Bench plane - Cap Iron relief?

[Bluekingfisher]

Definitely don't polish the flat back with any machine of a rotary nature.

I prefer to learn the hard way it seems, Anyway, I now have first hand experience of the way not to do it.

I note you advance your honing to 2000 W&D grit? is this necessary?, i.e will honing to this degree produce a noticeably distinct difference from an iron honed to 1200 W&D grit. I ask as I am producing nice shavings at the 1200 level but having not gone as far as 2000 wondering if its worth that little bit of extra effort?

Also, using wet & dry paper is becoming laborious, not to mention expensive. I have a 400 & 1000 grit diamond stone. Do i need to go to a finer grit stone and if so what should I be looking at?

Thanks in advance

David

 

[Trafalgar]

David, I don't use abrasive sheets any longer. My finest stone is a hard black Arkansas. I find it to be more than adequate. I had gotten tired of fooling with the sheets and then one day the glass was accidentally broken. I already had the Arky so out she came.

Somebody else will have to comment about grit equivalencies of diamond stones. I have very little knowledge of them.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Do i need to go to a finer grit stone and if so what should I be looking at?

Have a look at this video by Garrett Hack where he finishes his honing on a piece of wood with diamond paste (something like Autosol would work well if you don't have diamond paste). http://www.finewoodworking.com/how-to/v ... hisel.aspx

I've seen and tried his blades - they are really sharp. I use a similar technique myself now.

Hope this helps.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[GLFaria]

Do i need to go to a finer grit stone and if so what should I be looking at?

Have a look at this video by Garrett Hack where he finishes his honing on a piece of wood with diamond paste (something like Autosol would work well if you don't have diamond paste). http://www.finewoodworking.com/how-to/v ... hisel.aspx

I've seen and tried his blades - they are really sharp. I use a similar technique myself now.

Hope this helps.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

Just took a look at this and the other videos in the series. I was astonished by the degree of polishing on the back of Hack's chisels. Like perfect mirrors. Is this level of polish really necessary? I mean, I polish mine with wet and dry, but stop at 1000 grit, at most 1200, and always thought that was plenty enough. Now I start to wonder. What do you people say?

 

[Trafalgar]

I polished to 2,000 because the assortment pack of autobody sandpaper I usually bought included two sheets of it. It certainly can't, and didn't hurt.

That said, thousand grit or so sandpaper on glass will produce blistering sharp edges.

Hell, in talking about it I may go out and pick up some paper and glass....

 

[bugbear]

I polished to 2,000 because the assortment pack of autobody sandpaper I usually bought included two sheets of it. It certainly can't, and didn't hurt.

That said, thousand grit or so sandpaper on glass will produce blistering sharp edges.

Agreed - if you're using SiC, it's only going to take 3-4 strokes on the 2000 grit to remove the tiny scratches left by the (already fine) 1000.

Almost no "cost", so nothing to lose.

BugBear

 

[Bluekingfisher]

Thanks again boys for the input.

I havn't been able to view the video on the polishing but i did forget to mention I purchased this a coupl3e of weeks ago.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170942392110? ... 1439.l2649

which i have have applied to an old piece of leather from a recycled school satchel attached to a slab of MDF. A dozen or so swipes on my micro bevel seems to polish it OK.

Perhaps I should take a couple of photos for you guys to kook at to see if I'm going in the right direction.

I guess I need to decide on a preferred method of sharpening and stick with it.

The diamond stones just seemed the best way?? as there is little in the way of additional expense or running out of W&D paper and little in the way of maintenance such as the flattening stones etc??

David

 

[Trafalgar]

With the fine media we're discussing there is no need to strop, you may in fact put blunt what you just made sharp.