Honeing blades - strop

[lurker]

Further another post currrently running - which I did not want to barge in on

I want to play around with Strops.

Am interested in the DC method using MDF which I think he soaked in danish oil. Its in one of his books can't remember which one.

Anyone have opinions :?:
Anyone have any refinements :?:

I know several of you have made leather ones - I tried without much success - wrong type of leather :-k

 

[DaveL]

I know several of you have made leather ones - I tried without much success - wrong type of leather :-k

I don't use strops but I remember talking to my old barber and his said their strops were made from horse hide.

 

[woodbloke]

I used to use a strop (one that was sold by Ax) which I glued onto a bit of mdf and I smeared a mixture of rouge and Vaseline to make a sort of gooie paste which got rubbed into the leather. Having read elsewhere on t'internet about strops, I think there must always be an element of bevel rounding, no matter how slight, when pressure is applied to the edge. The edge that I got with a strop was very good but I now use the 10000g Spyderco for the final micro-bevel and 'ruler trick' on the reverse (something not recommended with a strop) and the edge is now better than just using the strop - Rob

 

[Anonymous]

I also got one from Axminster and had the same problems of rounding over. The solution I found was to strop at a slightly lower angle than the micro bevel which, sort of, eliminates the rounding effect.

 

[Paul Chapman]

I use this set-up

It's a piece of leather which I bought from Mike Hudson of Clifton at one of the woodworking shows - he usually has a supply with him. It's glued to MDF. When I strop, I leave the blade in the honing guide to strop the bevel side, only drawing the blade backwards. I then take the blade out of the honing guide to do the flat side, making sure I hold the blade dead flat on the strop. Get a mirror finish and very sharp edges.

I use jewellers rouge mixed with a little Vaseline (pinched that idea from Rob).

I use MDF with when honing the shaped part of beading cutters from combination planes. I make up a wheel and shape the edge using a rasp

I then hone the blade freehand, with the wheel fitted to an electric drill in a horizontal drill stand.

I hone the flat parts of the blade as normal on my diamond stones and leather strop.

I think lots of different substances work well as honing compounds - Solvol Autosol is used by several people I know with very good results.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[lurker]

I can't see a stropp on Ax site

Any other sources recommended??


Anyway - I'm more interested in the MDF thingy - Cheap & DC does it.
Who else??

 

[woodbloke]

I can't see a stropp on Ax site

Any other sources recommended??


Anyway - I'm more interested in the MDF thingy - Cheap & DC does it.
Who else??

I think it disappeared some time ago. Any thick, hard leather will do the trick, you might be able to get something suitable from your local boot and shoe repairers, or cobblers :lol: the bit I got from Axminster was about 200x130mm - Rob

 

[gidon]

Try a piece of 3/4" MDF - no need to soak in oil. Put any honing compound - Autosol from your local car place will do. Try that first and see how you get on. It seems too easy but it's effective. Guessing DC is using diamond paste - the fine paste is absorbed a little too much on plain MDF - hard fine grained hard wood like maple is better for fine diamond paste - never tried soaking MDF in oil but sounds interesting.
You can get some leather for stropping from CHT- costs a fiver - not listed on their site - phone them.
Cheers
Gidon

 

[lurker]

Gidon,

thanks for that

I tried Autosol on a bit of MDF and it raised the "grain" (I know this is not strictly true but best way I can describe what happened) ) and the surface went rippley (is that a word?).

You might be right about the paste - will get my DC book out and report back - I was hoping to be deluged with people who had read & tried this.

 

[bugbear]

I tried Autosol on a bit of MDF and it raised the "grain" (I know this is not strictly true but best way I can describe what happened) ) and the surface went rippley (is that a word?).

Hmm. Sounds like it has some water in it.

You could dry spreading the autosol on an impervious surface (tile, glass, bit o' metal), letting it dry out, mixing it with a little oil or grease, and then applying this new "oil based" abrasive on your MDF.

This is PURE speculation on my part, but sounds like a cheap and easy experiment.

BugBear

 

[gidon]

Gidon,

thanks for that

I tried Autosol on a bit of MDF and it raised the "grain" (I know this is not strictly true but best way I can describe what happened) ) and the surface went rippley (is that a word?).

You might be right about the paste - will get my DC book out and report back - I was hoping to be deluged with people who had read & tried this.

Weird - not sure what's going on there. I've put a wet lapping fluid on MDF before and not had that problem. Have you got another piece of MDF you could try? Or BB's suggestion - but even if watery (and I'd guess it's more oily than watery) I don't think it would cause such a dramatic effect??

Cheers

Gidon

 

[MIGNAL]

I use a piece of Birch ply and the green hard soap that is sold for stropping. Works perfectly well. The surface does look patchy or rippled but providing you keep changing the position of the blade I don't really see the disadvantage.

 

[lurker]

Gidon,

I looked in my DC book and you are correct! he was using a Oil soaked bit of MDF in conjunction with diamond paste. Not really a strop at all.

I've found a thick bit of green MDF and will try Autosol again. Maybe what I used before was poor quality.

Mignal,
Will try your method as well.

In the same DC book (Guide to hand tools & methods) he seems quite keen on Axminster waterstones. Are these the ones that Ax currently sell?
Anyone got experiences??

My main problem (other than being cack handed!) is all bought stones seem too narrow, which is the main reason why I use wet & dry on a glass plate. Is this just me?

 

[Grinding One]

I can't see a stropp on Ax site

Any other sources recommended??


Anyway - I'm more interested in the MDF thingy - Cheap & DC does it.
Who else??

I think it disappeared some time ago. Any thick, hard leather will do the trick, you might be able to get something suitable from your local boot and shoe repairers, or cobblers :lol: the bit I got from Axminster was about 200x130mm - Rob

You guys still wearing suspenders?? I`ve found a belt works well,got it at the local Good Will store (second hand) I think a biker had it on his coat around his waist.Works well with J rouge. as a strop

 

[woodbloke]

GI wrote:

You guys still wearing suspenders??

...never in the workshop though :lol: :lol: - Rob

 

[Harbo]

Tools for Working Wood used to sell horse hide leather strops but it was not cheap?

I have a Rutland diamond paste kit which comes with pieces of MDF for each grade of paste.
It works OK with no ripples - but I generally go for the convenience of the scary sharp film on glass.
I seem to get a better polish on it?

Rod

 

[lurker]

You guys still wearing suspenders?? I

Can someone post a nice picture explaining how "suspenders" translates into English for our Murrican friend :lol:

 

[bugbear]

Gidon,

I looked in my DC book and you are correct! he was using a Oil soaked bit of MDF in conjunction with diamond paste. Not really a strop at all.

I think woodworkers use the term "stropping" to cover any use of a loose abrasive compound on a substrate, so diamond paste on oil soaked MDF falls well within the usual definition.

BugBear

 

[dunbarhamlin]

You guys still wearing suspenders?? I

Can someone post a nice picture explaining how "suspenders" translates into English for our Murrican friend :lol:

Not sure why one might be needed on a prosthetic leg (surely a drawing pin would suit) but...

Ah - you meant from the ladies department? Just google for gentlemen's monthly pictorial journals

Steve

 

[gidon]

Lurker
I show using Autosol on some MDF in my video here on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Hm4HiN2Lww
Right near the end - you can fast forward if you like .
Cheers
Gidon