I seem to have finally gotten the sharpening thing down with sandpaper - the
Scary Sharp technique. I'm able to get my chisels sharp enough to shave my
arm, although my wife was not impressed. Anyway, I buy paper at $1.00 a
sheet, and it lasts through maybe 1 sharpening of 3 chisels, so with tax for
7 sheets, about $2.50 every time I sharpen a largish chisel. 1000x/4000x
combo water stones are $25 from Lee Valley. Not having used stones before,
how long do they last compared to paper? Has anyone done a cost comparison?
Is there one sharpening method that is the most cost effective?
Cheers!
Dukester
In addition you need a method of flattening the stones. I bought two
flattening stones to find that they needed flattening. So now I have
invested in a diasharp 3"x8" course stone, which allowed me to flatten
the flattening stones, which would allow me to flatten the real stones
when I get em.
The diamond stone takes material off VERY fast, so with one of those in
a course grit, you could skip a water stone or two on the bottom end.
Alan
"Dukester" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I seem to have finally gotten the sharpening thing down with sandpaper -
the
> Scary Sharp technique. I'm able to get my chisels sharp enough to shave
my
> arm, although my wife was not impressed. Anyway, I buy paper at $1.00 a
> sheet, and it lasts through maybe 1 sharpening of 3 chisels, so with tax
for
> 7 sheets, about $2.50 every time I sharpen a largish chisel. 1000x/4000x
> combo water stones are $25 from Lee Valley. Not having used stones
before,
> how long do they last compared to paper? Has anyone done a cost
comparison?
> Is there one sharpening method that is the most cost effective?
>
> Cheers!
> Dukester
>
Stones, with proper care, last until they're dropped. I'm probably not the
only one who's using stones his father used before him.
I regard sandpaper _honing_ as an expedient method, used when the stones are
not handy, or I just need a fresh edge to take a couple of passes. The tool
is then stropped for the final edge.
Duke, Stones will definitely cost less to use than sand paper. The Scary
Sharp method has a place, I use it to flatten the soles of my planes as I
can get a larger flat surface to accommodate the large plane soles.
Stones will also allow for greater control and much speedier sharpening. I
find that I can get the edge I desire faster with stones.
Many here will argue for paper but in the end, stones are better.
Dave
"Dukester" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I seem to have finally gotten the sharpening thing down with sandpaper -
>the
> Scary Sharp technique. I'm able to get my chisels sharp enough to shave
> my
> arm, although my wife was not impressed. Anyway, I buy paper at $1.00 a
> sheet, and it lasts through maybe 1 sharpening of 3 chisels, so with tax
> for
> 7 sheets, about $2.50 every time I sharpen a largish chisel. 1000x/4000x
> combo water stones are $25 from Lee Valley. Not having used stones
> before,
> how long do they last compared to paper? Has anyone done a cost
> comparison?
> Is there one sharpening method that is the most cost effective?
>
> Cheers!
> Dukester
>
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"Dukester" <[email protected]> wrote:
>I seem to have finally gotten the sharpening thing down with sandpaper - the
>Scary Sharp technique. I'm able to get my chisels sharp enough to shave my
>arm, although my wife was not impressed. Anyway, I buy paper at $1.00 a
>sheet, and it lasts through maybe 1 sharpening of 3 chisels,
I get about a hundred times more sharpenings per piece of sandpaper.
Blue zirconia for the rough grits and silicon carbide for the rest. It
doesn't cut as fast after a while, but it still cuts fast enough for
me. Just use a nylon brush and a shop-vac to keep the paper from
clogging and you won't have to spend so much.
Ken Muldrew
[email protected]
(remove all letters after y in the alphabet)
On Tue, 01 Mar 2005 19:18:31 GMT, the inscrutable
[email protected] (Ken Muldrew) spake:
>"Dukester" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>I seem to have finally gotten the sharpening thing down with sandpaper - the
>>Scary Sharp technique. I'm able to get my chisels sharp enough to shave my
>>arm, although my wife was not impressed. Anyway, I buy paper at $1.00 a
>>sheet, and it lasts through maybe 1 sharpening of 3 chisels,
>
>I get about a hundred times more sharpenings per piece of sandpaper.
>Blue zirconia for the rough grits and silicon carbide for the rest. It
>doesn't cut as fast after a while, but it still cuts fast enough for
>me. Just use a nylon brush and a shop-vac to keep the paper from
>clogging and you won't have to spend so much.
Another very important tip: Don't plane the sandpaper.
Pull, don't push.
--
Remember: Every silver lining has a cloud.
----
http://diversify.com Comprehensive Website Development
Ken Muldrew wrote:
> I get about a hundred times more sharpenings per piece of sandpaper.
> Blue zirconia for the rough grits and silicon carbide for the rest. It
> doesn't cut as fast after a while, but it still cuts fast enough for
> me. Just use a nylon brush and a shop-vac to keep the paper from
> clogging and you won't have to spend so much.
I'm trying that new high dollar stuff from 3M that's supposed to outlast
everything else. Wish I could remember the name. Anyway, it's living up
to the hype so far. I'm getting forever and a day out of a piece. I've
been throwing them away after I cut them, wadded them up, or otherwise did
something stupid and careless. (I don't glue my paper down, but rather
clamp a series of sheets to the same hunk of granite. Works fine, but
ruined sandpaper is the price for carelessness in clamping.)
--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
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