I seem to have finally gotten the sharpening thing down with sandpaper - the
Scary Sharp technique. I'm able to get my chisels sharp enough to shave my
arm, although my wife was not impressed. Anyway, I buy paper at $1.00 a
sheet, and it lasts through maybe 1 sharpening of 3 chisels, so with tax for
7 sheets, about $2.50 every time I sharpen a largish chisel. 1000x/4000x
combo water stones are $25 from Lee Valley. Not having used stones before,
how long do they last compared to paper? Has anyone done a cost comparison?
Is there one sharpening method that is the most cost effective?

Cheers!
Dukester

"Dukester" wrote in message
...
I seem to have finally gotten the sharpening thing down with sandpaper -
the
Scary Sharp technique. I'm able to get my chisels sharp enough to shave
my
arm, although my wife was not impressed. Anyway, I buy paper at $1.00 a
sheet, and it lasts through maybe 1 sharpening of 3 chisels, so with tax
for
7 sheets, about $2.50 every time I sharpen a largish chisel. 1000x/4000x
combo water stones are $25 from Lee Valley. Not having used stones
before,
how long do they last compared to paper? Has anyone done a cost
comparison?
Is there one sharpening method that is the most cost effective?

Cheers!
Dukester


Stones, with proper care, last until they're dropped. I'm probably not the
only one who's using stones his father used before him.

I regard sandpaper _honing_ as an expedient method, used when the stones are
not handy, or I just need a fresh edge to take a couple of passes. The tool
is then stropped for the final edge.

Duke, Stones will definitely cost less to use than sand paper. The Scary
Sharp method has a place, I use it to flatten the soles of my planes as I
can get a larger flat surface to accommodate the large plane soles.

Stones will also allow for greater control and much speedier sharpening. I
find that I can get the edge I desire faster with stones.

Many here will argue for paper but in the end, stones are better.

Dave

"Dukester" wrote in message
...
I seem to have finally gotten the sharpening thing down with sandpaper -
the
Scary Sharp technique. I'm able to get my chisels sharp enough to shave
my
arm, although my wife was not impressed. Anyway, I buy paper at $1.00 a
sheet, and it lasts through maybe 1 sharpening of 3 chisels, so with tax
for
7 sheets, about $2.50 every time I sharpen a largish chisel. 1000x/4000x
combo water stones are $25 from Lee Valley. Not having used stones
before,
how long do they last compared to paper? Has anyone done a cost
comparison?
Is there one sharpening method that is the most cost effective?

Cheers!
Dukester





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"Dukester" wrote:

I seem to have finally gotten the sharpening thing down with sandpaper - the
Scary Sharp technique. I'm able to get my chisels sharp enough to shave my
arm, although my wife was not impressed. Anyway, I buy paper at $1.00 a
sheet, and it lasts through maybe 1 sharpening of 3 chisels,

I get about a hundred times more sharpenings per piece of sandpaper.
Blue zirconia for the rough grits and silicon carbide for the rest. It
doesn't cut as fast after a while, but it still cuts fast enough for
me. Just use a nylon brush and a shop-vac to keep the paper from
clogging and you won't have to spend so much.

Ken Muldrew

(remove all letters after y in the alphabet)

In addition you need a method of flattening the stones. I bought two
flattening stones to find that they needed flattening. So now I have
invested in a diasharp 3"x8" course stone, which allowed me to flatten
the flattening stones, which would allow me to flatten the real stones
when I get em.

The diamond stone takes material off VERY fast, so with one of those in
a course grit, you could skip a water stone or two on the bottom end.

Alan

On Tue, 01 Mar 2005 19:18:31 GMT, the inscrutable
(Ken Muldrew) spake:

"Dukester" wrote:

I seem to have finally gotten the sharpening thing down with sandpaper - the
Scary Sharp technique. I'm able to get my chisels sharp enough to shave my
arm, although my wife was not impressed. Anyway, I buy paper at $1.00 a
sheet, and it lasts through maybe 1 sharpening of 3 chisels,

I get about a hundred times more sharpenings per piece of sandpaper.
Blue zirconia for the rough grits and silicon carbide for the rest. It
doesn't cut as fast after a while, but it still cuts fast enough for
me. Just use a nylon brush and a shop-vac to keep the paper from
clogging and you won't have to spend so much.

Another very important tip: Don't plane the sandpaper.
Pull, don't push.

--
Remember: Every silver lining has a cloud.
----
http://diversify.com Comprehensive Website Development

Ken Muldrew wrote:

I get about a hundred times more sharpenings per piece of sandpaper.
Blue zirconia for the rough grits and silicon carbide for the rest. It
doesn't cut as fast after a while, but it still cuts fast enough for
me. Just use a nylon brush and a shop-vac to keep the paper from
clogging and you won't have to spend so much.

I'm trying that new high dollar stuff from 3M that's supposed to outlast
everything else. Wish I could remember the name. Anyway, it's living up
to the hype so far. I'm getting forever and a day out of a piece. I've
been throwing them away after I cut them, wadded them up, or otherwise did
something stupid and careless. (I don't glue my paper down, but rather
clamp a series of sheets to the same hunk of granite. Works fine, but
ruined sandpaper is the price for carelessness in clamping.)

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/