Sharpening question please.

Re: Sharpening question please.

joel

>I use about 5 strokes of my finest stone. I remove the microbevel each time I sharpen and replace it.

Re: Sharpening question please.

Alan Hamilton

>Alan, who also spells his name correctly,

Unlike Joel, I use micro-bevels more as a time-saver. I generaly grind my bevels two or three, or so, degrees less than optimum, with no micr-bevel. When that edge dulls I use my finest stone to put on a micro-bevel, which is probably two or three, or so, degrees more than optimum. When my micro-bevels grow too large (whatever that means) I re-grind the bevel.

My waterstones' grits are: 240 (a "green stone") 800, 1200, 4000, 6000 and 8000. I rarely use my 8000 stone, and I use the green stone only when there is some serious grinding to do--as when there's a nick in the edge, or the like.

Alan (who also spells his name correctly)

Re: Sharpening question please.

Alan Tolchinsky

>Thanks Alan and yes that's my favorite and of course correct way of spelling our name. Alan

Thanks Joel. Appreciate the help. Alan.

Alan Tolchinsky

>

Let's try again.

MikeL in SoCal

>Hi all,

Please forgive me if this is not correct but I don't think Alan's question was really answered. Since I'm also curious about what other folks do, I'll rephrase the question as a hypothetical situation.

You have a new chisel with the bevel already ground but not honed. Assume you plan to use a secondary microbevel.

1. How high of grit do you go to when honing the primary bevel?

2. When you start the secondary (micro) bevel, what grit do you start with?

I don't think I articulated the question any better than Alan but I hope you get the gist of the inquiry. TIA.

Cheers,

Mike

Re: Let's try again.

Richard A.Gillespie, Jr.

>I start working on the micro bevel immediately. I start with either 320 or 400 grit and work my way up to 2500 using the scary sharp system. I use a jig to hold the chisel or iron. This way I don't have to reset the jig (I'm lazy).

O.K. guys. That makes sense. Thanks much. Alan

Alan Tolchinsky

>

Re: Let's try again.

joel

>Let me clarify terminolgy.

THere is the grind angle.which is the angle of the chisel bevel after being freshly ground.

There is the primary bevel angle which is the angle the chisel is honed at to get a sharp edge.

THere is a secondary bevel which is at a greater angle than the primary bevel and some people allow to grow to save time in sharpening.

A micro bevel is a very very small secondary bevel which by definition is micro - if allowed to grow it becomes a secondary bevel.

Some people just use a primary angle. Japanese tools are typically sharpened this way. So folks might even have a teritary bevel. usually to save time and even possibly as a micro bevel on top of a larger secondary bevel.

I for example us a microbevel, which I don't allow to grow on top of the primary bevel. Alan uses a secondary bevel. His situation I think is more common.

The reason for a secondary bevel is to increase edge retention and save time. The reason for a microbevel is to increase edge retention and allow the overall chisel to still perform as if it was ground at the lower angle.

OTOH, ...

Ted Owen, Pittsburgh

>I start a microbevel, if I use one at all, with the highest grit stone (8000). I understood Joel to be suggesting that procedure.

Best, Ted

Re: Let's try again.

Alan Hamilton

>Mike,

To answer your questions, using Joels definitions:

Because I use my edge tools with no micro-bevel immediately after re-grinding and re-honing their primary bevels, I go up through all my stones and finish the primary bevels with my finest stone.

When that edge gets too dull (the edge made by the back and the primary bevel) I put on a micro-bevel with my "finest" stone--usually my 6000 stone.

I don't use a stone coarser than 6000 to create or restore a micro-bevel. When my secondary bevel grows so large that it takes too long to get a good edge using just my finest stone, it is time to re-grind and re-hone the primary bevel.

Whew!

Alan

Thanks everybody.

MikeL

>I absolutely detest sharpening (probably because I'm not very good at it .....yet) so it's good to hear how more experienced ww-ers handle the chore.

Cheers,

Mike - headin' out to flatten some water stones and shave some wood