Thread: Water stones and sharpening techniques

Thanks very much everyone. I have a Veritas Mk II guide and think I'm using it properly, although it doesn't seem to be made for Japanese butt chisels (which is what I am sharpening). A lot of fiddling around seems to be required to get it into what I think is the correct attitude.

Derek, I am just a beginner but I had hoped to use the set of 7 Japanese butt chisels for the whole range of chisel jobs. Do I need to have separate sets for different usages?

Think I will invest in an 8000 and see if it helps. I take the point about technique though - maybe I am doing something wrong. Will see how the 8000 goes and if that doesn't work, I've answered the question!

Andrew

When I first started out I couldn't sharpen for love nor money; freehand edges made a ball pein 'ammer look sharp by comparrison... I won't go into the houks n divots in the stone...

Finding the Mk1 veritas guide was a god-send.. with the ability to set and maintain an angle repeatedly I could at last get something approximating sharp although I was still a mile away from taking whispy thin shavings...

Then I discovered David Charlesworth's method, found some cheap but decent waterstones and finally started getting somewhere.

Thesedays a normal sharpening session sees me reaching for the Mk2 guide and a 12,000 grit King stone... Provided there's no nicks in my blades, the most they need is a quick tickle on the stone to freshen them up again... Using anything courser is simply removing steel needlessly and giving yourself a ton of unnecessary work in the process... 5 swipes on the bevel, bout the same on the back to weaken the wire edge, strop on my t-shirt and they're done... allowing for set up and clean up I normally get through 4 blades in about 15 mins (inc reassembling the blade in the plane after a quick wipe with oil)..

Whispy thin shavings aren't a myth after-all..

If a half baked paid from the neck down eejit like myself can crack it, you'll get there too.. good stone kept nice n flat and free from ground in debris (I keep a 2000 grit stone specifically for flatting the rest of my fine stones) plus some way to set your honing angle repeatedly and you'll crack it in minutes..

you can't do that if the finest grit you use is 4000

Maybe you can't

Oohh goody. another sharpening tome underway. I got a chinese #12000 frome the US for about $60 delivered.

D

Please pass the popcorn...

Mike

Think I will invest in an 8000 and see if it helps.

Hi Andrew

In view of you being a novice, I think that the first thing you should invest in is a decent honing guide - get a reliable, clean edge first with your 4000. This will give you a better idea of the limitations of your current set up. Only then should you consider either a 6000 or 8000.

Your Japanese bench chisels are likely to take a very good edge and hold it well (they all do, no matter the cost). They will work well for most things except mortices and prying chips (don't do it - the edge will chip as the steel is brittle), or dovetails (too thick at the edges).

Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by TassieKiwi

I got a chinese #12000 frome the US for about $60 delivered.

Where from? and is it any good?

I got this one. It polishes perfectly, though I don't have anything else to compare. Distinctly finer than the King 6000. Very bleedin' sharp edges though. Literally. DAMHIK.

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=4920

I agree, that is a good stone. Worth every penny.

Take care, Mike

TK

That stone looks like the one I got from Carba-tec for $29.

http://www.carbatec.com.au/store/ind...cPath=270_7610

It is hard to tell what grit they are... I suppose if they leave a scratch after a 8000, then they are less than this, and if they remove the 8000 scratches then they are greater than that.

I did not know that anyone could be so exact so as to specify a natural waterstone at a specific grit. These stones are not like that - they vary within and between themselves.

Regards from Perth

Derek

From looking at the ones I have, I actually find it difficult to believe they are not "helped" in their formation, like cultured pearls, so to speak.

I've unwrapped and used a dozen in classes. Very consistent in grain.

The question is Derek, does yours take out the scratches from the 8k stone you have?

Take care, Mike

Originally Posted by andrewsd

Thanks very much everyone. I have a Veritas Mk II guide and think I'm using it properly, although it doesn't seem to be made for Japanese butt chisels (which is what I am sharpening). A lot of fiddling around seems to be required to get it into what I think is the correct attitude.

Derek, I am just a beginner but I had hoped to use the set of 7 Japanese butt chisels for the whole range of chisel jobs. Do I need to have separate sets for different usages?

Think I will invest in an 8000 and see if it helps. I take the point about technique though - maybe I am doing something wrong. Will see how the 8000 goes and if that doesn't work, I've answered the question!

Andrew

If you have a grinder why don't you buy a hard cloth buffing wheel and some buffing compound also. An 8000 will give you a fantastic edge but an 8000 and buffing it takes it to a whole other level.

Originally Posted by silentC

Maybe you can't

Guess it depends on what you consider fine work

I've never read it but a lot of folks here say Leonard Lee's sharpening book is good (I'm sure someone here knows the title...). Maybe a good place to get some good techniques.