Sharpening system for wide plane irons...

[MrJay]

Can I pick your collective brains...?

My #7 plane iron doesn't fit nicely on my 2" oil stone. It's the only thing that doesn't. I could use scary sharp, but it's a lot of faff and I've never been too impressed with the amount of sharp I get when I scary sharp. So I'm looking for alternatives, on a budget while also avoiding false economies and breaking the law. Gluing multiple oil stones together perhaps...

Ideas?

 

[Alf]

If you're using a jig, get one that's manoeuverable enough to be guided slightly left and right as you go backwards and forwards. If freehand, just angle the blade so it fits on the stone.

Cheers, Alf

 

[AHoman]

Ideas?

Mr Jay,
1. If you can freehand, try to angle the blade to fit the stone. You will get a shorter stroke, but it should fit.
2. Again freehand, try the "side sharpening" technique -- I'm left-handed, which means the right side of the blade is toward me, with the left side away from me, and the blade is moved sideways up the length of the stone, careful not to make a groove in the stone.
3. There are plenty of 3" wide combination waterstones available -- I think a 1000/4000 would be an effective and economical alternative to spending a lot of money on a full range of stones. There are some drawbacks, but it's a #7 blade so it doesn't need to so sharp that it can split atoms!
-Andy

 

[MrJay]

Thanks, I've been looking at water stones, I was thinking about maybe an oversize 4000 grit water stone for a shiny finish and a similarly sized 600 grit diamond bench stone for medium grit work and keeping the water stone true. At some point in the future I'll have to get an extra fine stone, but like you say, for a #7 it's not so pressing. It's not as cheap as I'd like, but I reckon a good sharpening setup is going to benefit every pointy tool I have and every project I do, so it's worth getting at least half right.

I wish they'd standardise grit numbers between different stone types.

Hand sharpening would be much more flexible, but even so confined spaces are a pet hate and I'd probably want to revert to a honing guide every now and then. Also, I'm likely to be stuck with the skinny stock blade for a while yet.

 

[MikeW]

...I wish they'd standardise grit numbers between different stone types...

Seeing how that will never happen...here is a grit comparison chart.

Too wide...I just move the edge tools with the width of the blade lengthwise with the stone, down the stone's length. Popularized by the guy who imports Shapton stones into the US and called side sharpening.

Take care, Mike

 

[MrJay]

So looking at the speed/sharpenss chart that page links too, there's very little difference between a 600 grit diamond stone and a 4000 grit water stone.

 

[MikeW]

Don't think you are interpreting the chart correctly.

There are several relationships involved. One of the issues it is trying to convey is the degree of sharpness in relation to time spent obtaining it with various stone-types and grits.

That said, in general I don't spend any longer on a coarse stone than a fine stone as long as the edge hasn't been abused. And vice versa.

Sharpening/honing should never take longer than a minute--two if you need to set a stone on the bench. Even needing to regrind should only add a minute or less to the process.

Take care, Mike

 

[bugbear]

Can I pick your collective brains...?

My #7 plane iron doesn't fit nicely on my 2" oil stone. It's the only thing that doesn't. I could use scary sharp, but it's a lot of faff and I've never been too impressed with the amount of sharp I get when I scary sharp. So I'm looking for alternatives, on a budget while also avoiding false economies and breaking the law. Gluing multiple oil stones together perhaps...

Ideas?

In "the old days" blades were wider (2 3/4" is quite common in large jointers) and stones narrow.

(discussion on OLDTOOLS)
http://nika.frontier.iarc.uaf.edu/~cswi ... 77#message

One simply sharpens bits on the width of the blade separately, either with a neat left-right motion combined with your front-back sharpening motion, or simply " bit at a time".

A (little) care and attention is required to keep the edge straight, but it is not (as Alf would say) the science of rockets.

BugBear

 

[Alf]

A (little) care and attention is required to keep the edge straight, but it is not (as Alf would say) the science of rockets.

Ooo, I was being so restrained not saying that too. [-(

 

[Anonymous]

Wide blades narrow stones is normal and no prob.
In "Joinery & Carpentry" Corkhill, Lowsley and others, 1928 I think, is recommended an 8 to 10" long by 1 1/2" square stone - so you could use all 4 sides.

cheers
Jacob
http://www.owdman.co.uk/joinery/sharpening.htm

 

[bugbear]

Wide blades narrow stones is normal and no prob.
In "Joinery & Carpentry" Corkhill, Lowsley and others, 1928 I think, is recommeneded an 8 to 10" long by 1 1/2" square stone - so you could use all 4 sides.

Curious advice, given the stratified grain structure of many natural stones.

BugBear