Sharpening station finished....a little wonky

Re: Shapton pro 1k

TomD

I use spyderco ceramics, but not for the general run of sharpening. The ones I have, i have had for a long time, like 20 or more years, and they were not flat, and there is not an acceptable way to get them flat. But they are great for knives, and small tools that will go through soft stones, and sharpen some very hard materials.

The fact a stone has a wooden base does not mean it can't be left to soak. I have never left them in over years, but certainly extended periods. Initially I had heard they couldn't be soaked, then later some competent source said one could do it, which always carries more weight than the negative. Since then I have soaked. Worst problem is some stones may detach, though so far mine haven't. If they do I will reglue them to an epoxy soaked base, and get on with it. As my stones get thinner, I do worry that at some point they could crack, I will do something if they get fragile enough. I assume there is just glue in there? If so I will probably band saw them free, and then reglue on a stable base, like epoxy encapsulated wood or G-10.

Re: Shapton pro 1k

Pam Niedermayer

I use a small set of Spyderco files and a Spyderco small slipstone for sharpening incannel carving tools, especially veiners. They seem to do that job quite well.

As to wooden bases and soaking, I've never glued a stone to a base; but my SP 6000 arrived glued to wood. I don't plan on soaking it.

Pam

Re: Shapton pro 1k

David Weaver

George uses O1, A2 and I know he's mentioned packing HSS tool steel to make carving tools. I think any W1 that he's used has been carving tools, because of its tendency to warp (as in, it creates more warpage on larger plane irons).

I know george has often mentioned making A2 irons at CW and sneaking them in the planes when the blacksmiths were passing 1070 steel on the craftspeople because it welded more easily than higher carbon steel (as in, they were pushing substandard irons on some of the folks to make it easier on themselves to produce them).

George has gobs of stuff to sharpen with that none of us will ever see, like precision diamond laps and other jeweler's and machinists stuff, but he likes A2 a lot in planes.

Re: Answer for Roger. Question for Stu and David.

Schtoo

Derek,

Which stones might be permanently affected?

Shapton Pro? 10 minutes on #5000 and finer is what's recommended by Shapton, no more, no less. I make a habit of cleaning and drying every Pro stone I have because any moisture left on them does cause some general 'strangeness' to occur if they're not dried of any residual standing water. As I use a towel to do this, it means I must clean them first. Any kind of long term soaking will permanently and irreparably damage these stones. Glass Stones are similarly affected, and I must clean and dry them before putting them away, but no Glass Stone should be soaked for any period of time.

Chosera? 1 hour maximum is what's printed on the side of the stone. As soaking softens the stone (as it does with Shapton), any longer than this and the stone will be permanently affected, and extended soaking will severely damage them.

Sigma? I've had a report that the colourant used in the Select II 6000 may leach out if that particular stone is left wet. As the natural colour is similar to the 10000, one or the other needed something to differentiate between them and the 10000 was around first, so the 6000 got the colour.

Stu.

Re: Shapton pro 1k

Pam Niedermayer

OK, guess my info of several months ago, when you kicked me off SMC over a trifle, is outdated.

Pam

Re: Shapton pro 1k

TomD

Right, the stone not the base determines the hows and whys of water. I'm just saying it wasn't a problem when I did it. I never smoked the Shapton's Kool-Aid, so I have no recommendations as to what those stones need.

Re: Shapton pro 1k

TomD

Not to make light of whatever, but I could use someone to throw me off a few more boards. I got myself banned, by asking the owner of one bike board to permanently ban me. Apparently quite a few people do this, they have a procedure for it. I had over 5000 posts on the frame building forum, I kept that place alive! What a time saver! Even if you were a positive presence people will little note nor long remember one's passing, unsurprisingly, a win win situation for everyone.

Re: Shapton pro 1k

TomD

Also there was a boatbuilding board I had one third of the total posts on, and the owner had family problems and closed it down. Scores!!

Re: Shapton pro 1k

Pam Niedermayer

My two need a new home, real soon now.

Pam

Re: Shapton pro 1k

Pam Niedermayer

True, they can be great time spenders; but on a good board like this one, there's great payback.

Pam

Re: Shapton pro 1k

David Weaver

I don't know who got you "kicked off" but I have personally never complained about a member of any board asking for action to be taken.

George's talk about HSS tools was long before a couple of months ago, anyway.