I hone my plane and chisel blades with a Norton 4,000 / 8,0000 waterstone. It has been a fabulous improvement over my old 1200 / 6000 Japanese waterstones. I can get a shaving out of my Stanley #4 that is .001″, leaving a very smooth surface behind.
Here’s the question: would a final stropping be even better? If yes, on what and with what? Lee-Valleys’ chromium oxide honing compound sounds good, but will it really make a difference?
Thanks to all who jump in on this one.
Ken
Replies
Stropping immediately after sharpening with an 8,000 grit stone is not necessary. The 8,000 grit stone will remove the feather edge by itself.
You may want to strop as a touch up during a shop session/between honings on the fine stone.
I too, use the Norton 8000 as my final step. I think that stropping adds a finishing touch, but it is mostly just an aesthetic polish, so I have stopped doing it. Have you noticed that Norton now has a flattening stone? They cost about $20. I can't believe how many sharpening articles mention using diamond stones to flatten waterstones. Why would you ruin a $100 diamond stone to flatten a $50 waterstone. If you look at a diamond stone that has been used for this purpose you will see what I mean. Scarey sharp still has its merits, too. I use it for flattening backs of blades and also for truing plane soles (@400 grit).
I actually went back to oilstones a long time ago. My finest stone is a hard black Arkansas so I do strop as the last step of a regular honing and also between honings as a quick touch up.
I hone freehand and actually like a slower stone that's more forgiving if I lose my train of thought for a stroke or two.
Stropping can leave a keener edge than just using a stone by itself. However, I can't help wondering if the the softness of a leather strop doesn't round over that cutting edge somewhat. I might do some experimenting with compound applied to some MDF. MDF in small pieces is extremely flat, and doesn't have that soft surface for the blade to sink into and become rounded. Leather stropping is good for knives and cutlery and such......
I don't sweat it much to be honest. A not-too-terribly-thick piece of leather glued to hardwood isn't going to round over your bevels unless you really are an ardent stropper.
When honing, I go to the strop purely to remove the last bit of feather edge. A few swipes and I'm done. That's all that is necessary at that point. I'm not looking for additional 'sharpness' or polish. Quick touch-ups aren't much more involved. They work. Any tiny incremental bit of rounding (and I doubt it even exists) will be worked out at the next honing which, by definition, is right around the corner if I'm at the touch-up stage.
Don't worry. Don't over analyze it. You can strop to remove a feather edge on a calloused part of your hand or on the front of your blue jeans. I doubt seriously if I'd go to the trouble to charge a piece of MDF with compound but if that works for you that's cool.
The strop will only leave a keener edge if the compound is a finer grit than your finest stone. IMO, you really don't want to strop for additional measurable "keen-ness." Your finest stone should produce the edge you need other than, perhaps, for working the feather edge off. The strop as a touch up gets you back to a certain point of sharpness but certainly not to the degree you should have off your fine stone. It is exactly what it is - a touch up and not a full honing at the sharpening bench.
The point behind all this is to develop a routine that keeps you WORKING WOOD and not obsessing over your edges.
If a bevel gets a tad rounded over time, and it can happen to anybody (and the causes are many), then it's time for a re-grind. No big deal. No need for excessive head scratching.
Just develop a routine that produces serviceable edges with the least fuss and you'll be head and shoulders above most of the crowd.
Edited 11/3/2005 4:01 pm ET by TaunTonMacoute
"just develop a routine that produces a serviceable edge with the least fuss" (and the most speed I might add)-I like that .
But I am nervous about stropping on the front of my jeans-very nervous.Philip Marcou
I think that TTM is making is a good point and the point of it is even more strongly drawn to focus when you go to carving tools. Flexcut makes this little leather pad that is has several different shapes used for honing carving tools and can be charged with chromium oxide. It doesn't do the primary job of shaping the cutting edge but is great for touchups while you're working.
I'll second the little flex cut pad. And, at least one of the "rock stars" of carving uses one too.
Kenwerner,
Somewhere in one of the FWW articles over the past few years someone said that stroping on leather with green compound was equal to 5000 grit. Most of the time I'll take my planes to the stroping stage and re-strop as I go along. Only when using the 4.5 for the fine finish will I go above the strop level...and even that is probably unnecessary.
PS. I think the article was Amy Frasher(sp?) where she compared many mthods and in a side bar different compounds..
Edited 11/2/2005 3:22 pm ET by BG
Here's the question: would a final stropping be even better? If yes, on what and with what?
My GrandPa was a Cabinet maker.. For the Chicago CTA.. YES! They had old wooden cars!..
As I recall he took his old razor strap to work with him.. Not sure if to sharpen tools of beat my #### when he got home for some stupid thing I did to his house... (Not really.. He was the BEST)..
As I recall, the razor strap had a 'rough' and smooth side... and 'thinks he put Talk? on it Some white stuff i cant's spells worths a hoot...
The point behind the strop after honing is simply to break off the feather edge. Almost anything will work.
Stropping is not necessary after the 8000 grit waterstone or about 1500 to 2000 grit sandpaper.
will george,
out of curiosity---how old are you anyway?????
I had to laugh when you mentioned getting beat with a razor strap!
I am 43 years old------I always kind of thought I was the youngest living guy in america to have gotten whupped with a razor strap.
when I was a kid---none of my friends had ever heard of such an implement----- I would sneak 'em up to our bathroom and show 'em what it looked like----they couldn't even imagine getting whupped with one---the pansies! LOL
A pounding with a razor strap makes getting hit with a belt feel like nothing at all
Ahhhh good times, good times---fleeting youth.
Stephen
So old here I gave God a sketch of what Eve should look like...By the way.. He never really hit me with it.. It was to valuable to him.. Threatened me with a a 'Hickory Stick' a few times...
we all got it with the razor strop at least once----after the first time the threat was usually enough-------
but the regular paddlings were with an 18" maple ruler
still spoken of with respect within the family as " The Maple Ruler"
Life is funny---cause following his stroke, I now change HIS diapers. ( LOL)
Advice to young parents?----pay attention to how you treat your children, THEY will be picking your nursing home!
Best wishes,all
Stephen
Ken,
Recently Garrett Hack came to speak at the college where I take woodworking classes. He showed us his method of sharpening his plane blades and chisels.
Garrett Hack used oil stones through the first few grits. He learned with oil stones and feels that they are cleaner, but you could just as easily use water stones. After he went through the first few grits he switched to an 8000 waterstone. Once he finished the waterstone he pulled out a flat wooden block with diamond paste apllied to it. He used 1 micron diamond paste which is equivalent to a 12000 water stone. He said that you only have to put a small amount of paste on the block, about the size of a grain of rice. He said that one grain of rice sized application will last about 10 sharpenings. He used a little bit of honing oil with the diamond paste. When he finished the final honing with the diamond paste his blade had a perfect mirror finish. He planed a walnut board with a low angle jack plane and the wood shined when he was done.
I haven't had a chance to try this method myself yet but I look forward to doing so. It is kind of hard to find 1 micron diamond paste. Hartvilletool.com sells 5 grams of it for 10 dollars so it is a relatively cheap experiment.
http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/11519
Just a suggestion,
agomega
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