Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Re: Ditto
Tony Zaffuto
>I agree: I've gotten into the habit of after most every use, I pop the blade out and give a couple of swipes on 1500 then 2000 then 2500 SC paper, and a couple of swipes on the leather strop. Takes but a few minutes, done free-hand and I'm back in business. I believe Chris Swartz endorsed this sometime ago, calling it sharpen more ofter to sharpen less! Works, as I never let the blade really go to dull and seldom need to drop back to coarse grit or stones.
Re: Cutting newsprint
Dale Lenz
>Thanks to the folks that have offered their help. I will try not backing off until the last stone. Will also try some buffing with metal compound. Dale
Re: Cutting newsprint
Stephen Kirk in Quakertown, PA
>I finish my sharpening with jewelers rouge on some hard leather. I do find that when I try a hair shaving test I usually can't cut hair until after the stropping. It's easy to round the edge on the strop if your not careful. I may try the idea of putting some rouge on a piece of MDF and see how that works.
Re: Cutting newsprint
Dale Lenz
>In years past I used some paper wheel sharpening devices, very quick, 30 sec. But, I noticed that my plane irons were coming off the wheel convexed, lower on the ends, so I went back to hand sharpening. I've got some white rouge from the paper wheel package, maybe I'll try it. Thanks for the information. Dale
Why fly blind?
Mainely,Bob
>Instead of setting a test(paper,endgrain,whatever),why not just look at the edge under magnification?
I think it`s far more informative to know what a sharp edge LOOKS like than what it ACTS like (I know when I put it to work if it`s sharp or not).It`s also alot easier to just slip a jeweler`s loupe over your eye and see what`s going on at any step in the process.An added benefit is that it quickly lets you know if the entire edge is at the same level of sharpness.
I keep mine in a plastic pill bottle and store it with the stones/plates.
MB
Re: Cutting newsprint
Bruce, a MN Galoot
>I've used stropping on leather, green crayon on MDF and Tormek paste on Corian. As you said, stropping on leather may lead to dubbing. I like either MDF or Corian equally well for stropping, and the results are very impressive.
Bruce, who is still looking for a good piece of cast iron on the cheap side.
Re: Why fly blind?
Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away
>It`s also alot easier to just slip a jeweler`s loupe over your eye.......
What magnification are you using Bob? 10x? 20x? ???????
T.O.
Re: Why fly blind?
Mainely,Bob
>Got a set of 3 real cheap off the 'bay.10X is the one I use most though.
MB
PS-Did you get my e-mail about the wrist problem?It was kicked back once at the 5 hour mark,haven`t seen it since.I used the address from one of your posts here as my old PC now sleeps with the fishes.
Re: Why fly blind?
Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away
>Nope, didn't get the e-mail Bob.
Spoke to retired Doc about the wrist. You see what I did was jam this wrist 25 years ago while doing some 3-5 second rushing drills while in the the Army. 1st Sargent said when he blew the whistle he wanted us to hit the dirt, and he meant hit the dirt, and I can tell you I was hitting the dirt. One one of those dives I landed on my left wrist first, and it's been bugging me off and on ever since.
So Doc tell me that more than likely I actually had factured some of the tiny bones in my wrist, and that they wouldn't show up on x-rays, thus explaining why the Army, nor the Navy doc's could find the problem. Coarse, the Army doc's thought I was faking and maligering anyhow, but the Navy Doc I went to x-rayed me 9 ways to Sunday, and twisted my wrist up like a pretzel in an attempt to find the problem with no real luck. Told me that he felt I had damaged the sheaths that the tenons slide in, and thus where rubbing on the tenon and thus the pain.
When I asked my retired Doc friend what the fix was then and now, and he siad there was not fix other than perhaps cutting some nerves and he said I surely didn't want to do that as it would leave my hands weak. So, I'll just live with it when it acts up and call it good.
Herely lately I've been taking it easy and I think it's going away. Guess I needed the rest anyhow, and I've been getting caught up on doing some non-woodworking realted reading, which I've been enjoying doing.
T.O.