...for Scarey Sharpeners... MKII Power..

[David Rose]

I'm not sure if I can get away with posting a power tool question "over here", but...

After spending about 2 hours tonight resharpening a couple of skew chisels and my Veritas marking knife, I am considering the Veritas MkII Power sharpener. I know. Electrons have to die to use this. But I am tired.

I have been using paper for about 4 years. I am not at all disatisfied with the results or the cost. I have found that oiling the paper it will last a long long time. I do final hone on green rouge on a board. With chisels that allow me to use a fixture, I can turn them out quickly. But these angled tools are really slow for me to hand hold and get a good edge. It seems to me that the maintenance (flattening) on water stones would about eat up most time savings on the paper. I've not tried them and I'm sure that some folks will say that isn't true. But I am just looking for the quickest way to ge the job done *right*. If a few watts die, so be it! Birthday is coming up soon so cost is no problem. At least I don't *think* it is.

Part of my "struggle" tonight came from using my marking knife against a metal straight edge which *killed* my nicely flattened back. What do you do when you need to make a deep cut in an exact position in a straight line?

Thanks for any thoughts.

David

[Jeff Jump]

David,

Take a look at this thread http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=13057
Jeff

[Tom LaRussa]

I'm not sure if I can get away with posting a power tool question "over here", but...

After spending about 2 hours tonight resharpening a couple of skew chisels and my Veritas marking knife, I am considering the Veritas MkII Power sharpener. I know. Electrons have to die to use this. But I am tired.

David,

Before you spend a few hundred bucks, check out this $26.95 gizmo at Tools for Working Wood, http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/M...egory_Code=THG

[Chris Padilla]

Ah, perfect. I was looking for a good spot for a gloat over here and I think this thread will work out nicely.

Manny Hernandez had me and another guy over to his place last Sunday for an all day "Sharpening and Plane Tuning" event and I learned quite a bit.

We tuned up/sharpened a freebie Taiwan-made #4 Smoother of mine and reground a Jap. chisel to 30° and sharpened it. Manny uses Shapton man-made stones and sold us on them so I picked up a cash-sucking amount from Joel at Tools-For-Working-Wood.

You can make out most of the stones in the pic:

1000 grit
2000 grit
5000 grit
8000 grit
15000 grit

I also picked up a plate (in the white box) used to keep those stones flat along with some coarse, medium, and fine powders (3 containers). I probably don't need the 15k right now (Shapton also makes a 30k grit but that sucker is like $600!!! ) but in time, as I get better, I'm sure I'll use it for that final polish/luster.

I've got a garage sink going in with my whole garage make-over and I plan to make some kind of a little station there. I still need an 8" grinder but I'm getting there....

[Wendell Wilkerson]

I feel your pain brother. Last week I sharpened two A2 plane blades and it took way too much time. Besides that, I still not completely happy with the results. I find getting the backs flat on this A2 stuff takes forever. Getting the bevel right doesn't seem to be as hard. I've thought about the Veritas power sharpener, but my impression is that you can't use it to flatten the backs or at least not easily. Right now, I am thinking about trying diamond paste for the initial sharpening of stuff and hopefully I can just maintain the edges quickly with either sandpaper or water stones.
I understand your frustration with free handing sharpening too. I tried to free hand sharpen a couple of chisel and ended up with domed bevels instead of flat. I am sure with practice, I could learn to sharpen the bevel flat every time, but frankly I would rather spend my time learning to saw straight then free hand sharpen. I've seen a couple jigs that will handle skewed blades. The Veritas jig will handle them. I've held off buying the current Veritas jig because they're suppose to be coming out with a new jig early next year. Richard Kell also makes a jig for sharpening skewed blades, but I've only been able to find it at Dieter Schmid's Fine Tools and I don't want to pay the shipping costs from Germany. Good luck on the sharpening quest. Let us know what you decide.

Wendell

[Michael Perata]

If you have extra cash this month and really want to use those electrons efficiently go for this http://www.woodartistry.com/Products-LapSharp200.htm

I get perfect mirror flat backs and very fine edges with this.

[Manny Hernandez]

If you have extra cash this month and really want to use those electrons efficiently go for this http://www.woodartistry.com/Products-LapSharp200.htm

I get perfect mirror flat backs and very fine edges with this.

That's cheating Mike.

Don's selling it through a couple places now. Seems to be gaining popularity. Go to the Logosol website and look up Spin Sharp. Look familiar?

[David Rose]

Jeff, that post got me started thinking about it again.

Thanks, David

David,

Take a look at this thread http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=13057
Jeff

[David Rose]

Tom, my old monitor at work hides the details of this tool. I'll check it out when I get home.

David

David,

Before you spend a few hundred bucks, check out this $26.95 gizmo at Tools for Working Wood, http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/M...egory_Code=THG

[Chris Padilla]

That's cheating Mike.

Don's selling it through a couple places now. Seems to be gaining popularity. Go to the Logosol website and look up Spin Sharp. Look familiar?

Manny,

We need some Shapton stone discs to put on Mike's LapSharp!! Hey, what is that sucking sound coming from my wallet...sounds like a vacuum be created in there or something....

[David Rose]

Chris, to start with... a gloat with a question mark is improperly marked. I'll see who to contact to get you a few demerits.

And just in case you *really* don't know if this post is a gloat, send them rocks over hear and I'll make sure they are "worthy". I'll keep 'em nice and flat for ya.

Oh, and please add the 30K grit first! We want a fully rounded test!

David

Ah, perfect. I was looking for a good spot for a gloat over here and I think this thread will work out nicely.

Manny Hernandez had me and another guy over to his place last Sunday for an all day "Sharpening and Plane Tuning" event and I learned quite a bit.

We tuned up/sharpened a freebie Taiwan-made #4 Smoother of mine and reground a Jap. chisel to 30° and sharpened it. Manny uses Shapton man-made stones and sold us on them so I picked up a cash-sucking amount from Joel at Tools-For-Working-Wood.

You can make out most of the stones in the pic:

1000 grit
2000 grit
5000 grit
8000 grit
15000 grit

I also picked up a plate (in the white box) used to keep those stones flat along with some coarse, medium, and fine powders (3 containers). I probably don't need the 15k right now (Shapton also makes a 30k grit but that sucker is like $600!!! ) but in time, as I get better, I'm sure I'll use it for that final polish/luster.

I've got a garage sink going in with my whole garage make-over and I plan to make some kind of a little station there. I still need an 8" grinder but I'm getting there....

[David Rose]

Wendell, I need to do more research. If I can't easily flatten the backs with the tool, it will not be worth as much too me. Thanks for the tip.

I initially sharpened the skews with the Veritas jig. It is just much more difficult to set up for the resharpening. Or maybe it's just me. But getting both angles (bevel and skew) set back is a little tough.

Thanks for the info on the new jig too! I'll bet they've found a way to improve the holding ability. That is my only gripe with it really.

David

I feel your pain brother. Last week I sharpened two A2 plane blades and it took way too much time. Besides that, I still not completely happy with the results. I find getting the backs flat on this A2 stuff takes forever. Getting the bevel right doesn't seem to be as hard. I've thought about the Veritas power sharpener, but my impression is that you can't use it to flatten the backs or at least not easily. Right now, I am thinking about trying diamond paste for the initial sharpening of stuff and hopefully I can just maintain the edges quickly with either sandpaper or water stones.
I understand your frustration with free handing sharpening too. I tried to free hand sharpen a couple of chisel and ended up with domed bevels instead of flat. I am sure with practice, I could learn to sharpen the bevel flat every time, but frankly I would rather spend my time learning to saw straight then free hand sharpen. I've seen a couple jigs that will handle skewed blades. The Veritas jig will handle them. I've held off buying the current Veritas jig because they're suppose to be coming out with a new jig early next year. Richard Kell also makes a jig for sharpening skewed blades, but I've only been able to find it at Dieter Schmid's Fine Tools and I don't want to pay the shipping costs from Germany. Good luck on the sharpening quest. Let us know what you decide.

Wendell

[Chris Padilla]

Chris, to start with... a gloat with a question mark is improperly marked. I'll see who to contact to get you a few demerits.

And just in case you *really* don't know if this post is a gloat, send them rocks over hear and I'll make sure they are "worthy". I'll keep 'em nice and flat for ya.

Oh, and please add the 30K grit first! We want a fully rounded test!

David

Question mark?? What question mark?? hehehe...you can't copy the Title of a thread over....

[David Rose]

That looks like quite a tool! But it is really a bit out of my budget for now.

Lee Valley is answering some questions for me at this time. You can attach a cloth piece to the disks and use rouge on the machine. This should get about as fine an edge as feasible.

I wonder if the big advantage to the Lap Sharp is the foot control. If so, that should not be hard to setup on the MkII either. I can see how that could help.

What other reason might there be for the MkII not doing backs? Is the bit higher speed a problem?

David

If you have extra cash this month and really want to use those electrons efficiently go for this http://www.woodartistry.com/Products-LapSharp200.htm

I get perfect mirror flat backs and very fine edges with this.

[David Rose]

Chris, send me one of those "ole" Shaptons and I'll grind it up and remold it in an epoxy base! You think a coffee grinder would do it?

David

Manny,

We need some Shapton stone discs to put on Mike's LapSharp!! Hey, what is that sucking sound coming from my wallet...sounds like a vacuum be created in there or something....