Randy Klein
07-03-2007, 8:37 PM
I finally flattened the back of my plane iron!
That may not sound like much of an accomplishment, but it is something I have been working at off and on (mostly off) for about 6 months on waterstones, sandpaper, scary sharp sandpaper, diamond stones, belt sander, and the side of the grinding wheel (ok, that was a mistake).
I must have read every which way to do it but still couldn't do it myself. I was rather frustrated.
And then I happened upon this article (http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/FWNPDF/011169030.pdf) at FWW by David Charlesworth. (The link requires a subscription, but if you're having trouble like I was, it is well worth it.) He described how to flatten the back of iron with waterstones in great detail in, what I think is, an unconventional manner. And no, it's not the ruler trick. Half the time you're sharpening, the actual edge is off the stone. Weird huh.
But...
Now that I am able to flatten the back, I don't feel bad about stepping away from waterstones and heading towards the Veritas Power Sharpening System. Waterstones are just too messy for me. Oh well.
That may not sound like much of an accomplishment, but it is something I have been working at off and on (mostly off) for about 6 months on waterstones, sandpaper, scary sharp sandpaper, diamond stones, belt sander, and the side of the grinding wheel (ok, that was a mistake).
I must have read every which way to do it but still couldn't do it myself. I was rather frustrated.
And then I happened upon this article (http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/FWNPDF/011169030.pdf) at FWW by David Charlesworth. (The link requires a subscription, but if you're having trouble like I was, it is well worth it.) He described how to flatten the back of iron with waterstones in great detail in, what I think is, an unconventional manner. And no, it's not the ruler trick. Half the time you're sharpening, the actual edge is off the stone. Weird huh.
But...
Now that I am able to flatten the back, I don't feel bad about stepping away from waterstones and heading towards the Veritas Power Sharpening System. Waterstones are just too messy for me. Oh well.