Sharpening an Axe for the Dummy Logger

sharpened ax head

It was only a day or two ago that we lamented the freelancers who don't know enough about their chosen how-to topic to tell the OQ, "Don't do it!" We figured things couldn't get worse than that, but apparently they can. Today's nominee, eHow.com's Michelle Raphael, not only didn't say not to do it, she became confused and made matters worse. It all happened in a post with the unlikely title, "How to Sharpen an Axe with a Grinder" at eHow.com, what we generally term "the mother site," because it's the mother lode of internet dumbassery...

Like we said, we've been here before (just three days ago). Raphael's been here before, too, and is back for her fourth award. The PolySci grad's already shown herself to be out of her league when it comes to anything woodworking or carpentry; now she spreads the bull about tools. According to Michelle,

"A grinder is a tool used for cutting, grinding and polishing surfaces, materials and other tools. There are several kinds of grinders, such as hand held or angle grinders and industrial machine grinders. For axe sharpening specifically, the common and popular choice is the angle grinder."

Raphael's list omitted one type, the bench grinder. Oddly enough, that's precisely the power tool her one reference says to use for sharpening blades, although they instruct their readers to use a file on an axe, not a grinder. Whatever the case, an angle grinder is not the "the common and popular choice" – in fact, it's dangerous! Want more evidence that Michelle's out of her comfort zone? check these out:

• "Note that the original bevel of the blade has to be preserved. The bevel is the curve and length of the blade..." [That's not what a bevel is! The bevel is the angle leading to the edge, and on some axes the bevel angle varies with distance from the edge.]
• "Note that the rotating disc needs to treat the whole surface of the blade’s edge evenly in order to get the best result." [That's both ambivalent and misleading.]
• "Do not forget to turn off the grinder tool after the sharpening is finished." [Now we're just insulted!]

It's crystal clear that Raphael has never sharpened an axe. Hell, she's probably never picked one up! If we were going to use a grinder to sharpen an axe, we'd use a bench grinder, but it's more likely that we'd use a hand stone and a file on the edge instead of grinding it. A grinder is likely to leave a wire edge, an edge that's "too sharp." Axes are wedges, not saws. Oh, and Michelle? an angle grinder in the hands of an amateur (like you) is likely to create a wobbly edge: with an axe, it's important that the point of the blade be centered. If people use an angle grinder like our Dumbass of the Day suggests, they're likely to ruin the axe head. And that, readers, would ruin your day...

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