Thread: Veritas Honing Compound v Generic Product

I take it you mean the "green bar" of honing compound?

I am using the last of a great lump of green Chromium Oxide + Aluminum Oxide honing compound. About 20 years of wood carving tools.
For heaven's sake, never cut it up with a hand saw = it is a very effective abrasive!

My Veritas bar is a blend as well. It seems to have a lot more and softer waxy matrix compound than the generic lump.
Side by side on exactly the same box card strops, I see no difference in performance.

Hi FM. I have both the Veritas green and the Craftright green (from Bunnings). I think the Veritas is much better. I use it predominantly on a home made leather strop for all plane blades and chisels. The Craftright came with a buffing wheel kit and I have used it on both a felt wheel and a cotton wheel and it took longer to get a shine (with the drill press turning it) than me stropping by hand. It is worth the extra.

Thanks MA. I though I read some where that the Veritas green has much finer grit particles but danged if I can find it. I ended up getting both so I can test it out. Cheers.

As a honing compound abrasives selected by industry standards, the chromium oxide (green) particles have a mean diameter of 0.5 micrometers.
That implies that you can expect to find particles both larger and smaller in the mix.
Hidden there is usually a big dose of white aluminum oxide particles which have a mean diameter of 0.25 micrometers.

Quality control then, is the care taken in the selection and isolation of particular abrasive particle size.

I've convinced myself that the Veritas stick has a greater % of waxy carrier and a lower % of abrasives.
Just playing off the character of that one with the generic bar that I've been using for years.

Years back, it became apparent that the waxy matrix had softened my good leather strop.
So much so that the edge was being rounded off with each pass.
Now, all I ever use for a strop is some form of pulp fiber card stock (cereal box, file card, file folder etc.)
Positioned with dabs of masking tape on some hard smooth support. No glue required as in the mythology.
Scribble green stick all over it like a crayon. I am entirely satisfied with the effectiveness.

A Stubai wood carver's adze is a whacked out ice axe.
In pattern, a 7/75. Absolute chore to hone.
I can say that the best strop for the job is a tennis ball.

As a honing noob, though a wood worker for many years, and the receiver this week of a Tormek T3 grinder, I'm at a loss at what honing material to get that is suitable for applying to the leather wheel.
- Paste or a wax stick?
- Is oil required? How much? What kind?

I've been playing with the T3, and suitably astonished at how sharp my chisels can be made with so little effort and perfect uniformity, but that 'other wheel' is yet to be conquered.

Originally Posted by jabell

As a honing noob, though a wood worker for many years, and the receiver this week of a Tormek T3 grinder, I'm at a loss at what honing material to get that is suitable for applying to the leather wheel.
- Paste or a wax stick?
- Is oil required? How much? What kind?

I've been playing with the T3, and suitably astonished at how sharp my chisels can be made with so little effort and perfect uniformity, but that 'other wheel' is yet to be conquered.

Did your T3 come with instructions and a tube of honing compound for the leather wheel? or was it acquired second hand?

If it came with instructions and the tube of honing compound then just follow the instructions.

If it just bare leather, perhaps cough up the "entry fee" for a tube of Tormek honing compound

Originally Posted by ian

Did your T3 come with instructions and a tube of honing compound for the leather wheel? or was it acquired second hand?
If it came with instructions and the tube of honing compound then just follow the instructions.
If it just bare leather, perhaps cough up the "entry fee" for a tube of Tormek honing compound

I got it secondhand, sadly deceased estate from someone who went too early, and possibly if I were to search his shed I might find the Tormek tube of paste buried somewhere, so in the interim at least, plan B, so its not clear to me whether any brand's tube paste will do, or will a wax type stick from the local hardware chain suffice?

Hi
The Tormek honing compound (item PA-70) is less than AUD $16 from Ideal Tools in Melbourne, but Carbatech in Adelaide has it in stock(?) for AUD $18.

IMO, it would be worth the drive or walk if you prefer.

I have come to expect that all instruction manuals are on line. The most cost-effective option for business and available 24/7.

The most common honing compound available is some sort of a high molecular weight petroleum wax
which has Chromium Oxide (green) (0,5 micron) and aluminum oxide (white) (0.25 micron) mixed into it.
Those are "nominal" particle sizes so you can expect larger and smaller particles in there as well.
You will learn about the abrasive qualities when you cut a bar in half with a hand saw.

Go to 1,500 grit with stones or papers then hone with the green compound to finish.
The smooth, glittering polished bevel is no more than a field of fine scratches that your eyes cannot resolve.

Originally Posted by jabell

As a honing noob, though a wood worker for many years, and the receiver this week of a Tormek T3 grinder, I'm at a loss at what honing material to get that is suitable for applying to the leather wheel.
- Paste or a wax stick?
- Is oil required? How much? What kind?

I've been playing with the T3, and suitably astonished at how sharp my chisels can be made with so little effort and perfect uniformity, but that 'other wheel' is yet to be conquered.

I use Autosol. From Memory, the specification is about the same as or slight finer(?) than Tormek's honing compound, @ around 6000 grit ~ 3 microns (?). It's easy to get hold of at your local green shed. If you really want finer polishing. Go for the diamond paste. Banggood has 1-micron diamond paste on backorder.

Originally Posted by justonething

I use Autosol. From Memory, the specification is about the same as or slight finer(?) than Tormek's honing compound, @ around 6000 grit ~ 3 microns (?). It's easy to get hold of at your local green shed. If you really want finer polishing. Go for the diamond paste. Banggood has 1-micron diamond paste on backorder.

What I don't understand is the longevity of these miniscule containers or tubes of paste. Do you use it like tooth paste, an inch at a time, or a tiny blob that goes for years? As I said, I'm a noob with honing. I read somewhere that oil is added as well? What kind? How much?

Originally Posted by jabell

What I don't understand is the longevity of these miniscule containers or tubes of paste. Do you use it like tooth paste, an inch at a time, or a tiny blob that goes for years? As I said, I'm a noob with honing. I read somewhere that oil is added as well? What kind? How much?

FenceFurniture did a whole thing about this once... went on the warpath! He did a set of experiments using diamond pastes and iron plates. I believe the results are impressive.

Let me find the thread.

edit.....

Here is the paste: GemPro Diamond Compound - 5 Gram Syringe

Here are the plates he uses: Cast Iron Honing block for Diamond paste use

Here is the discussion I recall (there are most likely others too): Cast Iron blocks and Diamond paste for honing


Edit 2 - After reading these threads I have a POWERFUL desire to buy some FAGCIB's and diamond pastes! Ilya is at me again with his sharpening antics (a new knife sharpening mega-jig from hell!) and this has me thinking..... ANYONE know where one could buy Fully Annealed Grey Cast Iron blocks????

Thing is that I have a Tormek T3 machine, with a leather wheel, so if I have that, is there any reason to ignore that in favour of a cast iron block?
And back to the necessity of oil in this process, and of what type - vegetable? W90 gear oil? Sewing machine oil?

Camelia oil. Very simple. I'd dare say mineral oil would be fine too.

@FenceFurniture - what you say dude?

The Tormek is useful for many types of job. I wouldn't be getting rid of it. I sold my slow speed grinder recently, worst thing I ever did!