The final polish

[seanybaby]

I have been freehand sharpening my blades with 1000 then 6000 jap. water stones. I've only been woodworking just over a year and have been using the stones for the last 10 months.

I believe I'm getting a super sharp edge with this procedure. The only comparable sharpness is my tutor and fellow class mates at college. I think I'm getting the sharper blades, although i only use waterstones, most people that i know use oil stones.

I will not be buying a 8000 stone because its too expensive.

So after my 6000, would lapping with those really fine grits and leather strop add a significant amount of sharpness to my blades?

Should i even be thinking about getting blades sharper than 6000grit?

 

[Philly]

Sean
I've been experimenting with a 10K waterstone and, for the money, it really isn't necessary to get a fine edge.
What I would recommend is a leather strop loaded with rouge as a final hone after the 6k stone - makes a noticeable difference.
Hope this helps
Philly

 

[seanybaby]

How dare you! answering so slowly to my Q :lol:

What is this rouge? Is it the jewelers stuff i've read about? Where do i get it? What grit size is it?

Where can i learn how to use a strop?

You say it makes a noticeable difference. Is this from using 6000 to stropping, or 8000 to stropping, or even 10000 to stropping?

Nice one

 

[Karl]

Hi Sean

I use waterstones too - 800, 1200 and 6000. The polish from a 6000 doesn't give the ultimate edge, so I strop afterwards and, as Philly says, this makes a noticeable difference to the edge sharpness. My strop and polish only cost a few quid.

I believe Woodbloke (?) has used a 10000 ceramic stone for the final polish with superb results.

Cheers

Karl

 

[Philly]

Sean
Apologies for making you wait so long :wink:

I bought a leather strop and green compound from Classic Hand Tools - it doesn't seem to be on the website so give Mike a call.

To use hone your edge as usual (to 6000) then give it a couple of strokes back and front on the strop. Easy-peasy!
I usually shave a little hair off the back of my hand - if i can't easily do this from the stones then the strop usually takes it to that level. If you can shave hair - it is ready to rumble
I appreciate that I should be able to shave hair straight from the 6000 stone - time being short I'm not always as thorough as I should be with my sharpening regime. Please don't tell Mr C :lol:
Hope this helps
Philly

 

[tnimble]

When stropping use only back strokes, you have a better edge and no risk of diggin in. Strops can easily made from an old leather belt (if it's wide enough for the edge you want to strop).

 

[seanybaby]

I don't accept your apologies, i shaved my grans beard, while waiting just for you to answer my questions :shock:

My test is to try and shave what hairs i have on my left arm. This works with after sharpening with the 6000. Thats why i say i have a super sharp edge (to what i know sharp).

Is using a strop exactly the same as using stones. ie do the bevel, then the back?

Cheers

 

[tnimble]

I don't accept
Is using a strop exactly the same as using stones. ie do the bevel, then the back?

Yes, nothing different under the sun.

 

[woodbloke]

Sean - I used to think that a stopped edge was pretty good until I did a little experiment with Newt a while ago. I now use the 10000g Spyderco ceramic stone from Axminster which gives a significantly better edge. I use Mr C's method of 23deg ground bevel, 33deg honed bevel (green DMT) and 35deg micro-bevel on the Spyderco, with the 'ruler trick' being used on the flat side of a plane blade (but not a chisel blade ) - Rob

 

[Paul Chapman]

Sean,

I also use a leather strop. I bought a piece of leather from Mike Hudson of Clico (Clifton planes) at one of the shows. I think Classic Hand Tools also sell the same stuff. I glued together two pieces of 18mm MDF and stuck it to that with some Bostik general purpose adhesive. This gives it a nice, flat surface

On the strop you can see a bar of jewellers rouge which is what I use on mine. I occasionally mix a little Vaseline with it as well.

You can buy the bars of polishing compounds individually or in sets like this. Most tool shops seem to sell it.

The colour denotes the coarseness of the compound. Black is the most coarse and the jewellers rouge (maroon in colour) is the finest. Mike Husdson supplies a blue one which is quite fine and also gives excellent results.

I use the black one on MDF wheels in an electric drill for honing the shaped part of beading blades like this

When polishing your blades on a strop, only ever draw the blade backwards or you will cut into the strop. I use a honing guide when sharpening my blades. I leave it in the guide to polish the bevel, then take it out of the guide and do the flat side of the blade on the strop. Just a few strokes will give you a mirror finish.

Hope this helps

Cheers :ho2

Paul

 

[mr]

Paul in that first / top most pic of your setup is the right hand end of the strop coated in vaseline with diagonal stripes of rouge? (accounting for the colour changes I'm seeing in the picture) Is that how you coat your strop or do you use much more rouge than that?

Cheers Mike

 

[woodbloke]

Mike - that's about as much rouge as you need. As Paul says you work it into the leather with a finger full of Vaseline and it does work very well. I keep my strop on the sharpening bench but I've made a cover for it so that other crud and general workshop cr@p don't get embedded in it. Excellent as well for polishing brass screw heads - Rob :ho2

 

[Paul Chapman]

Hi Mike,

Yes, that's about the amount of rouge I use. I only put Vaseline on occasionally - just rub it in with my finger. Got that idea from Rob (Woodbloke) - although I think I heard Jim Kingshott recommend it's use as well. Helps to keep the leather supple and stops too much build up of polishing compound, although if you get a build up you can scrape it off. I leave the other end of the strop clear and wipe the blade on that. It's all very simple and quite difficult to get it wrong

If you are at any of the shows, speak to Mike Hudson of Clico. He originally put me on to the idea of using a strop. His blades are like mirrors :shock:

Cheers :ho2

Paul

 

[mr]

Ive got a range of materials Im about to try out as a strop varying from a scrap of mdf to a ripped up cereal box glued to a piece of ply. Do you find theres a danger in rounding over the bevels on leather due to compression , however little, of the leather itself dring stropping? Obviously people have been doing it for years so perhaps not...

Cheers Mike

 

[woodbloke]

Ive got a range of materials Im about to try out as a strop varying from a scrap of mdf to a ripped up cereal box glued to a piece of ply. Do you find theres a danger in rounding over the bevels on leather due to compression , however little, of the leather itself dring stropping? Obviously people have been doing it for years so perhaps not...

Cheers Mike

Mike, that thought had occurred to me, it may well happen but it doesn't seem to affect the overall edge as any rounding is removed the next time the blade is honed, so it's probably a continual cycle of honing and then rounding and then back to honing, if you see what I mean :? If you can get hold off a fairly wide leather belt that can be used or you could even cut up one of SWIMBO's leather handbags to use as strop :lol: - Rob

 

[tnimble]

If you can get hold off a fairly wide leather belt that can be used or you could even cut up one of SWIMBO's leather handbags to use as strop :lol: - Rob

You might find out about other kind of strops.

 

[mr]

Thats very likely and not a thing to be taken lightly.

Cheers Mike

 

[newt]

Of course if they have an excessive number of handbags (greater than 50, personal experience) would one with a hole in the side be noticed.

 

[mr]

Of course if they have an excessive number of handbags (greater than 50, personal experience) would one with a hole in the side be noticed.

They don't need a hole in the side. The tops are never secured anyway. My other half has lost her phone twice, her door keys, Her office keys, her purse all this year, all falling out of an open handbag.

Cheers Mike

 

[tnimble]

And even when they would hand one over to be 'sacrificed' they have changed their mind at the exact same moment you have made the first cut.