tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2976499952885642848.post880616386614012084..comments2022-02-25T10:50:38.538-08:00Comments on Oregon Woodworker by Andy Margeson: How sharp is sharp?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2976499952885642848.post-90921115414286606962015-02-14T03:30:38.942-08:002015-02-14T03:30:38.942-08:00Since slowly starting to get back into some woodwo...Since slowly starting to get back into some woodworking, I've been thinking about this.<br />The highest grit I use is an 8000 grit Norton. However, I see no point in using that for jack planes and block planes. My other two stones, 1000 and 4000 grit Kings, put a great edge onto just about anything. In most cases I can follow the 4000 with a green strop and be just fine.<br />My jointer, smoother, and LN chisels get the 8000 grit treatment. The surface left behind by an iron sharpened to 8000 grit is incredibly smooth. Why would I spend money on another stone?<br />I think the best sharpening advice I've ever heard was "do what works for you and ignore everyone else." <br />markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08115832567617717425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2976499952885642848.post-84136980668051195642015-01-07T07:03:38.300-08:002015-01-07T07:03:38.300-08:00I can remember turning my nose up at honing compou...I can remember turning my nose up at honing compound and a strop for fear of the dreaded dubbing effect and I can't help but feel now that it is overstated. Stropping definitely won't work well if you wait too long to touch up the edge and it is something you have to do often. In other words, the tool still have to be sharp to get really sharp. Regardless, I have been using my strop almost exclusively on most of my edge tools for more than a year now and have yet to experience any dubbing effect. I don't deny that it will happen, but if I only have to go back to a stone or grinder to "reset" a bevel once a year and just live by the strop the rest of the time, I'm not going to worry about this mystical dubbing thing.Shannonhttp://renaissancewoodworker.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2976499952885642848.post-34269529541962004092015-01-07T02:44:29.007-08:002015-01-07T02:44:29.007-08:00I've got to throw in my 2 cents here. I've...I've got to throw in my 2 cents here. I've been around the sharpening track numerous times and I am now a spectator. I have settled into using my 3 diamond stones, my japanese 8K, and my final step of honing with green compound from Lee Valley as my sharpening method. For all my irons and chisels, etc. <br />I don't do micro bevels, polish a nutso mirror finish on anything I sharpen. I instead do something stupid like what does the shaving look like? What does the surface I just planed look like? How does it feel?<br />Do you really think a craftsman from the 1800's worried about a mirror finish on this irons? I have seen furniture from this period and I'm happy with how they sharpened thier tools then. I will continue to copy them.Ralph Boumenothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10606484453109932074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2976499952885642848.post-33447982699570193402015-01-06T18:08:34.355-08:002015-01-06T18:08:34.355-08:00Andy,
Some of the most prized natural Japanese wa...Andy,<br /><br />Some of the most prized natural Japanese waterstones do not give a mirror finish but hone to a haze. Once the edge gets to a finish condition it's the scratch pattern, not the polish that maters. Of course as with all things wood YMMV.<br /><br />ken<br /><br />I'm a OK guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11843155822153452980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2976499952885642848.post-50518070543259879702015-01-06T14:30:37.535-08:002015-01-06T14:30:37.535-08:00Hi Andy,
Honing compound on mdf is nice. Purists ...Hi Andy,<br /><br />Honing compound on mdf is nice. Purists turn their nose up to it but I like it much better than a leather strop for straight edged tools. I still use leather for gouges and knives. I would definitely start there and see if you like it.<br /><br />I'll give you a few other options for a final honing - the diamond film that Lee Valley sells being one. The finest film is something crazy like 0.1 micron. They are small, and fragile, but inexpensive, and easy to pull a chisel across to get a final mirror finish. You have to baby them a little, though. I don't think anyone knows how long they truly last because most people inadvertently rip them up long before they stop cutting well. The finest 3M micro abrasive film also works well, and is really cheap. With both of these you'll need a flat surface, and the abrasive film does wear out (but lasts a pretty long time). I have the micro abrasive film on some plate glass and pull them out when I just want to touch something up an not make a mess (still need to build that sharpening station).<br /><br />The advantage of these two is that they are a little cleaner than the diamond paste. One reason people gravitate to diamond stones is the lack of mess. No water or excessive oil to deal with (although the diamond film works best with a few drops of oil). The diamond paste is nice but for me it was just one more goopy thing, requiring more paper towels into the trash. I have heard that cast iron is the best medium for diamond paste, where it can better imbed in the pores and require less recharging and maintenance. I had a steel plate that arrived with a big belly on one side and a hollow in the other. Took me forever to get the hollow side something close to flat. The Lee Valley plate should at least save you that.<br /><br />I have way too much sharpening crap.<br /><br />Good luck,<br /><br />-EricErichttps://breenbushdesign.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2976499952885642848.post-33617593393269990952015-01-06T10:04:15.262-08:002015-01-06T10:04:15.262-08:00Like you, I use diamond plates and green honing co...Like you, I use diamond plates and green honing compound and when I'm done sharpening a plane, chisel, or knife blade it's got a mirror finish. I'm sure there are occasions I could "sharpen to task" on coarser stones and skip the honing step but I don't have the experience to know which occasion that might be and doing my best sharpening job takes just a couple of minutes at most so why would I stop short of a good job?<br /><br />As Paul Sellers has pointed out a lot of very fine woodwork was done by men sharpening their tools by hand on nothing more than a well dished double sided carborundum stone.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09642629437778988586noreply@blogger.com