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Jake Rothermel
03-08-2010, 10:45 PM
Heya Folk. Long-time reader, first time poster. I gotta thank you guys for all your posts and advice to everyone over the years as I've by proxy learned tons from you in my own work. I'm fairly new to the hand tools world. I've been a scenic carpenter for live theatre for years but most of that work only tends to be built with power tools and then only has to last a couple of months, not decades! Limited space and limited resources at home have dictated I start with hand tools only in my furniture work but, like most of you all, I quickly found I prefer it.

In any case, I digress.

I've recently started down the dreaded sharpening path and after what seems like years of reading and research on hundreds of techniques, I've FINALLY decided on Japanese waterstones to sharpen and hone and a granite plate w/ sandpaper to lap. I've been experimenting with a couple of different kinds of paper (mostly home store-bought) but have yet to really find a brand and type that really works for me yet. Almost all of my tools are used antiques bought through the ebay or at estates I'm rehabbing. There isn't money yet for the LNs and the LVs...yet, anyways!

Yesterday I read about Norton's A275 on Sauer and Steiner (http://www.sauerandsteiner.com/news/)'s blog (via a Creek posting, I think!) and it sounds almost too good to be true. I'm honestly kind of tired of experimenting with so many different papers and would love to just settle into something and focus on my techniques (arguably more important). Has anyone here used it before? Any thoughts on it, good or bad? Or, barring that, for those of you who also lap using sandpaper and a flat surface, what brand/kind/type do YOU use and why?

I've spent so much time researching HOW to sharpen and work wood that I feel I've lost a lot of time I could have been using ACTUALLY sharpening and working wood. Gosh, that'd be swell.

Thanks for any help and all the support, folk. It's truly appreciated.

Jim Koepke
03-09-2010, 2:03 AM
For my purpose, a Pressure Sensitive Adhesive backed abrasive paper was wanted. The spray glue method was tried, but that just didn't seem to work for me. Also, I wanted long pieces so roll stock was sought.

I am sure there are better abrasives from Norton and others, but for the cost and hassle factor, what I have found at Supergrit dot com seems to work pretty well.

jim

Mike Siemsen
03-09-2010, 10:15 AM
I get mine from Klingspor
http://www.woodworkingshop.com
They go up to 2000 grit. That should be all you need, $7 for a 15 foot x 6 inch roll, PSA backed.

Ron Hock
03-09-2010, 12:28 PM
Honing film, sometimes called lapping film, is neither sand nor paper but Mylar with very uniformly graded abrasives bonded to it. I find aluminum oxide to be much tougher and last longer than the silicon carbide (black) abrasives. Honing/lapping films are available from Tools for Working Wood, Japan WW'r, Woodcraft, etc. in a large range of grit sizes. They are tough, flat, long lasting -- great performers.

I use two pieces of 1/4" glass, one with 80-micron and 15-micron film, the other with 5-micron and 1-micron. Works for me.

Jake Rothermel
03-09-2010, 11:03 PM
Huh, really hard to argue with Ron Hock... I've been avoiding PSA papers because I've heard they can be a mess to clean off whatever surface you've attached them to; but maybe it's time to give it a shot myself. I'll let you know how I do... Thanks guys for your input.

Jim Koepke
03-10-2010, 12:28 AM
Huh, really hard to argue with Ron Hock... I've been avoiding PSA papers because I've heard they can be a mess to clean off whatever surface you've attached them to; but maybe it's time to give it a shot myself. I'll let you know how I do... Thanks guys for your input.

They are easy to clean off. The hard part is finding a solvent the melts the adhesive. Mine seems to melt with mineral spirits.

The next thing you will want is a heavy putty knife with a beveled edge.

Piece of cake.

jim

Richard Dooling
03-10-2010, 9:43 AM
I work on 3/8" glass and use a very sharp 2" chisel to scrape off the paper. I used to use a razor scraper but found I like the heft of the chisel better. No solvents needed.

.

Griph0n Brown
03-10-2010, 10:26 AM
Hey Jim

Which rolls do you use from Supergrit?

Just bought a 100 and 180 grit A275, but they are only 2 3/4 wide. AND it costs me 80 bucks a roll up here. I may try and sit them side by side for the wider planes like Sauer and Steiner (or is that just Sauer). I like the wider paper. I was using Lee Valleys orange rolls, even tried drywall rolls but I don't think they are built for lapping metal and the spray adhesive is nasty stuff.

I haven't tried out the A275 yet. Lapping tends to mess up the shop and I need to hit the gym for a week or so to get into shape before that much gruelling exercise. Saw your video, you weren't even breathing hard!

I usually spray the paper with wd40. Does the magnet work better? I've found the wd40 keeps my... um... snot from getting quite so black.

Thanks
Dave Brown

Jim Koepke
03-11-2010, 12:15 AM
The rolls I bought were item #10930A for the 80 grit.

Check them out on the internet and on the left there is a link for Cloth & Paper Rolls. That will take you to a page with selections of different rolls. Click on PSA Paper Rolls. That should take you to the page where I found what I bought.

I just noticed, you and David Gendron are both in Whitehorse. Maybe you two could get together and combine an order to save on shipping. Just a thought.

jim

James Taglienti
03-11-2010, 7:17 AM
I use whatever they have at autozone It's called gator grit. It's decent, Of course I only use the 320 the rest I do on stones. There are only a few brands you can buy from your average retailer.

Jim Paulson
03-11-2010, 7:35 AM
Ron or knowledgeable creekers out there,

Does the honing film that Ron mentioned offer some other benefits, like being able to remove it easier from the lapping plate? I use mineral spirits often enough, but would be interested in changing sandpaper faster and without the mess, if that were possible.

Take care,
Jim

Dale Sautter
03-11-2010, 8:22 AM
I use mineral spirits often enough, but would be interested in changing sandpaper faster and without the mess, if that were possible.


Borrowing from Jim Koepke's paper towel-wrapped-magnet-trick (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showpost.php?p=1368249&postcount=6) to gather/remove iron dust/shavings... I think that you should be able to wrap your surface plate/glass/granite/what ever with a thin layer of mylar (quick check online yielded ~$15/roll), then apply the sandpaper on top of that. When you're done... ball it all up and scrap it... might be worth a shot.