Sharpening Help: Removing microbevel


HunterL

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I am trying to "reset" this plane iron as I am unhappy with my sloppy sharpening prior to now. Why can't I remove what looks like the microbevel I put on there? I've been taking strokes on my 320 grit duo sharp and can't seem to remove that section seen in the picture. Advice?f000e4790bbd122d7f5e12590b755298.jpg

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Go to your nearest Harbor Freight and grab this:

http://m.harborfreight.com/3-piece-2-inch-x-6-inch-diamond-hone-blocks-36799.html?utm_referrer=direct%2Fnot%20provided

Use the coarse (180 grit) plate to reshape your bevel. It might not last more than one or two uses, but for $10, its pretty much disposable. I have used them to regrind badly nicked chisels, and it does a great job, fast.

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That link was broken for some reason, but thanks everyone. My DMT Duosharp that I mentioned also has the 220 grit side.

 

Am I correct in thinking that I needn't worry about flattening the duosharp? I use the 220 side for flattening my waterstones, a la Marc's setup.

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I'm an amateur at best at sharpening, but it doesn't look like a micro bevel but looks like you're simply putting a different angle on the iron. And from the pic, it looks like the cutting edge is not parallel to the guide, thus the run out at the "tip". 

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I'm an amateur at best at sharpening, but it doesn't look like a micro bevel but looks like you're simply putting a different angle on the iron. And from the pic, it looks like the cutting edge is not parallel to the guide, thus the run out at the "tip".

Same effect and same solution, no?

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The top-clamping honing jig is causing all your problems.  The cutter is definitely slipping.  You want to tighten evenly on each side with an even amount of screw projection in the jig.  Stone lubricants - water, oil, etc. make the situation worse.  You are going to have to tighten the jig with as much strength as you can muster.

 

An inexpensive side-clamping Eclipse clone jig is a much better choice for doing grinding by hand.  A power grinder, of course, even better.

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Been there, done that....same micro bevel problem, same Veritas MK II jig. You're doing it right, but that 320 is going to take forever.

My suggestion: go to Lowes/Home Depot and look in the section that has the belts for a belt sander. Get the 40, 80 and 120 grits. Go to the tile flooring section and find a smooth and relatively flat tile about 12" square. Go to the adhesive aisle and get some spray sticky stuff. I think mine was the 3M 77 something or another. Probably 20 bucks total.

Go home cut the sandpaper belts to fit the tile and stick them down with the spray.

Lock that Veritas down snug with a little nudge from a pair of pliers. Then start grinding just like you did on the stones. It will be slow going but still faster than the stones.

I found it worked better to work the 40 for awhile then bump up to the 80 or 120 for awhile then go back to the 40. It helps smooth out the scratch pattern which looks more like a gouge pattern.

Mark your current micro bevel with a sharpie so it's easier to tell when it disappears. Then progress through the various grits until you get it smooth.

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I expect the price range is out of the question here, but just using this as an example, this would be a 5 second job on my grinder with CBN wheel.  They're still in the early learning curve for woodworkers, and this is not the place to go into all the details and controversies, but I won't ever go back to anything else.

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I would buy CStanford's comment if the "shoulder" were rounded. I am having trouble discerning that with that image perspective. Verify that is a straight line and he may have you in the wrong step in the process. You may be correcting for the situation he describes if your shoulder is a line but the nose wear varies. The guys suggesting you check square have a good idea. CStanford's is good advice in any case.

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