centered on the pulleys 7) Place blade flat onto reference plate (see fig.
14 Troubleshooting Knife not getting sharp? • More strokes - Grind all the way to the edge. Continue until a burr is raised. Then progress to a finer belt. • Higher Speed - Slow belt speeds may not be removing enough material. • Coarser Belt - Coarser grit belts will remove material more aggressively. a) Problem: The tips of my knives are becoming rounded. See Section 5. Solution 1: Stop the tip on the belt while powering down the tool. Solution 2: Keep the blade edge perpendicular to the belt.
15 Parts Index Accessory List: Replacement Belts: WSKTS-KO Belt Kit (¾” x 12” belts): WSSAKO81113 Individual Extra Coarse P120 Grit Belt (¾” x 12” belt): PP0002934 Individual Coarse X65 Grit Belt (¾” x 12” belt): PP0002936 Individual Medium X22 Grit Belt (¾” x 12” belt): PP0002937 Individual Fine X4 Grit Belt (¾” x 12” belt): PP0002938 Individual Extra Fine 6000 Grit Belt (½” x 12” belt): PP0002409 Tool Grinding Attachment: WSKTS-KO Tool Grinding Attachment: WSSAKO81111 WSKTS-KO Tool Grinding Belt Kit (¾” x
KNIFE & TOOL SHARPENER Darex, LLC 210 E. Hersey St. Ashland OR 97520 USA Tel.: 1 (800) 597-6170 Fax.: 1 (541) 552-1377 E-mail: techsupport2@darex.com Internet: www.worksharptools.com WORK SHARP® is a trademark of Darex, LLC.
