Sharpening - India vs DMT220 vs Waterstone

Finally got around to working on an old Stanley #78 rabbet plane I picked up a few years ago. The iron has "STANLEY RULE" on an arc with "& LEVEL Co." under the arc so, if I've got it right, the iron was made between 1874 and 1884. Cast on the inside, No.78 MADE IN USA I suspect the plane body is much younger than the iron.

Anyway, the iron looked like it'd been "sharpened" on the sidewalk or the corner of a cinder block wall. Fortunately they left the back alone.

Started with an India stone to begin flattening the back. Going was very very slow even on a coarse stone. Switched to a 220 DMT diamond plate - the plastic ones with the diamond grit in a perforated metal plate. A little better but still slow. Then I got out the waterstones, 800, 1200, 2000 and 6000. The

800 cut so much faster. Once the back surface I was working on showed fresh scratches it was short work going through the other grits to a nice flat, polished back. Was surprised at how fast the waterstones cut.

Cleaned up the butchered bevel with the Tormek and then the sequence of waterstone. Now have a nice sharp shiny iron - and missing finger prints on the tip of my left index finger. Funny how the waterstones feel so smooth when wet.

Next - a Hock iron for a #6.

charlie b

Reply to
charlie b
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This seems like a good place to post the question that's been bugging me for a few days. Just got the LV combo set of 800 and 4000 waterstones; had used SS before. I'm trying to flatten the backs of some cheapo chisels. I use the 800 until the back is nice and gray. For grins, I run the back over a pocket ceramic stone (woodcraft, iirc). I get a shiny line running up the spine of the back. This tells me the back is convex across its width. So why isn't the 800 cutting the high spot off? My guess is that the slurry is deeper than the defect and so the grit can reach above the flattened stone and grab the whole blade. If this is the case, how the heck do you flatten anything on a waterstone? The same effect occurs when I do SS on either a 3/8" glass or a marble tile substrate.

My second guess is that the temper is uneven in these blades. The blade is indeed flat, but the soft chewy center polishes quicker.

FWIW, I'm using Stanley fatmax (hey, they're my beaters!), Marples blue chips, and a $2.39 3/4" bevel-edged paint can opener from Ace. (Yeah, when I win the lottery I'll buy real chisels.) They all cut just fine.

Ideas?

Reply to
Australopithecus scobis

One possibility is that if the back is convex then the chisel simply rocks on the high spot as you move it back and forth on the stone. Same thing aws trying to flatten a board on a jointer with the convex side down - doesn't work well - you usually just get a thinner convex board.

Reply to
jev

Is this happening just on narrow chisels? Narrow chisels are harder to control than wider ones, especially when working on the bevel face.

Are you running the long axis of the chisels about 90 degrees to the long axis of the stone or angling it? Angling my help reduce the rocking. +--+ +--+ | | | | | ---- |\ | | | | \ | | | | \ +--+ +--+

Are you coming in on both sides of the stone - 10 strokes from the right, 10 strokes from the left? If so, try just one side.

Alternating sides, especially if you're angling the chisel's long axis to the stone's long axis gives you visual feedback on how you'e doing. When the "left leaning" scratches are all gone you're done. Also gives more even wear on the stone's face.

Are you pressing down on the push stroke AND the pull stroke? Try just on the push stroke or just on the pull stroke.

Rinse the stone more often and wipe the slurry if you think that might be the problem.

This one's subtle - after your last stroke, do you stop and THEN lift the chisel off the surface? If you lift while still stroking you're likely to roll the chisel while still cutting

Just some things to consider.

charlie b

Reply to
charlie b

This one might be it. The narrow chisels are the worst. Tried all the other even-out-the-wear tricks.

Another notion, which might be answered by my calculator and rubber bible, is whether the heat from my fingers is enough to make the metal expand under them. The rest of the blade is chilled by the rinse water.

Reply to
Australopithecus scobis
O

I removed all my fingertips till they bled learning to sharpen using a diamond stone. it did not hurt at first. then man it was bad. it was so hard to type (G)

Reply to
Steve Knight

Technically yes, that does happen but the effect would me measured in millionths.

Reply to
CW

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