Rolf Safferthal
11-07-2006, 6:48 AM
Got a new toy!
An 8000 man made Cerax water stone for honing the blades of my planes and the chisels. Gave it a first try on a smoothing plane.
Currently I'm on a sandpaper-on-trued-stone-plate-trip, using 320-600-1000 grids (European!) for grinding. Until now honing was done with a man made oil stone claimed to have an 6000 grid. Maybe! I use the Veritas Mk. II honing guide.
This is what I experienced:
The blade was treated as every time, 25° bevel angle and a micro bevel of 27° - 1/32 inch wide. I use the Veritas Mk. II Honing Guide.
Grinding on the sandpapers - both sides face and bevel, then honing both sides on the new water stone. The stone cuts very aggressive for such a fine grid, produces a polished surface with only a few strokes.
But the feeling of the edge was wrong - anyhow! Slipping my fingertip from the face over the edge onto the bevel did not produce the usual sense of sharpness! What went wrong?
Back onto the 1000 paper, then the old oil stone. The usual feeling was back! Hm! Again back onto the 1000 paper and then the 8000. Same "smooth but dull" feeling as before.
Tried to cut my forearm's hair and - hey - it was literally flying away. The blade must be quite sharp!
So the blade went into the plane, was set for a light cut and I tried it on European Beech. What a wonderful result! A smooth, silky surface you always only read about in textbooks! Sensational - for me!
For my level of experience this stone is expensive but worth every single Cent!
An 8000 man made Cerax water stone for honing the blades of my planes and the chisels. Gave it a first try on a smoothing plane.
Currently I'm on a sandpaper-on-trued-stone-plate-trip, using 320-600-1000 grids (European!) for grinding. Until now honing was done with a man made oil stone claimed to have an 6000 grid. Maybe! I use the Veritas Mk. II honing guide.
This is what I experienced:
The blade was treated as every time, 25° bevel angle and a micro bevel of 27° - 1/32 inch wide. I use the Veritas Mk. II Honing Guide.
Grinding on the sandpapers - both sides face and bevel, then honing both sides on the new water stone. The stone cuts very aggressive for such a fine grid, produces a polished surface with only a few strokes.
But the feeling of the edge was wrong - anyhow! Slipping my fingertip from the face over the edge onto the bevel did not produce the usual sense of sharpness! What went wrong?
Back onto the 1000 paper, then the old oil stone. The usual feeling was back! Hm! Again back onto the 1000 paper and then the 8000. Same "smooth but dull" feeling as before.
Tried to cut my forearm's hair and - hey - it was literally flying away. The blade must be quite sharp!
So the blade went into the plane, was set for a light cut and I tried it on European Beech. What a wonderful result! A smooth, silky surface you always only read about in textbooks! Sensational - for me!
For my level of experience this stone is expensive but worth every single Cent!