Lyn - LVPSS Question

Re: Lyn - LVPSS Question

Lyn J. Mangiameli

>It depends a little on whether you already have some sort of grinder or verticle belt sander to do very coarse geometry changes. If you don't, then I'd suggest getting an extra 4mm platter to put 36-40 Zirconium grit abrasves on one side and 60 grit on the other. This will make initial set up of your blades a lot quicker, cooler and less frustating. Lee Valley doesn't sell these grades, but you can get them through the Supergrit Catalog (not always findable on their website). Get a catalog here:

http://www.supergrit.com/

I'd also recommend getting a second 4mm platter to mount the intermdiate "medium" (120/220)grit sizes LV offers but doesn't include (Supergrit offers the same thing for cheaper prices).

The reason on this end is that you want to go immediately to these medium-coarse grits for minor geometry changes and small nicks. Since it is so easy to switch platters, I recommend making more brief small steps, than spending more time on larger steps.

On the finer end of the spectrum I recommend getting at least one 3mm platter and obtaining 5 and .5 micron PSA paper sheets from LV (or .3 micron from Joel). Just apply the paper and trip out the hole and aroud the edges with an Xacto or similar blade. If you really want to splurge use a seperate platter for each, to reduce contamination, which is more significant in these finer grits. Life of these finer grits is more limited and can be extended with honing compound (but at the cost of even easier contamination as the wax base of the compounds lets everything stick to it), thus you want to use them only breifly after preliminary preperation is done on the regular fine grits.

I recommend you store all your platters in individual zip lock bags, or seperate containers you can obtain from jewelry supply outlets.

Know in advance that initial preparation of you blades on the QPSS will seem a dirty and hot task if you are making geometry changes (likely, if for no other reason than to match them to your precision jig) and grinding a lot of tools. This will actually be an unusual event, as soon you will be doing little more than quick maintainance of your edge, when the heat of grinding and grit will be almost nonexistant.

I still use mine constantly, and just love it.

tool holders

Robin Frierson

>I would get at least one extra tool holder. It takes time to change platters, put them up, etc, so its nice to be able to do multiple irons per grit or per platter side. It takes almost the same amount of time to sharpen one iron as it does three. I got three tool holders and sharpen three irons at a time.

I would also get a disc protector to store each platter, they are 5$ a piece here:

http://www.arrowheadlapidarysupply.com/items.asp?id=161

Re: tool holders

Mark Meier (Ann Arbor, MI)

>Extra tool holders -- that's a good idea!

Mark

Re: tool holders

Lyn J. Mangiameli

>It really does depend a lot on your style of use. I have two tool holders (one that came with my original version, and the one with the new version) and I virtually never use more than just one. Of course for me, I am usually maintaining existing irons, so there isn't a need to use more than two platters. I also tend to maintain each tool as I am working (the QPSS makes this easy), rather than save them all to the end.

I like Robin's recommended platter holders a lot, but they are somewhat expensive when you have a bunch of platters. They are a nice convenience item, but do nothing to enhance sharpening performance over zip lock bags.

I guess why I mention this is that the QPSS as sold is a modestly priced system (say compared to a full set of waterstones or a Tormek). I'd hate for people to think they need to spend a lot more (I do think at least two extra platters are advisable). Lots of things are nice to add over time, but if money is tight, one will get 98 percent of the functionality with the basic unit.

Re: tool holders

Mark Meier (Ann Arbor, MI)

>I often will grab a whole new plane rather than stop to resharpen. So I'll have fix or six block plane irons, three smoothers, a bunch of chisels, etc to touch up when I need to sharpen again. This is why I liked Robin's idea. It would be handy to keep the platters in place. The holders are really pricey though ($28.50).

Even with one holder, I've grown very fond of the LV system.

Mark

(?) Arrowhead Brand Holders are $5/each

Don Thompson - Cutler Ridge, Florida

>

Lyn--Follow up question.

Tony Sade (Charleston, WV)

>Lyn-I followed your suggestion to get some additional grits and had serious problems installing the very fine grits without getting bubbles in the paper. Slitting the bubble with an exacto knife left a bump no matter how careful I was, and lifting the paper back off and using various implements to try and smooth things out while putting it back down-j roller, chamfered edge of a piece of 2 x 2-didn't improve things by much. This was a brand new platter, carefully cleaned.

Any suggestions? Even with what bubbles remained, I still got a very nice edge on the tools I worked on today. Thanks, Tony