OK, so I am trying to get a camber on my no 4 1/2. I've been having this problem where I am getting more cutting from the edges of the blade when I try to add a camber, rather than the middle. In other words, the exact opposite of the camber I want. I just sharpened my blade and it is doing it again. I put the blade back in the plane, and using a scrap of pine to set it up, I can get wispy flakes from the edges, but the middle isn't contacting, and when I advance until the middle hits, naturally I'm getting heavier cuts from the edges. I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.

I am using Norton stones: 220, 1000, 4000, 8000. I am using a DMT Dia-Flat 8" lapping plate, which I purchased new from sharpening supplies 2-3 years ago. The lapping plate and Norton stones are all about 8"x3".

I'm using the Lie-Nielsen instructions: blade in honing guide, hitting a secondary bevel of about 27 degrees. Pulling back with finger pressure 6x on the right edge/corner, 6x on the left edge/corner, 4x between the edge and middle on the left and right, 2x with finger pressure on the middle. when I just did this I made sure I could feel a burr on the back all along the edge, and I could. The instructions are to do with with 1000 grit first, then 8000. I finish up with a few back and forth using the ruler trick.

I mean, logic tells me that if I'm cutting heavier on the edges than the center, I must be creating a mound on the stone. That would result in the middle of the blade being ground away more than the edges (despite the fact that I'm doing more passes on the edges?!). When lapping, I'm going back and forth on the stone, directly over it along the long axis, then finishing up with a little swirl.

Suggestions? This is driving me batty.