Lap-Sharp system

I have one

Neal (San Jose)

>And my tools have never been sharper. I've done everything from flattening plane bottoms to paring chisels, and, of course, plane blades. It's very easy to keep things lined up and flat. Odd blades like a Stanley 140 or a 46 are no longer a challenge. I've also discovered that I'd managed to slightly round a few blades and chisels with my previous methods of water and/or Arkensas stones (no wonder they weren't working well). Easy to correct with the Lap Sharp. I even used it Tuesday as a small, accurate sander on the wedges for some wedged tennons I was putting together! It is usually sitting on the end of my bench, set up with the finest grit so that I can touch up a chisel or plane blade and in a matter of seconds be back at work. It is a real time-saver for me.

I know that $600 is a lot of $$$, but it is easy to spend that kind of money on other systems like a Tormek or first-class water stones which have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Don Naples, the owner of the company, is a woodworker first, and developed the Lap Shart as a result of his frustration with other sharpening methods. The secret is in the high quality abrasives he uses and the easily changed sharpening plattens. The abrasives last a long time - the only one I've managed to wear out is the coarsest because I decided to re-flatten the backs of all my Japanese chisels (those things are hard!). The thing is built like a tank - it's almost impossible to slow it down. Mak sure your next-of-kin know how to use it - they will be using it after you are gone!!!

No affiliation except that Don is in my WW club, and I got to try before I bought. YMMV.

Re: I have one

Stumper

>Thanks Neal, Did you perchance try the Veritas machine before you purchased the Lap-Sharp?

Nope

Neal (San Jose)

>I hope someone does a side-by-side comparison sometime soon. After I tried the Lap Sharp, I was sold.

Yep

mikew

>I have them both sitting here courtesy of their respective companies.

While I have started writing, the pressing need to generate income and keep furniture making commitments has crowded out working with them for the last few weeks. Well, that and an injury. That's just how sharp you can get things . Didn't even feel the paring chisel enter my stomach. And it did good on wood, too...as to which one got the chisel that sharp, you'll have to wait.

I have returned to this project, as time permits. I should be finishing up in the next few weeks.

Mike

Self appendectomy

Neal (San Jose)

>You really didn't have to do that! We would have believed you that the chisel was very sharp. I'm really looking forward to your comparison, and I'm betting that your conclusion will be that it's possible, even easy, to get tools very, very sharp with either system.

Re: Yep

Frank D. in Montreal

>Sorry to hear about your accident Mike, hope it wasn't too bad. I'm glad your still around to talk about it, things happen so fast.

May you heal quickly,

Frank

Re: Self appendectomy

mikew

>LOL...

Yep, it would have been preferable to have not done it. Anything for the good of the community, right?

It really wasn't the plan. I was extremely fortunate that it was a grazing cut and not more an obtuse angle.

By the time I was healed enough to move/twist I had to get some work out the door. Doesn't take much in my little world to set timelines back. It doesn't help I was behind to begin with.

Mike

Yowza...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>A DIY gastric bypass. If'in you need to loose weight you could of just started planing more wood. Hope you heal up good and soon. I'm looking forward to seeing the results of your testing myself.

Dosen't look like much *LINK*

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native in FL. Exile :~(

>Is there more to it than is in this picture? I'd sure hope so. what's to say that a homemade one could'nt be built?

Todd O.


http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=136-328

Re: Dosen't look like much

mikew

>Nope. Other than the optional doohickies one should get, that be it.

I will say it is extremely well built. And I don't mean just the weight/size ration. It's the precision and sturdiness of the platter system.

But one can always build just about anything a woodworker uses, including a table saw, drill press--name it, it's been homemade before.

Most working shops can earn more in making their respective widgets than afford the time it would take to build something comparable. As for the hobbyist, well, time is less an issue. Expertise for many, though, is another issue.

Building vs. buying for me is about weighing the trad-offs of time vs. money and or sheer interest. I can and have made some hand planes. At times it is enjoyable. By and large I buy them, too.

Mike

Re: Dosen't look like much

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>I don't know why I'm reminded so powerfully of the budget hi-fi system Mad magazine described in the early 1960's.

Still, if it does good work, it's a good tool...