Mcdavid Posted October 9, 2016 Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 I am considering a change in sharpening gear. I currently have some cheap water stones which need to be soaking in water for 20 mins before use. Or so they say. I my Arizona DRY heat, I need to soak them for an hour and spray they with water after every 4 strokes. They sharpen nice enough but I can't wait an hour then take more time during the process. I'm looking into DMT diamond plates that Paul Sellers uses. Not a terrible price but if I want to get 3 grits I'm going to need about $150. What I'm wondering is about size, they have a 2x6 model and a 3x8 model. I would love the 3x8 model but a set of 3 would be $150-$170 and the 2x6 would be $90-$110. Not a huge savings but enough to warrant some thought. What do you think would a 2x6 plate be large enough? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted October 9, 2016 Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 I have 4 of the 8 inchers, from coarse to extra extra fine, and sometimes I wish they were bigger, especially when I use a sharpening jig, which is not so often for me these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted October 9, 2016 Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 I use Shaptons but I would not go with 2" if you ever get a bench plane the blades are 2 3/8" wide you may be able to angle it but it would be a pain I would think. Buy once cry once Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac Posted October 9, 2016 Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 1 hour ago, Mcdavid said: I am considering a change in sharpening gear. I currently have some cheap water stones which need to be soaking in water for 20 mins before use. Or so they say. I my Arizona DRY heat, I need to soak them for an hour and spray they with water after every 4 strokes. They sharpen nice enough but I can't wait an hour then take more time during the process. I'm looking into DMT diamond plates that Paul Sellers uses. Not a terrible price but if I want to get 3 grits I'm going to need about $150. What I'm wondering is about size, they have a 2x6 model and a 3x8 model. I would love the 3x8 model but a set of 3 would be $150-$170 and the 2x6 would be $90-$110. Not a huge savings but enough to warrant some thought. What do you think would a 2x6 plate be large enough? Just wondering, can't you leave the stones wet to avoid the presoaking hassle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mcdavid Posted October 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 14 minutes ago, Isaac Gaetz said: Just wondering, can't you leave the stones wet to avoid the presoaking hassle? I have thought about it but the water will evaporate before my next work shop time. But if I keep a big enough thing of water it could probably work. Just a hassle. Would prefer to just pull out the plates spray a little windex and have at it. Quick methods are best since my time is so short in the shop. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac Posted October 9, 2016 Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 I was thinking a plastic bag or Tupperware, something to close them in so the water doesn't evaporate. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnDi Posted October 9, 2016 Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 I don't have the dry heat you have ( I'm in Phila.), but if you store them wet, put a little bleach in the water to prevent mold. AMHIK. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeslayer Posted October 9, 2016 Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 i usually soak my water stones for at least 24 hours before i plan to sharpen them, i set aside a sharpening day like before a big job or slack time between projects, having said that it doesn't help when they are dry and just need a little touch up during a build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown craftsman Posted October 9, 2016 Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 36 minutes ago, JohnDi said: I don't have the dry heat you have ( I'm in Phila.), but if you store them wet, put a little bleach in the water to prevent mold. AMHIK. Yep that's what happened to me kept my Norton stones in a Tupperware soaking in water.The water and stones turned green.Yuk Aj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doomwolf Posted October 9, 2016 Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 Look for a 5 or 10 gallon bucket with a lid. You could go the whole hog and also get a 'bridge' the stones so you can sharpen over the water and not have to worry about the mess. I definitely second the recommendation about throwing a splash of bleach in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Bob Posted October 10, 2016 Report Share Posted October 10, 2016 I have the 3x10 dmt stones extra course thru extra fine and use them when I need to change a blade's shape or sharpen an abused blade, but they are not enough. I grew up with oil stones and prefer them over water, just because of the mess, so I have 3 Arkansas stones, soft, medium, and surgical black. My one concession to water stones is that I finish with an 8k stone that I just have spray prior to use. Oil stones are slower, but I get a nice edge and don't have to deal with water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted October 10, 2016 Report Share Posted October 10, 2016 It only takes a couple of drops of bleach to keep the water in my sharpening tub fresh. Without it, things get scary & horrid pretty quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prov163 Posted October 10, 2016 Report Share Posted October 10, 2016 I use the same Shapton setup as Marc showed in one of his videos. I like it. Just spritz and go. I have a DMT diamond stone for the course stuff. I also have a Norton flattening stone. I've been thinking of adding a strop but need to do more research. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted October 10, 2016 Report Share Posted October 10, 2016 Having to soak my stones would drive me nuts. 24 hours in advance would be a serious no go. I sharpen when i find i need to. When a plane gets harder to push or a chisel isn't quite cutting as easily, I break out the 600 and 1000 stone and touch them up. It's a spur of the moment thing when needed. I don't pre meditate sharpening time. I spray my stones down with water and within a minute, I'm cutting steel. I bought my Shapton stones from amazon. Not sure if they are Chinese or authentic but they work great and don't dish nearly as quickly as my old garage sale stones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim DaddyO Posted October 10, 2016 Report Share Posted October 10, 2016 I have been using a smoothing plane on a bunch of ash for my latest build. I keep the strop right on the bench a just pause now and then to give the blade a few swipes on it and then back to work. Seems to be working quite nicely. I use the stones "between" jobs. The strop keeps it nicely tuned even with the hard stringy ash I am working on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barron Posted October 10, 2016 Report Share Posted October 10, 2016 I'd go with the larger stones. Yes they cost more, but you will have them for years and when you need the larger size, you need it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim DaddyO Posted October 10, 2016 Report Share Posted October 10, 2016 I agree, I have the narrower 2" stones and I should have paid the extra for the wider ones. Looking for wider leather for the strop now too. My experimental one with an old piece of belt I consider a success, so now I want a full width one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulldog Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 13 hours ago, Jim DaddyO said: I agree, I have the narrower 2" stones and I should have paid the extra for the wider ones. Looking for wider leather for the strop now too. My experimental one with an old piece of belt I consider a success, so now I want a full width one. Get some horse butt leather from tools for working wood. It's fantastic! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pondhockey Posted March 28, 2017 Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 On 10/10/2016 at 6:37 AM, Jim DaddyO said: I have been using a smoothing plane on a bunch of ash for my latest build. I keep the strop right on the bench a just pause now and then to give the blade a few swipes on it and then back to work. Seems to be working quite nicely. I use the stones "between" jobs. The strop keeps it nicely tuned even with the hard stringy ash I am working on. For a quick refresh of the edge, do you completely disassemble the steel, or leave it on the chip breaker? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim DaddyO Posted March 28, 2017 Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 8 hours ago, Pondhockey said: For a quick refresh of the edge, do you completely disassemble the steel, or leave it on the chip breaker? I take off the chip breaker and strop the back also. In my thinking the back on a bevel down plane is just as important, if not more so than the bevel. It is the face of the iron that is in contact with the wood. The bevel just gets the thickness of the iron out of contact with the wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted March 28, 2017 Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 The sharp edge is a combination (intersection) of the back and the bevel face. That's why, to get to the sharpest point possible, the back needs to be flat, and polished to the same level as the bevel-or at least the part of the back nearest the bevel. I like to do from a 1/2" to an inch of the back just to get done with it, and then it only needs to be hit on your finest stone from then on at any sharpening session. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prov163 Posted March 28, 2017 Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 I just bought a strop and some compound. Gonna add that to my arsenal and see how it works between sharpening with my stones. There's always one more thing you can do, but at some point you have to actually use the tool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squareandsharp Posted March 29, 2017 Report Share Posted March 29, 2017 From the reply it looks as if everyone is using stones or diamond plates. Anybody using sandpaper only on a flat surface? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeslayer Posted March 29, 2017 Report Share Posted March 29, 2017 i have used emery paper on a granite plate, watered down, but only to change the angle of the bevel and only because i don't have a really coarse stone, otherwise it's a Veritas MK2 on water stones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prov163 Posted March 29, 2017 Report Share Posted March 29, 2017 I started with sandpaper on a flat piece of granite. It worked fine but the move to water stones was definitely a step up from my perspective. It's really not a big deal to keep them flat and once you get a system in place (still refining mine), it's quick and easy to keep sharp. There are still a lot of guys that use the Scary Sharp system. Some of them are here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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