New (to me) sharpening system - small review

[gidon]

Thanks Olly - does the trick . Do generally use a honing guide - can't dish diamond stones plus move the blade around and flip it end to end every now and again.

Roger - the (David Charlesworth's) ruler trick uses a thin 6" ruler placed close to the edge of the stone when polishing the back of plane blades. Ensures the important bit right behind the blade is polished. See my other video - sharpening using waterstones if you like - I use it at the end.

Thanks Tony. Yes 8" Duosharp stones - my first one was extra coarse / fine and my second stone is coarse / fine. Both bought in the states cheaply . That one on Ebay is the 10" one - guess this chap has bought a few back from the states too!

Your Arkansas stone may well be finer than the extra fine diamond stone - Arkansas stones have quite a range - what sort is it? Have a look here for grits of common stones.

I like the Duosharps - hard to know for sure if it's marketing hype but the (patented ) polka dots are meant to capture some of the slurry which means quicker cutting and less wiping of the stones. Having just got a Diasharp too I would tend to concur but know others wouldn't - at the time they were the only double sided ones available guaranteed to be very flat - that was the reason I got them wasn't too fussed on the polka dots. Paul is right though - only pull very narrow tools towards you on it.


Cheers

Gidon

 

[Nigel]

Hi Gidon

Having just got the idea of DC`s ruler trick and use it on water stones where the slurry holds the ruler in position what holds the ruler in place on diamond stones,
I see from your video you hold the ruler when sharpening the #78 blade on a water stone,

Cheers Nigel

 

[Benchwayze]

Hi Tony, would you mind explaining the "ruler trick".
regards,
Rich.

Place a small ruler on your sharpening medium (see my photos above) and rest the blade againt when falttening the back and so you flatten only the 2mm or so behind the cuttign ietge of a blade rather than trying to faltten all of it which would take ages

DC suggested this first.

Don't do it on chisels

Wouldn't this produce a double bevel, rather like a metal workers cold chisel; albeit on a small scale? Having spent time and elbow grease flattening the first inch or so, ( enabling me to hone and remove the wire edge quite a few times thereafter), I would be loathe to use this 'trick'.

John

 

[gidon]

Hi Nigel
The ruler is held on with surface tension / suction of the oil or whatever lubricant you're using. It can still slip but usually holds ok.
John you're right you are creating a small back bevel. And if you then don't want to use the method anymore you'll need to re-flatten the back . So try it on one plane blade first to see if you like!
Cheers
Gidon

 

[Benchwayze]

I can try it yes... But I think shavings might get under the frog. I'll let you know..
Thanks for that.
J

 

[tnimble]

I can try it yes... But I think shavings might get under the frog.
J

:shock: :? If that happens something is seriously (done) wrong

 

[Paul Chapman]

what holds the ruler in place on diamond stones

Hi Nigel,

Rob (Woodbloke) has a neat way of holding the ruler on his stones, using a pin at each end of the stone's box, and the ruler, which has a hole at each end, fits over these. Seems far better than hoping the ruler won't move.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Nigel]

Hi Paul
Thanks for that tip I will bear it in mind If I decide to go down the diamond road,
Maybe it is not as slippery as this slope :lol:

Cheers Nigel

 

[paulm]

Had a delivery from Axminster today of one of the ultrafine Spyderco ceramic stones as recommended by Rob (Woodbloke) and Pete (Newt).

Was flat on one side as makes no difference and .002" concave in it's length on the other side which I'm not fussed about, might take one of the diamond stones to it and try and level it out.

But what a revelation in use, wouldn't have believed the polished edge you get with it and how quickly and effortlessly :shock:

Had a cheapish chisel to hand that had been honed on the finest dmt stone and looked fine and performed fine, but a few strokes on the spyderco and it had a mirror polish on the bevel and the back and cut through the test timber more easily still, amazing how a stone that doesn't feel at all abrasive to the touch can be so effective.

I can feel a major sharpening session coming on for the weekend, but first impressions from a quick play in the workshop this evening are that it's a definite must have.

May be some Norton waterstones appearing on the bay soon :lol:

Cheers, Paul

 

[Anonymous]

what holds the ruler in place on diamond stones

Hi Nigel,

Rob (Woodbloke) has a neat way of holding the ruler on his stones, using a pin at each end of the stone's box, and the ruler, which has a hole at each end, fits over these. Seems far better than hoping the ruler won't move.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

Rob, any chance of a photo of this?

 

[Benchwayze]

I can try it yes... But I think shavings might get under the frog.
J

:shock: :? If that happens something is seriously (done) wrong

Did I really say frog! I musta done!

I meant under the chip breaker/back iron, the curly bent bit that is fixed to the iron by a big screw with a slotted head. You know the bit I mean; that bit I have to polish, so the shavings jump clear of the plane body! Lol! Oh dear! That was a Senior Moment! (Sorry... Intellectual Intermission I should say!)

John

 

[tnimble]

@John: Can happen to anyone.

With a back bevel (either from the ruler trick or to raise the effective pitch) this should not happen.

With the ruler trick the back bevel is very minute (less than 1 degree I guesstimate). When the chip breaker / cap iron (or what ever ppl call it) made good contact before it will after.

With a 'large' back bevel to raise effective pitch you don't have to set the chip breaker / cap iron very close to the edge. So the chip breaker is pressing down on non bevelled area. If you would still set the chip breaker very close to the edge indeed a small gap could be present in which chips can get cought and push the gap open to create a nice shaving trap.

 

[Benchwayze]

Thanks Tn.

As I imagined, so you describe! With regard to the gap between the chip-breaker and the blade edge, much depends on what timber I am working with, but I do like the breaker as close as is practicable to the cutting edge, as it helps with support too.

I will try this 'ruler-trick' with my rebate plane, as I confess I haven't used it in a while, sinceI get such nice rebates from the router! But as I have resolved to get in a lot more hand-tool work, I should re familiarise myself!"
Thanks again

Regards
John

 

[Karl]

If you decide you don't like the performance of a back bevel, there is no need to re-flatten the back. You can just re-grind the edge, until enough material has been removed to get rid of the back bevel.

Cheers

Karl