"Sled" Makes Blade Sharpening Easy

"Sled" Makes Blade Sharpening Easy FARM SHOP Tools 32-3-39 Tim Queeno's woodworking bench is filled with sharp chisels and planes thanks to his Sharpening Sled, which was the result of eight years of making prototypes. The end result worked so well he started making them for sale. Most sharpeners have complicated setups that require measuring how much of the blade protrudes to achieve the correct angle, Queeno says. The Lima, N.Y. inventor's sharpener has four simple setup steps. 1) Loosen the black handles and set the desired bevel angle using the precise, laser engraved index marks. Tighten the handles. 2) Place the Sharpening Sled over the sharpening stone. 3) Insert the chisel blade and push the alignment slide against the side of the blade to ensure it is square in the sled. 4) Tighten the brass toggle foot clamp on top to secure the blade. Then just move the sled back and forth over the stone until the blade is sharpened. To add a micro-bevel for added strength, increase the angle by 5 degrees and make a couple more swipes on the stone. "The novelty of the design is that it straddles the sharpening stone," Queeno says. "The advantage is you use the whole stone, instead of just part of it, so it's very efficient." The sharpener has settings for 5 to 60-degree angles, four sealed radial bearings for rollers, and accommodates blades up to 3 in. wide and 1/4 in. thick. Queeno makes some of the parts, hires local shops for other parts, and his family assembles the sharpeners in his farm's barn. While the Sharpening Sled is more expensive than sharpeners available at box stores, it's a tool that can be handed down for generations along with woodworking tools, he says. Three sizes are available, ranging from $69.99 to $79.99. Queeno offers a variety of other wood-working products through the internet. He's looking for dealers. With the popularity of his sharpening tool, Queeno started a home-based business, Alisam Engineering - using a conglomeration of his three children's name for the business name. He offers a variety of accessories for woodworkers and home machinists, selling them on his website, eBay and through Hartville Tool. Queeno will mail out brochures of his products and is also interested in talking to dealers. Contact: Tim Queeno, Alisam Engineering, Box 75, Lima, N.Y. 14485 (ph 585 624-2280; alisam@alisam.com; www.alisam. com).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.