Stroop paste
- Thread starter E-wan
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Glynne
Established Member
I personally use Autosol on MDF.
Cheshirechappie
Established Member
What are you doing and how precise are your demands?
I agree with the above, for woodworking, I use autosol. It's only marginally more coarse (but it will matter on a razor).
I've taken pictures of edges with autosol, the green al-ox sticks (like "microfine"), natural stones, synthetic stones and true graded compounds like 0.5 micron chrome ox and .09 micron iron oxide.
Whether or not those pastes matter depends on what you're doing. For nearly everything woodworking, the autosol is better than most fine synthetic stones and plenty sharp as long as it's used on a clean substrate.
All of the green compound sticks are also fine, but you need to load a strop with them using a drop of oil to thin the wax, and be sparing (it takes little of them - if you leave a cake of wax on whatever you're using instead of just a tint of green color, you'll just have your edge riding on a layer of wax and get little from it).
I agree with the above, for woodworking, I use autosol. It's only marginally more coarse (but it will matter on a razor).
I've taken pictures of edges with autosol, the green al-ox sticks (like "microfine"), natural stones, synthetic stones and true graded compounds like 0.5 micron chrome ox and .09 micron iron oxide.
Whether or not those pastes matter depends on what you're doing. For nearly everything woodworking, the autosol is better than most fine synthetic stones and plenty sharp as long as it's used on a clean substrate.
All of the green compound sticks are also fine, but you need to load a strop with them using a drop of oil to thin the wax, and be sparing (it takes little of them - if you leave a cake of wax on whatever you're using instead of just a tint of green color, you'll just have your edge riding on a layer of wax and get little from it).
You can buy loose CrO as a powder pigment very cheaply. Mixed to a paste with a carrier of your choice it’ll give a very fine strop compound, but I found only really useful for sharpening for sharpenings sake.
Autosol on a bit of MDF is good enough for all practical purposes in the workshop
Autosol on a bit of MDF is good enough for all practical purposes in the workshop
Argus
Established Member
Stropping paste as used by carvers, is sold by Tiranti: https://tiranti.co.uk/products/strop-dressing-100g-pot/
Very economical in use - I'm still using a pot I bought in the early 90s.
As mentioned, MDF is a good alternative for a leather strop when using flat blades. The final stages for me, after going down the grades with Diamond stones, are a strop with Tiranti's paste (optional) then a square piece of MDF with Tiranti's paste on one half and Autosol on the other. I can usually loose any tiny remnants of the wire burr at this point, then on to the Autosol. This will also produce a lovely shiny back on a plane blade or chisel. If you require a third stage, bare MDF will, in time with use, produce a fine burnishing surface to follow the Autosol.
Very economical in use - I'm still using a pot I bought in the early 90s.
As mentioned, MDF is a good alternative for a leather strop when using flat blades. The final stages for me, after going down the grades with Diamond stones, are a strop with Tiranti's paste (optional) then a square piece of MDF with Tiranti's paste on one half and Autosol on the other. I can usually loose any tiny remnants of the wire burr at this point, then on to the Autosol. This will also produce a lovely shiny back on a plane blade or chisel. If you require a third stage, bare MDF will, in time with use, produce a fine burnishing surface to follow the Autosol.
Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)
Established Member
I decided to try Autosol on hardwood today instead of my usual green compound/wax. I found it very messy, and difficult to determine how much was enough. Spent more time wiping up that sharpening. Can't say that it made any difference to the edge. Back to green wax for me.
Regards from Perth
Derek
Regards from Perth
Derek
Derek, the closed surface of hardwood (I'm assuming it was very smoothly planed because it's you 
) is very different from that of MDF.
Even at that though Autosol and other similar polishes have no binder per se. I've tried various cream polishes straight on wood (beech, poss. sapele, once on pine just in a very short-run test), on MDF's factory surface, on leathers of a couple of types (both sides) and on denim and can't say I care for it. No matter what the strop surface I found it's best to add some binder, which can be achieved by the simple expedient of applying a thin film of the polish, waiting for it to dry and then rubbing in liquid paraffin (mineral oil) or paste wax.
I haven't had the chance yet to try a polish on an MDF 'end grain' block, something I read about recently in one of the UK woodworking mags, but I expect from the experiments using flesh-side leathers and the denim that I'll want to add oil or wax here too.
) is very different from that of MDF. Even at that though Autosol and other similar polishes have no binder per se. I've tried various cream polishes straight on wood (beech, poss. sapele, once on pine just in a very short-run test), on MDF's factory surface, on leathers of a couple of types (both sides) and on denim and can't say I care for it. No matter what the strop surface I found it's best to add some binder, which can be achieved by the simple expedient of applying a thin film of the polish, waiting for it to dry and then rubbing in liquid paraffin (mineral oil) or paste wax.
I haven't had the chance yet to try a polish on an MDF 'end grain' block, something I read about recently in one of the UK woodworking mags, but I expect from the experiments using flesh-side leathers and the denim that I'll want to add oil or wax here too.
It's like anything else. If you want to get the most out of it, you have to try it for a couple of weeks until you figure out how it likes to be used.
Just the same as someone used to powder in an oil suspension might wipe way too much wax crayon on a surface.
In my opinion, the easiest way to use autosol or dursol is on hard leather or decent softwood plywood (that has a smooth surface) and get a coating on the surface only. Not enough to accumulate to anything on a blade. When the surface becomes totally black and glossed, repeat.
When it becomes "dried up" or glossed, you can introduce a drop or two of oil to a surface to refresh.
The only real downside to autosol is that the film left for rust protection (on a chisel back) - that film doesn't completely come off with wiping, but it comes right off on wood in the first few chops or paring cuts.
MikeG.
Established Member
I've always wanted to give toothpaste a try for this job, but I've never quite been bothered. I'll stick with Brasso until it runs out in about 20 years time.
MikeG.
Established Member
D_W":1k2x1yc2 said:
Erm........no.
Click, and click.
If you'd ever seen the damage that toothpaste does to car paintwork, you wouldn't have questioned the suggestion. It's a mild abrasive, which is what you want in a stropping compound. Not sure I'd put it anywhere near leather, though (but I use MDF anyway).
memzey
Established Member
Hi Derek,
On an MRMDF strop of this size I use no more than a pea sized amount of autosol:
I rub it over the board thoroughly with a finger so all of the surface has a light coating. No more than that is needed I have found, indeed too much can get in the way. When the surface needs freshening up, I’ll brush it off lightly and apply another, pea sized, drop. The above piece has had about three or four applications over the past year and a half I think. Something like that anyway.
I’ve found that it does only really work well on MDF though. Hard wood doesn’t seem to be consistent enough in its retention of the abrasive and softwood, along with leather, has a little too much give for my liking but I suppose that’s a personal preference.
I also have the Veritas green compound and there is little difference to the quality of the edge that I have found (and absolutely none after taking about five shavings with the plane). Perhaps if you are paring softwood end grain you might feel a little less resistance for the first few strokes but after that it seems pretty much equal to me. I should caveat all of the above by saying I almost exclusively use temperate hard woods and all of my hand tools are old steel. The snazzy Veritas steels on hard Aussie timbers might perform differently but as I’ve used neither I’m not competent to offer an opinion on those.
clauskeller
Established Member
Hi Ewan,
I use oil colour paste like this https://www.arthipo.com/winsor-and-newt ... 37-ml.html on a leather strop.
Regards from Germany
Claus Keller
I use oil colour paste like this https://www.arthipo.com/winsor-and-newt ... 37-ml.html on a leather strop.
Regards from Germany
Claus Keller
