Sharp Enough

[Jerry Thompson]

I spent a good while sharpening my LV BU Jack Plane. I tested the edge with my thumb nail several times and it never seemed sharp enough. I pulled out my 45d shooting board, chopped a 45 on a piece of red oak and took a swipe. A curl of wood as long and as wide as the 45 peeled from the oak.
It seems I never feel an iron is sharp enough. I have to remember the enemy of damn good is just a little bit better.

[John A. Callaway]

get a burr, then hone. then stop.

[Mark Roderick]

Yeah, if you follow your sharpening procedure methodically through the steps then the blade is as sharp as it's going to get. Doing it again doesn't make it sharper.

[Jerry Thompson]

I can never recall being able to feel a burr on any sharening I have ever done. I always take a couple of swipes on the iron backside but I have yet to feel the elusive burr.

[Augusto Orosco]

I can never recall being able to feel a burr on any sharening I have ever done. I always take a couple of swipes on the iron backside but I have yet to feel the elusive burr.

Same here. There must be something wrong with my technique or my thumb is just numb :o

[Lonnie Gallaher]

Try using your ring finger or middle finger. They are not usually as calloused.

[Prashun Patel]

Jerry-
Get yrself a $5 jeweler's loupe. It helped show me how consistent my edge was. Once you 'get' it a couple times right, it's like riding a bike; you wonder how you COULDn't do it before...

[Jim Koepke]

The burr is mostly produced on the pull stroke.

I often hone without pulling the blade across my stones, hence no burr to notice.

jtk

[Justin Green]

I have just the opposite experience with one of my block planes. Shaved great, planed the face of some soft maple easily, making thin shavings, etc. But it still bounces and stutters across the soft maple end grain. I've yet to get a plane sharp enough to shave the maple end grain. I guess it seemed sharp enough, but wasn't!

[Paul Cahill]

Jerry-
Get yrself a $5 jeweler's loupe. It helped show me how consistent my edge was. Once you 'get' it a couple times right, it's like riding a bike; you wonder how you COULDn't do it before...

I agree entirely. I use an inexpensive loupe a lot and find it quite fascinating, and was surprised at how much you can see. I was also surprised that you can see the wear edge show up, as well as its removal as you resharpen. At some point I may get to where I rely on my process and technique alone, but until then it is no effort to take a peek and see what is going on.

Paul

[Jim Matthews]

The burr is mostly produced on the pull stroke.jtk

Good point, it's drawing the steel that forms the burr.
I look at the edge with a bright light source from overhead.

If I can see light glinting on the edge, that's a flat spot.
If the edge looks black - no reflection.

I test with a sheet of paper.
If it cuts the paper cleanly, it's ready.

[Jim Koepke]

But it still bounces and stutters across the soft maple end grain.

End grain is a different story all together.

Sometimes even with the minimal cut, shaving end grain gets me to wanting some ear plugs.

jtk

[John A. Callaway]

denatured alcohol on end grain will do you wonders..... This makes the plane act like a tool that you didnt know you owned...

And sometimes the burr cant be felt, but it is there.... Even on my king stones ( which I can not wait to upgrade ) I can get a fantastic hone ..... Learn your technique, stick to it and the results will occur... now If i could just get my pocketknife as sharp as my square edged irons and chisels...

[Justin Green]

denatured alcohol on end grain will do you wonders..... This makes the plane act like a tool that you didnt know you owned...

I will give it a try. Thanks!

[Don Dorn]

I also think that you develop the feel for the burr over time. When I started sharpening, I felt the same way in that everyone felt one, but it eluded me. Now, I seem to be able to detect the slightest one using the pad of my index finger.

[Jim Koepke]

I look at the edge with a bright light source from overhead.

If I can see light glinting on the edge, that's a flat spot.

When people come by to try out my hand planes this is one of the things I try to show them about sharpening.

jtk

[Jerry Thompson]

Calloused?

[Derek Cohen]

When I demonstrate joints, etc and stop to sharpen a blade, I pass it to the audience and ask if they can feel the wire edge off a 12000 Shapton. Rarely can they. And neither can they get a 5000 or even a 1000. Yet to me the wire edge is very noticeable. Perhaps it takes practice?

The other issue is that if you use a Ruler Trick, you will then struggle to find the wire edge as it is no longer co-planar with the back or the blade.

Regards from Perth

Derek