How coarse the grit?

[Puckdropper]

I've got an old really beat up and pitted plane iron that I've been working on. There's a lot of good metal left in the iron, so I think it's worth cleaning up. After spending an hour attempting to flatten it with the P120 paper included with a Work Sharp 3000, I finally got it to the point where it could be sharpened.

Would it be beneficial to go with a really heavy grit for the Work Sharp

3000, such as 50 or even 36? Do I risk leaving such deep gouges in the metal that they won't come out with the next higher grit?

Puckdropper

[Larry Jaques]

Boulder paper, eh? Scary stuff, Pucky.

That's one of the reasons I prefer coarse diamond hones. They'll take down metal quicker if you need it removed. Grab a set of DMT diamond paddles

or an HF set of diamond plates. rectangular block or you can spend the extra time (and same expense) with next higher grit papers. Whenever you use coarse grits, it's only a matter of time to sand out the deeper gouges (when you have the metal left in the iron.)

-- Worry is a misuse of imagination. -- Dan Zadra

[Leon]

Use the "heavier" grits to remove unwanted problem areas. the heavier the grit the faster the removal of those particular spots.

BUT heavier grits create their own problems area and will need to be remove step by step. The lighter the grit the more quickly/fewer grits you go through before you can go to polishing the surface.

[Tom Dacon]

I've got an old really beat up and pitted plane iron that I've been working on. There's a lot of good metal left in the iron, so I think it's worth cleaning up. After spending an hour attempting to flatten it with the P120 paper included with a Work Sharp 3000, I finally got it to the point where it could be sharpened.

Would it be beneficial to go with a really heavy grit for the Work Sharp

3000, such as 50 or even 36? Do I risk leaving such deep gouges in the metal that they won't come out with the next higher grit?

Puckdropper

[Puckdropper]

Sonny wrote in news:b3d94433-12b7-4d0a-9e43- [e-mail]:

What's really taking the time is flattening the back. If I can get the back flattened, doing the rest won't be difficult at all. It does cut pretty nicely in the area that did flatten out, it's just taking forever.

Hopefully this will be the last time the iron ever needs such work.

Puckdropper

[Puckdropper]

"Tom Dacon" wrote in news:DuednT5u5eL2DJXSnZ2dnUVZ [e-mail]:

I'm working on the iron (blade) and not too concerned about the plane sole. This is a wooden plane, so a couple light passes with the jointer should get everything square and flat.

Not skipping grits makes sense to me. I'm just looking at finding a more aggressive starting point to try to make the job take a reasonable amount of time.

Puckdropper

[Leon]

You only flatten the back once. ;~)

[Larry Jaques]

Yeah, pitting really hoses the edge, doesn't it? this is one of the very few areas that a machine makes quick work of a sharpening task.

Another belief of mine: that everyone else my age is an adult, whereas I am merely in disguise. -- Margaret Atwood

[Puckdropper]

Larry Jaques wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Well, I picked up some 80 grit and gave that a try. It helped a bit, but it will take quite a bit to get that iron to 100%. There's about 1/8-

1/4" on either side that isn't flat, but the middle is good. I'll just have to use the plane like it's a smaller plane.

Puckdropper

[Tom Dacon]

Sorry - I misread your post and thought you were working down an iron plane sole.

Tom