I've been using wet/dry sandpaper. It's a tedious/time consuming job and
seems to wear out the paper fairly fast. I see Norton has a flattening
stone. I wonder if they're more efficient. Any suggestions on how best to
get this job done? Thanks..

On Jul 27, 9:56*am, "Jim Hall" wrote:
I've been using wet/dry sandpaper. *It's a tedious/time consuming job and
seems to wear out the paper fairly fast. *I see Norton has a flattening
stone. *I wonder if they're more efficient. * Any suggestions on how best to
get this job done? *Thanks..

I havea trueing stone that I go from Lee Valley, It works great. You
can also use a Nagura stone to true up your stone.
Both still involve some work to true un the stone. The stone I have
does not show wear after a year of use.

Randy
http://nokeswoodworks.com

On Jul 27, 10:56*am, "Jim Hall"
wrote:
I've been using wet/dry sandpaper. *It's a tedious/time consuming job and
seems to wear out the paper fairly fast. *I see Norton has a flattening
stone. *I wonder if they're more efficient. * Any suggestions on how best to
get this job done? *Thanks..

One way;
http://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/No...ne-P29C25.aspx

Or you can use a diamond stone to flatten it. I do it under running
water to keep the water stone from sticking to the diamond stone.
It's easier to flatten the stones after every sharpening session than
to wait until the depressions are deeper.

R

Jim Hall wrote:
I've been using wet/dry sandpaper. It's a tedious/time consuming job
and seems to wear out the paper fairly fast. I see Norton has a
flattening stone. I wonderthe y're more efficient. Any suggestions
on how best to get this job done? Thanks..

I flatten my 220 grit coarse stone on one of those. The coarse stone is
then used to flatten the finer stones.

For quickie flattenings of my 4000 and 8000 stones, use I'll my diamond
plates if the coarse waterstone isn't handy. Just like sharpening,
I've found flattening to be easier if done often, before major work is
necessary.

Ok.. Looks like Norton truing/flattening stone is worth a try and most
economical solution. So will start there. Thank you..


"Jim Hall" wrote in message
. ..
I've been using wet/dry sandpaper. It's a tedious/time consuming job and
seems to wear out the paper fairly fast. I see Norton has a flattening
stone. I wonder if they're more efficient. Any suggestions on how best
to get this job done? Thanks..

"B A R R Y" wrote

I've found flattening to be easier if done often, before major work is
necessary.

I've finally learned to deal with it ... thank gawd for the WS300!

What a difference it's made in keeping chisels and plane irons sharp without
fuss/muss and "waterstone" mess all over the bench/shop.

(Just had to throw that in) ... mainly because it so damn true!

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 5/14/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

On Jul 27, 8:56*am, "Jim Hall" wrote:
I've been using wet/dry sandpaper. *It's a tedious/time consuming job and
seems to wear out the paper fairly fast. *I see Norton has a flattening
stone. *I wonder if they're more efficient. * Any suggestions on how best to
get this job done? *Thanks..

Maybe I'm just a dumb wood abuser, but I use a piece of glass, about
11 x 14 inches, and I sprinkle some 90 grit carbide sand stuff on it
with water. The glass sits on the workbench top, so is mostly flat,
and it works great. The glass came from a cheap picture frame, the
sand from Rockler I think, not expensive. Anyway, just a minute or so
on each stone gives me a flat surface. Hope this helps.....

I wonder if you have to go through the masochistic stone age first to
appreciate a Work Sharp 3000..? Can you flatten a Stanley bedrock 607 on
one of those? That job is wearing me out..

"Swingman" wrote in message
...
"B A R R Y" wrote

I've found flattening to be easier if done often, before major work is
necessary.

I've finally learned to deal with it ... thank gawd for the WS300!

What a difference it's made in keeping chisels and plane irons sharp
without
fuss/muss and "waterstone" mess all over the bench/shop.

(Just had to throw that in) ... mainly because it so damn true!

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 5/14/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

"Jim Hall" wrote in message
I wonder if you have to go through the masochistic stone age first to
appreciate a Work Sharp 3000..? Can you flatten a Stanley bedrock 607 on
one of those? That job is wearing me out..

Don't recall the exact dimensions of the 607. but any plane iron up to 2"
wide is easily doable.

The WS 3000 not the end all of sharpening systems by any means, but for all
of my own plane irons and chisels it has yet to fail me. The ease of
sharpening, and, equally important, keeping the sharpened edges maintained,
is just so much easier than any other method I've used in over 45 years of
woodworking.

For those tasks that procrastinators like myself hate, like sharpening, the
easier it is to do, the more likely it is to be done.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 5/14/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

Actually was joking about trying to flatten the base of 607 plane itself.
It's the same as No. 7 plane, ~22 inches long. I work on it for awhile, put
it away and come back to it.. Eventually it will be flat like the others..

Hard to argue with 45 years of experience. I'm headed to Seattle next week
to visit my daughter and will stop on the way at the Woodcraft Store in
Eugene, Oregon (no sales tax state). I'll take a look at it. I rented
David Charlesworth plane and chisel sharpening videos a year or so ago and
was sold on using waterstones. I like the sharpness the stones give you
using his method, but can be very time consuming and messy like you say..
Thanks for advice..

"Swingman" wrote in message
...

"Jim Hall" wrote in message
I wonder if you have to go through the masochistic stone age first to
appreciate a Work Sharp 3000..? Can you flatten a Stanley bedrock 607 on
one of those? That job is wearing me out..

Don't recall the exact dimensions of the 607. but any plane iron up to 2"
wide is easily doable.

The WS 3000 not the end all of sharpening systems by any means, but for
all
of my own plane irons and chisels it has yet to fail me. The ease of
sharpening, and, equally important, keeping the sharpened edges
maintained,
is just so much easier than any other method I've used in over 45 years of
woodworking.

For those tasks that procrastinators like myself hate, like sharpening,
the
easier it is to do, the more likely it is to be done.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 5/14/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

Swingman wrote:
"B A R R Y" wrote

I've found flattening to be easier if done often, before major work is
necessary.

I've finally learned to deal with it ... thank gawd for the WS300!

What a difference it's made in keeping chisels and plane irons sharp without
fuss/muss and "waterstone" mess all over the bench/shop.

(Just had to throw that in) ... mainly because it so damn true!



I have a Tormek. I only usually use a 4000/8000, once backs are
flattened. Very little mess, as they only need a spritz. I flatten in
the kitchen sink.

"B A R R Y" wrote

I flatten in
the kitchen sink.

I would ... if we had anything BUT a ceramic kitchen sink! I still can't
believe I didn't overrule that idea at the get go.

Amazing, the many ways women have of getting their way!

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 5/14/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

On Sun, 27 Jul 2008 07:56:13 -0700, "Jim Hall"
wrote:

Any suggestions on how best to get this job done?

Concrete step outside the workshop. Same one I use for flatening
cuttlefish bones (for casting silver jewellery).

Wash it off afterwards. Waterstone slurry is slippery.

On Jul 27, 10:56 am, "Jim Hall"
wrote:
I've been using wet/dry sandpaper. It's a tedious/time consuming job and
seems to wear out the paper fairly fast. I see Norton has a flattening
stone. I wonder if they're more efficient. Any suggestions on how best to
get this job done? Thanks..

Drywall screen.

Not to worry.. Even if you had a stainless steel sink, you wouldn't want to
be slurring up the kitchen counter. Trust me.. Its a territorial thing.
Try making beer on the kitchen stove or canning tuna.. same thing.. not
good..

I learned that one at previous house.. New house has a fiberglass wash tub
basin/sink in the garage and I bought an outside propane burner for the
other.. Life is much better that way..

"Swingman" wrote in message
...
"B A R R Y" wrote

I flatten in
the kitchen sink.

I would ... if we had anything BUT a ceramic kitchen sink! I still can't
believe I didn't overrule that idea at the get go.

Amazing, the many ways women have of getting their way!

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 5/14/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

I have a Tormek too, Barry.. but flattening plane iron on side of Tormek
grinding wheel was never to successful for me. I do grind the initial plane
iron bevel on it and use it for carving, lathe tools and lots of other
things.. I'm glad to have it and it does make sharpening easier for other
tools.. You know I wonder just how sharp you really have to get tools.
There's probably a point at which sharper doesn't really matter.
Christopher Schwarz has this video DVD on sharpening scrapers. He's
polishing those puppy's on waterstones and doing all this stuff before
burnishing. I lent the DVD to a woodshop instructor and he thought it was
all nice but ended up still instructing students with just a mill file and
burnisher. At what point, I wonder, does it just become perfectionist
versus practical.. In other words, does an 8000 grit waterstone, for
example, really make a difference. I have one and use one, but wonder, does
it really make a difference for the average woodworker..


"B A R R Y" wrote in message
...
Swingman wrote:
"B A R R Y" wrote

I've found flattening to be easier if done often, before major work is
necessary.

I've finally learned to deal with it ... thank gawd for the WS300!

What a difference it's made in keeping chisels and plane irons sharp
without
fuss/muss and "waterstone" mess all over the bench/shop.

(Just had to throw that in) ... mainly because it so damn true!



I have a Tormek. I only usually use a 4000/8000, once backs are
flattened. Very little mess, as they only need a spritz. I flatten in
the kitchen sink.

Jim Hall wrote:
At what point, I wonder, does it
just become perfectionist versus practical.. In other words, does an
8000 grit waterstone, for example, really make a difference. I have one
and use one, but wonder, does it really make a difference for the
average woodworker..

Like many other areas of life, the law of diminishing returns applies.

For straight-grained mahogany it's probably not necessary to be
super-sharp. When dealing with heavily figured wood with reversing
grain (or cutting end-grain in spruce/pine) it makes sense to get the
blade as sharp as possible.

Chris

On Tue, 29 Jul 2008 01:27:44 +0100, Andy Dingley
wrote:

On Sun, 27 Jul 2008 07:56:13 -0700, "Jim Hall"
wrote:

Any suggestions on how best to get this job done?

Concrete step outside the workshop. Same one I use for flatening
cuttlefish bones (for casting silver jewellery).

Wash it off afterwards. Waterstone slurry is slippery.


I've read that somewhere (about the concrete) but have not tried it
(yet).

Jim Hall wrote:
I have a Tormek too, Barry.. but flattening plane iron on side of
Tormek grinding wheel was never to successful for me.

I do that on stones or glass. G

In other words, does an
8000 grit waterstone, for example, really make a difference. I have one
and use one, but wonder, does it really make a difference for the
average woodworker..

I think so, and it only takes seconds.

Chris Friesen wrote:


Chris

Hey! You're famous this month! G