Dumb Question on Honing new PM-V11 Plane Blades

[Tony Wilkins]

Spent yesterday afternoon sharpening my older tools. Broke out the Veritas Mark II honing guide for the first time and for the first time was really happy with my results (wanted to free hand but with numbness/loss of feeling in both hands it was too tough).

My success got me thinking about the blades in my new Veritas planes. The PM-V11 blades were sharp out of the box so I didn't worry about them (and wanted my skills in sharpening a little better first). Now I'm wanting to tackle them but want to make sure I have it right.

So how would you handle honing a new PM-V11 plane blade?

FYI: I use waterstones (1000 grit Hida red, and 6000 grit King S3). I also have some of the small 'drum size' Suehiro Dual stones in 1000 and 6000 grits coming from Stu sometime.

[Chris Griggs]

Hone them exactly as you'd hone any other blade. Start on your 1k stone. Hone until you feel a burr, so that you know you have pulled up fresh steel, then polish both the back and bevel (or hollow grind, or secondary bevel, or whatever) on your finer stone. If you want to go finer on compound or something that's fine too. The sharpening routine will be no different than with A2. BUT you will likely end up with a slightly keener edge and that edge will last longer with PMV11.

[Mike Henderson]

I sharpen them exactly the same as my other blades.

Mike

[Dave Beauchesne]

Plus 1 and 2 on what Chris and Mike said.

I outfitted my LV LA block with one - finally dulled it, but only after a small project, and checking out the grain on several rough cut walnut, mahogany and quilted soft maple boards I bought, that were quite ' dirty ' with years of accumulated dust. The PM-V11 lasted much longer than I thought it would. Just ' plane abuse ' I say!!

[Curt Putnam]

I use the Sigma Power Ceramic set that Stu sells on his front page (1K, 6K, 13K). In particular, the use of the 13K stone obviates the need for a final stropping. However, stropping during use is still a good thing. JMO & YMMV

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Tony

I have had a report from LV that the blades are very easily affected by the direction they face when honing. There is a significant difference when you face magnetic North. Align your bench. Also, if you are freehanding the blade, only move it is clockwise circles, never anti clockwise. An aluminium hat also helps shield bad vibes.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jim Neeley]

Derek,

Did you read the follow-on technical bulletin? They report there is a significant further gain if you mount your sharpening stone on a ramped base (3*-5*), hone in a downwards (towards the earth) direction only and lift the blade to reset.

The details are top-secret but I'm suspecting it's because when you sharpen down a ramped stone the blade is coming closer to the earths core and, as everyone knows, the magnetic field is stronger the closer you get to the earth. It must have something to do with the rearrangement of the molecular structure in the metal or a magnetizing / demagnetizing effect?

Perhaps you or one of the other metallurgists here can expound on the phenomena? <g>

Greetings from Alaska

Jim

P.S. And it's not even April 1st yet!!
>> Handing out chest waders to all following this thread; it's getting DEEP!! <<
:)

[Tony Zaffuto]

Actually sharpening of the new material has a great deal to do with powder particle alignment during processing. If produced in magnetic dies, the particles will be aligned in a grain fashion (much like St Roy's broom display for showing wood grain structure). In this case, you do want to hone, with the grain facing towards "true north" and stropping with the grain and not across (do not worry about particle rise, such as the fur of a cat). If produced in non-magnetic dies, all bets are off, with honing/stropping becoming very difficult, with the entire blade acting as a burl. In such a case, you must approach sharpening using a mechanized method, such as a Worksharp or Tormek, using only diamond media (or if you only prefer manual methods, an old machine bed scraper).

Seriously, I have only a single LV chisel of this material and have sharpened it using several methods: first was using Spyderco ceramic stones (medium, fine & ultrafine). Next I used a slow speed grinder to put a concave bevel on the chisel edge and then honed (freehand) on oilstones: washita and black arkansas, then stropped on charged leather. The latter method provided the best and longest lasting edge for me and woods I typically use (cherry, walnut, white oak). With anything, what works for you is best, so try a couple of different methods, relax through these support exercises for what is important - working wood!

[Tony Wilkins]

Egads Derek, I didn't realize it was so complicated. Or is that only in lands where the toilets spin backwards? :P

In all seriousness, I was just hoping to get the collected experience as far as how easily it honed out of the box and where to start. So I'm guessing by the responses that whaterever grit removes the honing marks from the factory will work.

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Tony

A more serious answer.

The early tests with PM-V11 used whatever was used for A2 steel. I used Shaptons. The aim was a steel that honed the same as A2 and lasted twice as long.

I imagine that you could use anything to hone this steel if you are using microbevels - not much steel to remove.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I did polish the backs a bit, but these were very sharp out of the box. Apart from that, they sharpen just like all my other chisels. I have only touched mine with I think a 6K and a 16K stone.