I live in Savannah Georgia area.
I was just looking at getting a water stone for polishing but I have some doubts it will keep my edges from rolling over so fast.
I live in Savannah Georgia area.
I was just looking at getting a water stone for polishing but I have some doubts it will keep my edges from rolling over so fast.
Adam, I have quite a collection of Lie-Nielsen planes, all with A2 blades.. Love them.. I know some folks aren't fans of A2, but I find that Lie-Nielsen A2 works quite well in their planes.
I sharpen the blades on Shapton pro 1200, 5000, 8000 stones, generally find the blades in a new plane might only need to see the 1200 stone initially to remove the grind marks from the factory bevel establishment, I have never personally used a diamond plate, but I would imagine an 800 grit on how well the blade is presented from the factory grind might be a step backwards.
One other interesting observation is I generally don't find that I get much of a burr when I sharpen the blades on the Shaptons, so I find your observation when sharpening on diamond curious. In all honesty the only time I raised much of a burr on a Lie-Nielsen blade was when I ground a new heavily radiused blade for use in a jack, using a 120 grit blue zirconia with my belt shapener.
Last edited by Robert LaPlaca; 03-26-2017 at 3:45 PM.
Well just to report back. I remembered I had some wet dry sandpaper from a unrelated project. I ran one of my plane blades through the gauntlet up to 2000 grit and what a difference. The finish from the 2000 grit sand paper was better than the finish from my 8000 grit DMT and it wasn't even close. I rehoned the blade using the same process to get a mirror (at least the closest I've ever gotten) on the back and bevel. It was by far the best edge I've ever gotten and the plane cut well. After a good pile of shavings off a cherry board, I took apart the plane and the cutting edge was still in good shape.
So with that being said, I'm going to be purchasing some water stones. I'm sure there's thousands of threads on the topic that I'll be researching as well, but does anyone here have any recommendations on brand and grit schedules?
Shapton 500, 1000, 6000 is mine.
Glad you figured it out!
Fred
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”
I'm leaning towards Shapton Pro 1000, 5000, and 8000 at the minute.
If I was in the market for new stones this would be my first choice:
http://www.toolsfromjapan.com/store/...d355f52b4bac80
Many good things have been said about the stones and the proprietor.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
I have had excellent service from the above mentioned Sigma stone set on the LN A2 blades. I also bought the set from Stu at Tools From Japan. Once the back is flat (LN blade came that way) and the initial bevel is set, it is a quick operation to re hone blades using this set. I use the same set for older Stanley and Sorby 01 blades as well.
David
I have shapton pro up to 15k grit and they work well. I've heard good things about sigma stones too, they might be better at cutting the high alloy steels too (like pm-v11).
This is a dumb question and all... But if sandpaper worked so well - why are you in a big rush to drop a pile of cash on a set of water stones? Those stones take ongoing maintenance to keep them flat, happy, and crack free....
The huge advantage of sandpaper is that its disposable. Dull a piece and you just throw it away.. Go stick on a new piece.
Theres no flattening and deglazing and bathtubs of water to keep them happy...
If you iust want water stones - then go get them and be happy.. But previous to buying a worksharp - my best sharpening decision ever was going from stones to sandpaper.
I own a WorkSharp 3000 and you would have to pry it out of my cold dead hands, but it is no substitute for the wealth of sharpening knowledge that exists inside this forum. My experience opposes yours apparently. Once I started asking questions here, and applying the advice, my sharpening results took a dramatic turn for the better. It did require an investment, both money and time, but IMO, it was well worth it. Tools I have used, and sharpened, for decades are now performing better than ever for me. I am just now entering that sweet spot of having the hard labor of flatening chisel and iron backs behind me and now touch ups are a simple, quick exercise.
For me, the WorkSharp 3000 is an awesome way to re-establish a bevel but it will never be a substitute for a final edge.
But my experience might not mirror yours.
I need to try improve the polish of my blade backs to see if it will improve edge retention.
Many reasons, some of which; Sandpaper is more expensive over a long period of time. Sandpaper dubs the edges when flattening, this is especially annoying as one progresses to the fine steps of the process and sandpaper does not offer the same finish as a fine whetstone (oil or water).
Bumbling forward into the unknown.