# Waterstones or paper?



## jordec66 (24 Jun 2011)

Hi all , I've just ordered a mk 2 Veritas honing guide but i'm unsure as to what is the best medium to
use it with. I've been researching waterstones and WH paper and glass , I really want to acheive a good
sharp edge mainly to chisels (narex at home , stanley on site) and my plane blades , up until now I have been making do with
stanley guide which is in tool box for on site and Trend Fast track (which is ok for maintaining an already keen edge , but that's about it) . I really don't know whether to buy waterstones or 3M and glass , any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks guys.


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## Doug B (24 Jun 2011)

PM sent.


Cheers.


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## Jeff Gorman (25 Jun 2011)

A look at 'A Personal Note' (at the bottom of the page) at http://tinyurl.com/6kzrdnm might help you to make up your mind.

Jeff
http://www.amgron.clara.net


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## Peter Sefton (25 Jun 2011)

First off I think the Veritas MK2 is great :!: 
Then to the very personal views of which sharpening medium to use.
In my workshop we have all types for students to try - Norton and natural Arkansas oil stones, DMT and Eze lap diamond which would be great for site work. Japanese water stones both King Ice Bear and Toshi (King are better) and then 3M lapping films.

Some people swear by water stones, I gave my first one away to an apprentice who worked for me some 20 years ago because I found it a time consuming faff and very soft. They have improved but do still need work to keep them in tip top condition, flattening every time you use them, soaking in water 10 minutes before use and drying after, to stop the finer grades going soft. But they are relatively inexpensive to buy and are quick cutting.

I tend to find after my students try them all (types above) they gravitate towards scary sharpening. We do find this one of the best ones to be using, keeps all your tools flat and if you work down through the grits you may not need to buy yourself a grinder. Depending on how fine a micron you work to, the edge just gets better and better. Workshop Heaven recommend you cut a sheet into 3 strips – I prefer to cut the sheet in half length-wise which gives you much longer strokes with your MK2.

Hope this helps Peter


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## woodbloke (25 Jun 2011)

Peter Sefton":23wfimlf said:


> I tend to find after my students try them all (types above) they gravitate towards scary sharpening. We do find this one of the best ones to be using, keeps all your tools flat and if you work down through the grits you may not need to buy yourself a grinder. Depending on how fine a micron you work to, the edge just gets better and better. Workshop Heaven recommend you cut a sheet into 3 strips – I prefer to cut the sheet in half length-wise which gives you much longer strokes with your MK2.


Agreed, but being a parsimonious sort of soul, I cut my 3M films into four strips width-wise as it fits the Kell III guide much better - Rob


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## jordec66 (25 Jun 2011)

Thank you for your very informative replies to my quandry , particularly peter. I can now make a
confident and informed choice. 

What a brill forum!


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## jimi43 (26 Jun 2011)

I would support the 3M Scary Sharp system....whichever way you cut it.

But I love my natural waterstones...the coticule and Charnley being beautiful just as tools...they are so tactile and satisfying to use. But for every suggestion for one system there'll be 100 others that different people prefer.

One interesting thing is the quality of the grinding stage does affect how hard or easy the honing becomes...whether you do it by hand or jig....paper, stone or witchcraft! :mrgreen: 

Grinding for me was a pain until I got a fine wide wheel for the Creusen and then the Tormek needs no introduction. Since I have just received the latter from a very dear friend....I think the Tormek beats the Creusen entirely because you don't have to worry about losing the temper of the steel. 

Either process leaves a wire burr which is child's play to remove and achieve a super cutting edge. Start with poor grinding and you have your work cut out to begin with.

Jim


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## Peter Sefton (26 Jun 2011)

Hi guys I have been experimenting with various lubricants on Scary sharp, what do you find works best :?:


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## jimi43 (26 Jun 2011)

Peter Sefton":32kx2p1e said:


> Hi guys I have been experimenting with various lubricants on Scary sharp, what do you find works best :?:



Camelia Oil

Jim


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## ali27 (27 Jun 2011)

I did not like working with paper. Working on good
waterstones is more fun IMHO. The only thing you
would need is a way to flatten your waterstones
correctly. Diamond stone is good for this.

If you are going to buy waterstones, I would advise
you not to buy soft waterstones. They dish very
quickly and hence require a lot of flattening.

Naniwa Chosera, Shapton professional are good
brands for waterstones. A 1000 and 8000 is all
you require. Some prefer a middle stone as well.

The Chosera and Shapton Professinal 1000 grit
are both good stones. The Shapton is cheaper,but
thinner. The chosera stones are very expensive in the
higher grits, so I would avoid them, unless you don't 
mind paying 100-150pounds.

Ali


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## woodbloke (27 Jun 2011)

jimi43":20cwxd5p said:


> Peter Sefton":20cwxd5p said:
> 
> 
> > Hi guys I have been experimenting with various lubricants on Scary sharp, what do you find works best :?:
> ...


Jimi, Camilla Oil :-" would work well, as would any type of lubricant, but the thicker the lube, the less aggressive is the cut on the films. I use paraffin ('cos it's cheap and I like cheap) but I know others who use Lamp Oil (Alf) which is basically paraffin and WD40 is also good to use (but more spendy) Any thin, hydrocarbon lube will work well on the films...another one that springs to mind is sowing machine oil. At the end of the jour, as ever, use whatever you find best for your particular usage - Rob


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## jimi43 (27 Jun 2011)

Agree Rob...the reason I like Camelia Oil the best is that it smells fantastic...keeps my hands that do dishes soft and is light. It also protects the metal and does not affect finishes.

The only downside on the proper stuff is it costs a bit but I still have a bottle I bought from Matthew months ago...and that has been syphoned by the missus for her wrinkles.

Jim


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## Peter T (27 Jun 2011)

Just a thought, if you plan to use this system for site work, won't a sheet of glass be rather impractical?

FWIW, I use waterstones, DMT stones and 3M film. At the moment I'm tending to use the DMT stones down to the finest available and then following up with the 0.3 micron 3M film on a granite surface plate for a fine polish.

The Norton waterstones are good, but a bit messy, and the coarse ones, 120 and 1000, need constant flattening, although probably not a much as the Japanese waterstones.

The large area DMT stones are very good and I can't find any particular drawbacks, except perhaps the price.

The 3M film is also very good but is relatively easy to tear and, obviously, needs to be stuck to a flat surface.

Good luck,


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## AndyT (27 Jun 2011)

I've also been getting good results from the WH 3M films stuck on glass. As my piece of thick float glass is quite large, I use whole sheets - three fit side by side. Plenty of room, and no tendency to wear out the middles. Also, I get a whole sheet width accessible on the edge of the glass, which is good for backs of blades.

As for lubricant, I use plain water in a garden spray. This sluices away the slurry very effectively and cleans up easily. 

It also wins me the prize for being cheaper than anyone else!


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## jimi43 (27 Jun 2011)

Don't you use Evian Andy? :mrgreen: 8) 

Jim


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## Peter Sefton (30 Jun 2011)

On my 3M films we have been trying Paraffin which we also use on Ali oxide PSA backed sheets for cleaning and flattening old planes (and new ones sometimes)  
We have used WH honerite Number 1 which is a low viscosity honing fluid used for oilstones which is a clean alternative to camellia oil for scary sharpening and works well 8) 
But I am also very keen on water as AndyT is. Its free, clean to use and doesn’t affect your skin, I also like it because we are using Diamond and Japanese water stones, if we have several different fluids on the sharpening station someone is bound to use the wrong bottle, this way no harm done


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## Mike Wingate (30 Jun 2011)

I have tried all the methods and use diamond stones followed by ceramic stones. I have a number of Norton Oil stones which I rarely use. I tried rubber stones impregnated with TC, the shaped stones were great for turning and carving tools. I have a variety of DMT and EzeLap stones, big and flat, finishing off with 8000 ceramic stones and round ceramic sticks. I have used scary sharp with my Stanley 200 blade holder on glass, slow and hot. I have a 6" Elu grinder with a white wheel, and a Tormek. I use leather strops on some tools. Planes I strop on my hand.


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## Peter Sefton (30 Jun 2011)

I use leather strops on some tools. Planes I strop on my hand.[/quote]

I am not the only one then, the old ways are sometimes the best :!:


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## Trizza (30 Jun 2011)

I personally didn't get along well with paper, but thats just me. These days I use DMTs exclusively, and I'm very happy with my purchase. I also have a metal lathe so the DMTs are fantastic for honing the HSS lathe tools as well.


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## Peter Sefton (30 Jun 2011)

Trizza":b3vcc38e said:


> I personally didn't get along well with paper, but thats just me. These days I use DMTs exclusively, and I'm very happy with my purchase. I also have a metal lathe so the DMTs are fantastic for honing the HSS lathe tools as well.



Did you use the PSA or glue down your self, I also like the DMTs so quick,so easy I use the 11" works well with the Veritas MK2.


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## jimi43 (1 Jul 2011)

I have now concluded that I hate the smell of Honing Oil...in a tin...from those people who make famous stains...

It STINKS!

Mind you...it works well on a Watchiticamacallit stone.... :mrgreen: 

Jim


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## jordec66 (1 Jul 2011)

Blimey Mike , looks like you've got every conceivable sharpening gadget going. Don't suppose I could
just drop my chisels , planes etc off at your house!


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## Mike Wingate (1 Jul 2011)

I also have an Eclipse honing guide. Still in use after over 40 years. Either the bearing has got sloppy or my memory fails, but I can get a curved plane blade profile with it. Over the years I thought I had a sharp edge on tools, but the new ceramic stone is terrific. Hollow grind, flat back and what a cutting edge. My plane blades can slice 80gm printer paper just like a really sharp knife blade.


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## jimi43 (1 Jul 2011)

Please please please let us not get into the sharpness debate... :mrgreen: 

I have just been reading through the razor forum where they use microscopes to examine the edge to prove mine is sharper than yours debates.... #-o 

I love the whoooosh of an infill in the morning but really....there are limits! :mrgreen: 

Jim


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## Mike Wingate (1 Jul 2011)

I just like having sharp tools that cut. I use many "exotic" timbers with high silica deposits that need a sharp strong edge to get the edges and finish I require. Planing ebony is best with my Japanese laminated blade. I was planing a 2 piece ash body blank yesterday to join. It went well. I used the same blade today to level and finish the glued blank flat and smooth. Effortless and quite a few shavings on the floor.


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## woodbloke (1 Jul 2011)

Mike Wingate":3vktv8y3 said:


> I also have an Eclipse honing guide. Still in use after over 40 years. Either the bearing has got sloppy or my memory fails, but I can get a curved plane blade profile with it. Over the years I thought I had a sharp edge on tools, but the new ceramic stone is terrific. Hollow grind, flat back and what a cutting edge. My plane blades can slice 80gm printer paper just like a really sharp knife blade.


I agree with Jimi that the '_who's go the sharpest blade_' debate is pointless, but I moved away from a 10000g ceramic Spyderco a coupla years ago onto the finest 3M films, which in my view are much superior for my honing method.

80gm paper?..that's thick, cardboardy stuff. If your blade will slice easily and _cleanly_ through the flimsiest, thinest paper that you can get hold of I reckon that's a far better test...only my opinion of course - Rob


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## matthewwh (1 Jul 2011)

You trying to press Jim's buttons Rob????


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## woodbloke (2 Jul 2011)

matthewwh":22js4k2j said:


> You trying to press Jim's buttons Rob????


Who...moi? Surely not :lol: :lol: - Rob


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## jimi43 (2 Jul 2011)

Having picked up my EIGHTH hone at the bootfair this morning....I think I am going to stay well out of this debate...

I am getting really worried now as I find myself stroking strange rocks.....but the latest...a fine soft Yellow Lake Welsh hone...is so smooth and gorgeous and tactile and.....

HEEEEELLLLPPP!!! #-o 

Jim


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## Jacob (2 Jul 2011)

jimi43":194xll6h said:


> I have now concluded that I hate the smell of Honing Oil...in a tin...from those people who make famous stains...
> 
> It STINKS!
> 
> ...


What's wrong with 3in1 ? 
I also use a neat 2" long rare-earth magnet to lift the swarf from the oil. Saves on oil usage. 
And a lot of old rags to keep things (and me) clean and oil free. 
And a Diapad diamond block to freshen the surface every now and then. Occasional freshening is absolutely essential, but just a quick pass will do it. Not cheap but they last forever and you can use them on glass. stone etc (which is why I bought them in the first place). 
I'm not into stone flattening, I want cambered blades. Anyway life is too short as it is!


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## matthewwh (2 Jul 2011)

Jacob":xnr6g8my said:


> What's wrong with 3in1 ?



You should run the MOD Jacob - 'nowt wrong wi' Lancasters lads, good enough fer 'itler, good enough fer't Libyans eh...!!!'

I'll stick a sample of Honerite No1 in the post to you.


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## Jacob (2 Jul 2011)

matthewwh":3b7uqoky said:


> Jacob":3b7uqoky said:
> 
> 
> > What's wrong with 3in1 ?
> ...


OK ta!

It's about 5 times the price of 3in1 so it must be 5 times as good obviously. :shock:


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## matthewwh (2 Jul 2011)

Only 5 times!


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## Jacob (2 Jul 2011)

Quick dabble with the calculator shows that a 70cl bottle of GLENLIVET £ 39.56 (18 Year Old Mature, honey-rich, velvet! A colour of golden amber and a rich nose with sweet and floral layers. The taste is honey) is cheaper by volume, 
What does Honerite No1 taste like, and how old is it?


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## matthewwh (2 Jul 2011)

Yebbut (my turn) 5 drops of glenlivet is going to have no effect on anything in its intended application, although I've never honed with it - it may be very good. Either way, if a dribble of Honerite #1 will envigorate an oilstone that may be millions of years old (I believe Charnley Forest has been associated with the transition of life from plant to animal!!!!) it makes 18 years seem a bit recent.

Having said that, if you want to send 125ml of 18yr old Glenlivet in return, I would be delighted to share my considered opinion of it.


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## jimi43 (2 Jul 2011)

Jacob":165ousx3 said:


> What does Honerite No1 taste like, and how old is it?



Well here's one guy that ain't ever gonna know...the smell is enough to put off an alcoholic tramp on the wagon for six months!

Do they make one that smells like Camelia Oil and hones like Marlene Dietrich, Matthew?

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: 

Jim

p.s.

HEY! I just started writing the "Sharpening Song"

(hum the obvious tune....)
_
Oh...it hones like Marlene Dietrich
But it smells like Giggi the Peach
Its atoms are all hydrocarbons....
But it keeps the swarf out yer pores...
So it does...

So what do you hone with my matey....
When your alone in your shed...
What do you wipe on yer Norton...
Do just you use sump oil instead...
As Jacobs says........._

(to be continued....)  
(Or maybe not!)


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## jimi43 (2 Jul 2011)

Don'tcha just love auto censors!

Totally destroy the artistic bent!

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: 

Peach indeed!!!! :roll: 

Jim


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## matthewwh (2 Jul 2011)

jimi43":15fps3eo said:


> Do they make one that smells like Camelia Oil and hones like Marlene Dietrich, Matthew?



I'm getting floral, effervescant with strong vanilla overtones and a base of dirty masculine sharpened steel. Whether the pfsssht of mouthwateringly sharp O1 slicing through endgrain sounds like Marlene Dietrich, I wouldn't know - she might be a bit past her best but I'm sure a dab of Honerite#1 would bring her back to her prime!


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## bugbear (4 Jul 2011)

Mike Wingate":39j3jcpe said:


> I also have an Eclipse honing guide. Still in use after over 40 years. Either the bearing has got sloppy or my memory fails, but I can get a curved plane blade profile with it.



Of course - the bearing is far too narrow to stop you (which is a Good Thing, just to be clear). I have an old Marples honing guide where the roller is not only narrow, but cambered!

BugBear


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## Jacob (7 Jul 2011)

Jacob":1e7vleee said:


> matthewwh":1e7vleee said:
> 
> 
> > Jacob":1e7vleee said:
> ...


Sample arrived, thanks Matthew.

Does it work? 
Yes. 
But then so does virtually any fluid. Name your fluid. Brown Ale?

Does it work any differently from 3in1? 
Yes.
It's thinner. It works like virtually any thinner fluid would. WD40 frinstance.

Will it unclog a surface particularly?
Probably a bit. Hard to say. Very similar to WD40.
Better than 3in1 would as it is thinner and has a solvent base of some sort, like WD40.
White spirit would probably do it even better. Or mix your own, 3in1 + white spirit and a slice?

Will it protect surfaces from rust? Bound to - it says so on the tin. So will 3in1, WD40 etc. etc. If it's a serious issue I'd go for raw linseed oil thinned with turps (or turps subs, any solvent really) but not for honing.

Any distinguishing characteristics?
Unfamiliar vaguely interesting smell and colour, but probably a clever marketing thing - you just wouldn't bother if it looked, smelled and tasted the same as WD40.
Nice tin.

Would I buy it?
Can't see why.

PS just checked the price of WD40 - its even cheaper than 3in1 (by the gallon £25 ish).
I'll do that when I've run out of 3in1 (next year some time).


Summary. 
Does just what it says on the tin (like most things in tins) but very much pricier than the alternatives.


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## Jacob (7 Jul 2011)

Ere's a good idea then;
Buy WD40 in industrial quantities at industrial prices.
Add colour (darkish sherry tinges?) add scent (think roast beef, fish n chips, joiner's armpits, whatever turns you on).
Bottle (nice tins even better).
Nice label with info - "10 year old honing fluid matured in oak casks".
Sell it in small tins but at twice the price of a good malt whiskey.
And it'd still be cheaper than Honewrong!!
F me I could be rich!


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## matthewwh (7 Jul 2011)

You're supposed to put a few drops on the stone man! 

Not drink it and then go all entrepreneurial on us!!!

Seriously though, all the above alternatives are non-drying so they will still leave the surface of your stone sticky - making it a dust magnet and trapping swarf and debris. 

Granted, 3in1, WD40 etc offer limited barrier protection against corrosion, they do not however contain electrochemical corrosion inhibitors, which are more reliable and don't need wiping off before you next use the tool.

You won't see a lot of difference on the first go unless you've flushed all of the old clag out of the surface properly - otherwise you are just diluting what's already there. Maybe a better test would be two identical freshly resurfaced stones (or even two sides of the same stone) used alternately and see which one is cutting better after a couple of months use.


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## Jacob (7 Jul 2011)

matthewwh":1m3ev0uz said:


> .....electrochemical corrosion inhibitors, ......


are very wonderful (I imagine) but as I have never left my tools in a pond I have never felt the need. 
Rust is caused by water. Not many people know this. Apparently many think it's caused by lack of "electrochemical corrosion inhibitors". :roll:

No but seriously - WD40 - you know it makes sense!


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## matthewwh (7 Jul 2011)

Jacob you are such a wonderful philistine, where would we be without you?

Actually rust is caused by the presence of an electrolyte - usually water vapour, preferably salty, allowing ions to pass from one surface to another. Futz with the abilty of ions to use said electrolyte and sorry sir, no ticket, no travel. Barrier protectants are like a picket line at the bus stop - fine whilst they work, but if the little tinkers get through you will end up with pitting at the point of entry. (and WD40 is closer to a picket line organised by Arthur Daley than Arthur Scargill) Electrochemical protectants just lock the doors of the bus - job done.

In fairness you are a bad example for corrosion because you have old, seasoned tools, use them regularly and use barrier protectants. Take the opposite example of someone starting out with new tools, who may only use them once a fortnight and the benefits of investing in a few drops of advanced corrosion inhibitors begin to look like a very cheap insurance policy. Freshly exposed surfaces, like the ones you produce when honing, are more chemically active than seasoned ones, and so require a little more care.


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## LuptonM (8 Jul 2011)

Sharpening with the PSA backed paper is very fast and very convenient since all grits are on one piece of glass. I thinks its best to spend the most money on methods of grinding the blade rather than sharpening it as that is more time consuming

I sure 3in1 will work as a rust inhibitor as rust needs both water and more importantly oxygen to form rust, so might have to agree with Jacob on this one. However no matter what u put on your blades, I think where u store your tools is most important. Thats why I usually store the most expensive items in my wardrobe rather than say the garage or the small leaky wooden shed at the bottom of the garden

PS: still think the Kell mk2 guide rocks


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## Jacob (8 Jul 2011)

WD40 actually _is _rocket science :shock: i.e. produced by the Rocket Chemical Company for keeping nuclear missiles rust free! Must be good.


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## jimi43 (8 Jul 2011)

There is no way on earth I am putting 3in1 on my tools and then transferring it all over the stock to block the finishes. WD40 is 40 attempts at producing the spawn of the Devil. Horrible stuff...except on yer bike and ignition.

Since Jacob's review Matthew....I am seriously considering Honerite in my next WH order.

He is a great ambassador for you!

Jim


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## Jacob (8 Jul 2011)

jimi43":190xdrfo said:


> There is no way on earth I am putting 3in1 on my tools and then transferring it all over the stock to block the finishes.


Well don't then! I don't either. Everybody else seems to be into squirting stuff all over their tools. I don't. I do use it for honing.


> WD40 is 40 attempts at producing the spawn of the Devil. Horrible stuff......


What's so horrible about it? There's nothing particularly attractive about it certainly, except that it is quite useful and does much the same as Honerite but at a fraction of the price.


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## Jacob (8 Jul 2011)

LuptonM":1nv20eky said:


> .....I think where u store your tools is most important. Thats why I usually store the most expensive items in my wardrobe rather than say the garage or the small leaky wooden shed at the bottom of the garden....


Well exactly. Or a polythene bag if you are really stuck. If that sounds too simple think of it as a "non-electrochemical corrosion inhibitor" :shock: 
No sense at all in spraying expensive gunk all over them.


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## bugbear (8 Jul 2011)

jimi43":25hxh9i2 said:


> .I am seriously considering Honerite in my next WH order.



At the risk of being cheap and practical, I've always (since I read it) followed the advice in Jim Kingshott's book on sharpening. Get engine oil and white spirit (both a good deal cheaper than any of the other exotica listed in this thread) and mix then to adjust viscosity. The desired viscosity may vary with the particular stone(s) you use, but trial and error isn't rocket science.

I have 3 in one, WD40 and plusgas in my workshop, and regard them all as useful, but pricy commodities.

BugBear


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## AndyT (8 Jul 2011)

Last time I looked in a Poundland, they had 100ml cans of 3 in 1 for a pound each, which seem to be £3 - 4 elsewhere.
Hope this is useful to some of you.


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## barkwindjammer (8 Jul 2011)

#1 Honerite-Will be a blended end product, made from what ?


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## jimi43 (9 Jul 2011)

aleo1203":2q97v002 said:


> Personally I am partial to waterstones as my grandfather raised me on them. But you have to be careful you don't wear only a certain part of the stone, its kind of tricky at first.



I am starting to learn how to use and cherish natural waterstones now..quite by accident...

I am especially keen on understanding the range of available equivalent grits...the hardness.....

I may have found a slope that is relatively cheap if you are patient.....and started quite a collection....  







Clockwise from the Yellow Box....Yellow Lake Welsh "Oilstone", another Yellow Lake Welsh Waterstone...softer, old Belgian Coticule, Charnley (Charnwood) Forest hone, a very old Belgian coticule, an I.O. Shen Marstergrade dual grit synthetic whetstone, a Wachita oilstone, another Yellow Lake hone and finally...um...yet another Yellow Lake hone...

The key to these stones is to generate a slurry...release the abrasive minerals. In most cases these are garnets embedded in a soft sandstone or slate. It really is amazing how much the grit size and hardnesses vary, even amongst samples of the same stone.

Some are really fast..as fast as a diamond stone in removing metal and you actually see the water slurry darken as the metal particles are removed. Others feel as if they are not working at all until you look at the results...which are highly polished bevels.

One thing they all have in common...they wear down and it is far easier to re-establish a flat lapped and blemish free surface after each use...than to try to flatten the stone after much use and deformity.

The pleasure that using these natural stones gives is that they all have their own characters...far nicer than having consistancy in my opinion.

Jim


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## Benchwayze (9 Jul 2011)

Hi Jordec...

Welcome aboard. Hope you got your query answered. 

FWIW, I always used oilstones, but they were messy. Then I found water-stones. 
They also make a mess, and you have to be careful to dry the irons well to keep rust away. However, I found they cut much faster than anything else I had used. 
Now, I use just two. One 8000 grit for honing and one extremely fine Japanese stone for polishing. I was one for hand-honing, but as arthritis got me in the hands, I am having to use a guide.

You could use more stones than I do of course, but the main thing is to keep them flat. Then they work just as well as wet 'n dry for scary sharp. They are also much thicker than float glass, and they don't flex. 

The biggest disadvantage I find is having a plastic container with water in it, lying around to store the stone. 

For grinding I have a Tormek set-up, and I don't find I need anything other than that and the two stones. Thus, I don't use multi-grits wet 'n dry, and my planes are scarily sharp enough for me. I could shave with them, and I could shave 'in' them, if I had a mind to! :wink: 
HTH

Regards

John


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## jordec66 (10 Jul 2011)

Hi John , I got my answer in spades! I didn't realise there could be so many different opinions and
methods available. 
I've now got my veritas jig and it's a godsend , I would recommend it to anyone. When I placed the order
I gave myself a little bonus of a veritas low angle block plane , I've fallen in love with it already.

declan.


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## Benchwayze (10 Jul 2011)

There you go Declan. You are on the slippery slope already... 

Best of luck m'man! 

Regards
John .


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## Jacob (10 Jul 2011)

jordec66":1t4y18se said:


> Hi John , I got my answer in spades! I didn't realise there could be so many different opinions and
> methods available.
> I've now got my veritas jig and it's a godsend , I would recommend it to anyone. When I placed the order
> I gave myself a little bonus of a veritas low angle block plane , I've fallen in love with it already.
> ...


Spend, spend! :roll: 
You shouldn't "fall in love" with tools you know - that way madness lies. Do you get out much and meet people?


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## woodbloke (11 Jul 2011)

bugbear":1bgfo2ny said:


> At the risk of being cheap and practical, I've always (since I read it) followed the advice in Jim Kingshott's book on sharpening. Get engine oil and white spirit (both a good deal cheaper than any of the other exotica listed in this thread) and mix then to adjust viscosity.



I like cheap and practical too :mrgreen: At Peter Sefton's gaff on Sat I tried the Honerite Gold stuff and found to be very good stuff indeed, but....a trifling spendy :shock: for a lubricating fluid. When I got home I decided to try BB's trick of mixing oil and paraffin (not white spirit) and I used some Halfords thick, gloopy cycle chain oil and watered it down with quite a lot of paraffin. Thus far, after a quick test on the 3M films, it seems to be better than just paraffin on it's own - Rob


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## Benchwayze (11 Jul 2011)

Indeed... I used the same recipe, before my waterstone days. I am POSH and labelled it honing oil! It's better than visitors seeing me as a cheapskate! :lol: 

John :mrgreen:


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## Peter Sefton (11 Jul 2011)

Motor oil and Paraffin, sounds so last century :lol: , but what we always use on our Norton oil stones, unless out on site (dare I say it) is WD40 for convenience.


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