Razor Sharp in Two Minutes

[Carl Eyman]

Has anyone seen the cover article by this name in FWW #184? They talk about abrasive paper in terms of Microns. I think I saw a mention of this in an earlier FWW, but I'm not familiar with the designation. Can the articles reccomendations be translated into traditional grits?

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Carl, I've seen charts that compare the grits of oil stones to water stones to sand paper. I just can't remember where.

[Bryan Nuss]

Hi Carl,

Try these sites for grit/micron grades:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandpaper

http://www.sizes.com/tools/sandpaper.htm

[Ted Jay]

Has anyone seen the cover article by this name in FWW #184? They talk about abrasive paper in terms of Microns. I think I saw a mention of this in an earlier FWW, but I'm not familiar with the designation. Can the articles reccomendations be translated into traditional grits?

Steve Bottorff has a site called Sharpening Made Easy
With charts showing the information of grit sizes your wanting compared to microns.
http://users.ameritech.net/knives/grits.htm
Could come in handy when it's time to sharpen some of those planes or knives

[Travis Johnson]

I read the article, but I was not overly impressed. Everyone has their method of sharpening, and mine uses the Glass and Sandpaper method of doing so as well, but I got the impression that he felt his way was the end-all, be-all method. That's just not the way it is in real life.

[Boyd Gathwright]

.... So noted, thanks ;).

.

[Ken Werner]

A micron is one millionth of a meter

BTW, I think that article reads like an informercial for the L-V MkII and 3M paper, with no disrespect intended either to L-V or 3M.

Maybe I'm getting old and crotchety.

Ken

[Maurice Ungaro]

Well, I was just abou to post a thread asking if anyone had seen the latest issue of FWW - I've been missing some reading material as of late!

Guess I should keep watching the mailbox, huh?

[Rick Schubert]

Ken,

I agree, but I think it is nice when a magazine tells you exactly what they used so I can duplicate what they accomplished. Or at least I can try.

I hate it when they don't tell you and I have to guess or have to get out the magnifying glass to try and read the tiny labels in the pictures.

Now if the magazine is just promoting products and publishing articles mainly for that purpose, then I would cancel my subscription. But if they are trying to accomplish something and tell us the products they used to do it, I approve of that.

Just my thoughts, Rick

[D.McDonnel "Mac"]

I have been using the 3M abrasive sheets from ToolsForWoodworking for about 6 months now as well as the new LV MkII. Both are worthy for singling out because they are that much better than anything else I've used. I had been getting frustrated with sandpaper on glass because of the speed of paper wearout/tearout. The 3M sheets eliminate that AND are self sticking to boot! I recently took some 1/4 inch glass to the glass cutter and had 12" x3" pieces cut onto which I mounted 1/3 sheets of the 3M abrasive sheets in the finest grades. Just like having sharpening stones, very handy compared to the big sheet of glass onto which I used to mount several grits. I also have some full sheet pieces of glass for lapping. I mount the heavier grits on them. Most of the time I just touch up the chissels as I use them and I feel them not quite cutting as well. four or five strokes freehand on the finest two grits and back to work!

Try it you'll like it!

Mac

[Carl Eyman]

What are your "two finest grits", Mac?

[Travis Johnson]

There is an old woodworker saying about sharpening techniques...don't overspend. At least that is what I have heard from my Grandfather, and a few other old-time woodworkers.

In retrospect, I was probably overly critical of the article. Writing such an article would be difficult as sharpening is a very personal approach to woodworking. There is all kinds of advice about learning to sharpen tools. Some are expensive, some are are cheaper. I could go into great detail about how I sharpen tools, but the end result is that if you find a method that works for you, by all means stick with that, make it work and put your newly sharpened tools to good use.

Just my two plane irons...

[Lopaka Garcia]

So Mac, you're still using the plate glass system but just replaced the type of abrasives used? I'll have to try that. I know what you're talking about sandpaper tear out and wear out.