Shapton stones - question for Derek Cohen

[Geoffexpat]

Hello Derek,
If I have read your posts concerning the Shapton Stones correctly you have both the Professional stones and the Shapton GlassStones. What would you recommend to someone who has the need to do a lot of sharpening - both old tool reconditioning and multiple blades. Also what grits would you recommend for reconditioning those old chisels? I have a couple of Ward chisels that are convex and and have spent hours flattening one - I wonder if the steel structure changed with age and hardened. Thanks for your help in advance and have a good one.
Cheers, Geoff Irvine.

[J.E. Mike Tobey]

May I jump in here? Derek and I became good friends over a dished Shapton. I would say that you should not look at Shaptons as anything but finishing stones. Shaping and flattening -probably a belt sander- same for setting major bevel. Then you can think about stones. I flatten the worst with the belt sander, others a DMT-DUO in very coarse and coarse. Then I mix in an Arkansas Lily White, to 5K Shapton and on to 8K. An 8K Shapton produces a mirror - you could shave with it. If I am feeling really industrious then I get out the 12K. I strop on hard leather with greenbar on the rough side and plain on the smooth.mt

[Geoffexpat]

G'day Mike,
Thanks for the advice. I have tried a DMT coarse bench stone but that was slow work. The best results were when I tried a 240grit waterstone but I had to redress the stone every couple of minutes to maintain flatness. I can see what you mean by the belt sander. I know I have a slight right hand bias and I have to consciously watch that I do not introduce this and I fear that if I use a beltsander I will have more problems than its worth. I think I will have to bite the bullet and buy a granite surface plate and use the technique Derek described for the backs of plane blades. I have mainly Norton waterstones but have found in the last 2 years I have gone through two 1000grit, a 220grit stones and a 800 grit Japenese stone mainly flattening the backs of old chisels. I just can't bear to see these old chisels go to waste. So I was wondering how slow wearing the Shaptons really are if it would be better to get the professional stones (especially as I will be in the States in May). Also I have need for the coarser grit stones when I am making marking knives, cutting gauge blades etc. For the bezel I use a tormek for the wider chisel blades and plane blades - with a radial jig of mine if I want a camber. Anyway thanks for your advice again and have a good one. Cheers, Geoff.

[derekcohen]

Hi Geoff

Mike is quite correct in that the Shaptons are for finishing. If it is flattening that you want to do, I would get a couple of blue Zirconion Oxide beltsander belts in 80 and 120 grits (these are the lowest they make) and glue these to a length of glass or granite. These belts last about 5X longer than the standard.

When it comes to flattening steel, I would never use a waterstone, even a Stapton. The area is too small to be sure that they are wearing evenly and they wear too quickly.

I tend to double jump in grits, so the next up would be 240, 400 or 600. It is only the 1/2"-1" behind the bevel that needs to be taken to the same high grit as the bevel itself.

Incidentally, I have not used the Shapton glass stones only the Professional version. Mike was incredibly generous in gifting me a 8000 (after I had a bad purchase on eBay) and later was even more generous with a 12000. He is a bad man! :U

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Geoffexpat]

Thanks Derek thats about the conclusion I have come to. Cheers, Geoff.