Official Luthiers Forum!

Being relatively new to woodwork and taking others advice I went out and bought a set of 3 water stones they were 220, 1000, 3000, and I've always been disappointed with their performance prefering toe old norton combination stone. I have some diamond files which work well and recently got a little falknivern dc3 which though tiny I now use almost exclusivley clamping the blade in the vice useing the diamond side first then the sapphire to finish and seldom strop at all now though if I do want a extra sharp edge have found autosol on a glass plate works well.

I've read about the scary sharp system and may try that and also may invest in some of these diamone whetstones then a 10000 grit spyderco ceramic stone

I'd be interested in any thought and sharpening tips you may share. One I've gained though slightly off topic I did a little woodcarving at adult ed and there was an old boy 96 who introduced me to scrapers and his main tool was just a piece of aluminium scraper size, when he died the family shared out his tools with the class and I now own that scraper, and it takes an edge easier for a noob than a standard scraper and I use it for a real course edge when I want to remove the wood when a plane tears out thanks to Frank there

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Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes

I love the shapton ceramic stones on glass. They are the best I have ever used

http://shaptonstones.com/index.php?main ... th=164_166

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

I was set up with a Norton C/XC and 4000/6000 combo per Todd Stock's many suggestions here on the forum, then I sold them for a Work Sharp. Now I want them back

One vote for scary sharp using 3M finishing papers. Here's a link to a site run by a guy whose hobby seems to be sharpening things.

http://www3.telus.net/BrentBeach/Sharpen/

I like the takenoko 8000 grit stone from LMI or japan woodworker, that and a 1000 grit i forget what brand waterstone are about all i need.

I am lazy by choice, so i usually just use some sandpaper on glass and then finish up with the takenoko stone, or just the takenoko if the edge is not too beat up.

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Jordan Aceto
Ithaca, NY

scary sharp is so cheap and easy. after that a quick strop on some leather with green jewelers rouge and im officially afraid of the edge i have produced. its that easy and its that sharp.

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sweat the small stuff.

Remembering that John is here in the UK, and that importing stuff from the USA is not a very sensible option at the moment I would suggest that this combination waterstone from Axminster would be your best option John. I have used one for a couple of years now and it has kept my chisels and planes are sharp as I could wish, and I'm very fussy about that!

http://www.axminster.co.uk/group_id//prodpage/2/product-King-Japanese-Combination-Waterstones-22468.htm#catprods

Also suggest you get one of these to go with it to keep the stones flat.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Ice-Bear-Ice-Bear-Ceramic-Flattening-Stone-32262.htm

I use this holder that they have as well, but you can get away ith placing the stone on a cloth to prevent movement.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Axminster-Non-Skid-Holder-20359.htm

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

I use a combination of the "scary scarp" method (sandpaper on a piece of glass or a polished granite slab) and very fine Japanese waterstones.

I have a 3 stage procedure that works for most situations: A belt sander to grind away nicks and to put a new bevel on an iron, a coarse DMT for common sharpening and a 8000 grit "King Gold" Japanese water stone. The iron or chisel stays in the Eclipse guide, if I want a secondary bevel I adjust it before honing.

Here's a link to Dick gmbh, which is where I got the stone http://www.dick.biz/dick/product/711004/detail.jsf

Here's my stone holder, made of some oily, dense wood which doesn't change dimensions much even in contact with the soggy waterstone (I have a second half that I use as a lid when I put it in my travel tool box). A second plywood "bench hook" holds the holder...

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

John, The waterstone from Axminster that I mean is obviously the 1000/6000 combination, not the courser one.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

At first I too was disappointed with the edge I was getting on my combo waterstone. Once I made sure to start building up a nice slurry on the stone before use I love the edge I'm getting.

cheers! Bob

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If brute force doesn't work you're not using enough of it!

I'm disappointed with waterstones too bob I'm glad it isn't just me as loads of people use them, and i have taken a side step that's worked for me next time I go to a friend, I'll ask for a lesson,

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Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes