Which cuts more aggressively.....

Re: Which cuts more aggressively.....

Bob Hackett

>I`d suggest getting a cheap coase diamond stone instead for initial flattening.IME the coase diamond stones have a shorter than expected life.I switched from diamond to coarse paper for that reason.I still keep a Smith`s diamond stone around just in case,less than $20 at the Borg.

MB

Re: Which cuts more aggressively.....

Frank D. in Montreal

>I started out with a DMT extra-coarse for backs, but after a few blades it lost its "bite". It still works for bevels but backs have a tendency to skid over the plate without too much happening, especiallt A2 blades. Now I use it for rough bevels and to flatten my soft water stones. I use a 220 Shapton just for backs.

HTH,

Frank

Re: Which cuts more aggressively.....

ThomD

>If the back has major problems the best is power sanding, but since 1/1000 woodworkers has the right tool... Next best for agressive is sandpaper on a really flat surface. Once you have the major bite taken out, I would go to anything you like some of the 1500 stones are as agressive as anything I have seen.

The best result I have ever seen, though it isn't much fun, is the carbide powder over an iron plate, cheap, endless, doesn't go out of true, an if you need more cut just add more medium. It is pretty dirty, but then when I did the mjority of this work, no real man would have worn rubber gloves, while now I would, myself.

I'm not sure what is so great about this method, I think it really scours the whole surface right down to flat and smooth. I mean, if you get a fine stone to do your final polishing on, and it has any degree of divergence you are only probably working the high spots. Which is why guys in planing competitons work the final grit for hours and hours. But this method just keeps morphing finer and finer but you are using the same surface for all the grits. Or it could be that you are using your lap grade register surface for the work, not just to set some other stone ready, in other words less copies. Or it could be that there isn't any wear, while with regular stones you wear from the begining right on. Even diamond.

I have used the diamond. The DMT have been a disappointment, largely because of their claims, and frankly the surface hasn't been worth much since they stopped making them on solid blocks. The other problem is that the vitrious bond that holds the diamonds used to break down when you levelled stones with it. Maybe it's better, but let's face it, most stone are pretty hard. I like the polychristaline stoens, but they don't last hardly at all on hard tools. They do a good job on Cast Steel.

Basicaly woodworkers are sold a lot of junk for sharpening, that over time really adds up in cost. There is hardly a tool we use that the metal guys who make this stuff would bother with. Power sanding is the tool in almost all smithies and reduction shops.