jonathan snyder
03-17-2007, 1:02 AM
Hi folks,
I'm quite happy, I'm finally getting consistent results in my sharpening efforts. I have only been using hand tools for about 8 months, and was getting frustrated with my hit or miss results. I've been using the LV MKII honing guide with the 3m micro-abrasives in 15, 3, & 0.5 micron. I'm finally getting excellent repeatable results and I attribute this to a couple of things.
I made a decent sharpening station that doesn't move around on me. I was using pieces of 1/4" glass mounted on hardboard. I just made this sharpening station, using 3/8" glass on top of 3/4" melamine covered particle board. I made it so the glass can be removed and flipped over or replaced if it gets scratched too badly. This thing weighs about 10lbs and doesn't move around on me. I can also cover it up when not in use, to keep dust and dirt off my abrasive paper.
60461 60462
The other thing that I thing really helped was I spent about two weekends flattening and polishing the backs of about a dozen chisels and almost that many plane irons. I started the worst ones off on 60 grit and worked them all down through 0.5 micron.
I don't know what is the best way to test for sharpness, but I am paring end grain quite effortlessly with my chisels, and I cut my self twice on two different chisels while replacing another chisel in the roll. Best part was I didn't even feel it until I saw the blood!
Now that I finally got it, I just had to tell someone!
Jonathan
edited for typos
I'm quite happy, I'm finally getting consistent results in my sharpening efforts. I have only been using hand tools for about 8 months, and was getting frustrated with my hit or miss results. I've been using the LV MKII honing guide with the 3m micro-abrasives in 15, 3, & 0.5 micron. I'm finally getting excellent repeatable results and I attribute this to a couple of things.
I made a decent sharpening station that doesn't move around on me. I was using pieces of 1/4" glass mounted on hardboard. I just made this sharpening station, using 3/8" glass on top of 3/4" melamine covered particle board. I made it so the glass can be removed and flipped over or replaced if it gets scratched too badly. This thing weighs about 10lbs and doesn't move around on me. I can also cover it up when not in use, to keep dust and dirt off my abrasive paper.
60461 60462
The other thing that I thing really helped was I spent about two weekends flattening and polishing the backs of about a dozen chisels and almost that many plane irons. I started the worst ones off on 60 grit and worked them all down through 0.5 micron.
I don't know what is the best way to test for sharpness, but I am paring end grain quite effortlessly with my chisels, and I cut my self twice on two different chisels while replacing another chisel in the roll. Best part was I didn't even feel it until I saw the blood!
Now that I finally got it, I just had to tell someone!
Jonathan
edited for typos