Thread: Flattening Waterstones

I use that plasterer's sanding mesh, as recommended by Derek.

at the moment I am using 80 grit. I have used 120. The stones seem to take the top of the abrasive and then it is much smoother. With the Japanese blades I am sharpening the stones belly out pretty quickly and then it isn't so bad having a rough abrasive to take it back.

Studley

You could search posts by apricotripper on the subject - cause he uses sandpaper and did a thread on the pro's and cons's of using different stuff.

When I bought a Norton 4000/8000 combo waterstone, the guy from Lie-Nielsen said to just use a piece of 240grit on a flat surface. Scribble a criss-cross pattern over the stone with a texta so you can see where it is uneven while flattening.

I use diamond plates for any heavy honing, so my waterstone only gets a light touch each time with whatever I'm sharpening and actually haven't needed to flatten it yet.

I have some old machines with "aged" cast iron surfaces, so sometimes I throw some water on the machine surface and rub every where with both sides of the stone. Keeps both surfaces nice ( I don't do this regularly )

I use the back of a granite slab, I recon that the aim is to make it flat and if its flat its smooth, I can't see the point in using a very fine grit paper, it takes so much time sharpening, I don't want to spend any longer than I have to flattening my stone.

Originally Posted by Bleedin Thumb

I use the back of a granite slab, I recon that the aim is to make it flat and if its flat its smooth, I can't see the point in using a very fine grit paper, it takes so much time sharpening, I don't want to spend any longer than I have to flattening my stone.

Quite correct - you are just trying to flatten the stone. I use the plasterers mesh - seems to be pretty quick and does a good job.

Originally Posted by Bleedin Thumb

I use the back of a granite slab, I recon that the aim is to make it flat and if its flat its smooth, I can't see the point in using a very fine grit paper, it takes so much time sharpening, I don't want to spend any longer than I have to flattening my stone.

Hi Bleedin, have you ever put a straight edge across the granite? I started out with a piece of granite too, but got very variable results until I discovered the granite was quite out of flat.

I use a piece of 12mm glass and 240/400 grit. I'm not convinced that using a course grit to flatten a fine stone say 6000 is allowing the stone to do it's job properly, I mean it is dressing the stone to courser finish than the optimal, until honing wears it down of course. If you get my drift.

Cheers
Michael

dunno if it matters until you get to extreme like road base type grit.

The stone will still keep its own grit. The rough sandpaper might have left a bit of texture on the surface but that doesn't have much effect unless you flatten it by going straight up and down as you flatten it. If you work it around in circles or ovals as you flatten the grooves are in circles and so when the blade goes straight up and down it they cancel themselves out.

Studley

Said it before, say it again.

Milled steel plate, #120 silicon carbide grit.

Fastest way to do it.

For example...

Today I was freshening up a scraper blade. Decided to use the #800, #1000 and #????? water stones I have. Started out using the stones, wet as they need to be. Part way through, decided to flatten them up, so while they were still wet, threw some grit on there, rubbed with the plate, went to the next stone, then the next stone. Rinsed them off and kept on going.

It took me about 60 seconds to type all that, and less than 30 to go from using them, flattening them and then using them again.

Heck, if it's good enough for the locals using waterstones, then I guess it's good enough for me too.