Diamond sharpening, buying advice !

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I can reccomend the 1mm thick Chinese el cheapo diamond plates. They cost about 3-4 quid each and do well for bevels. Grades from ~120 up to 3000 are available. these are about 7x3" in old money, larger are available if you search. The thin plate is quite stiff; if it bothers you stick it onto something flat with polyurethane glue. Look on Ali Express or ebay. Ali Express now charges for VAT so prices gone up a bit for UK delivery (another Brexit minus).
I grind ~25deg on a wet wheel, and sharpen 30ish on the diamond 1000 or 1500 grit, and finish about 32-35 on a fine 8000 waterstone, kept flat with wet/dry on a glass plate. When waterstone worn out, will finish on abrasive film on the glass. This should last well, as last sharpening takes only about 6 strokes.
To flatten backs, use abrasive film on glass; you don't do it often, so film lasts. Also use DC's ruler trick (google for details).
No need to spend big money on a single stone!
 
I can reccomend the 1mm thick Chinese el cheapo diamond plates. They cost about 3-4 quid each and do well for bevels. Grades from ~120 up to 3000 are available. these are about 7x3" in old money, larger are available if you search. The thin plate is quite stiff; if it bothers you stick it onto something flat with polyurethane glue. Look on Ali Express or ebay. Ali Express now charges for VAT so prices gone up a bit for UK delivery (another Brexit minus).
I grind ~25deg on a wet wheel, and sharpen 30ish on the diamond 1000 or 1500 grit, and finish about 32-35 on a fine 8000 waterstone, kept flat with wet/dry on a glass plate. When waterstone worn out, will finish on abrasive film on the glass. This should last well, as last sharpening takes only about 6 strokes.
To flatten backs, use abrasive film on glass; you don't do it often, so film lasts. Also use DC's ruler trick (google for details).
No need to spend big money on a single stone!

An excellent suggestion.
 
Years ago I lent my old banger to a neighbour who was desperate to move some stuff, his posh something or other wouldn't start. Mine was a scruffy old Bedford CA van, £100, reliable, just three speed which was common in the 70s. He came back mission accomplished and said how surprisingly nice it was to drive; good visibility, radio, comfortable, good heater, brakes etc. Went out and bought one!
The only drawback was the low speed - 80mph max or it'd overheat.
I have a new xc90, and cars form 1979 and 1981, I know which one I would chose to go any distance ...........
The old cars are fun but ultimately they are carp compared to modern cars. I haven't had a new car which wouldn't start for the last 30 years.
Halcyon days .................. or sometimes Halcyon Daze for some people
 
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I have a new xc90, and cars form 1979 and 1981, I know which one I would chose to go any distance ...........
The old cars are fun but ultimately they are carp compared to modern cars. I haven't had a new car which wouldn't start for the last 30 years.
Halcyon days .................. or sometimes Halcyon Daze for some people

Not to side with Jacob (that's definitely not the case), but the XC 90 at 20 years old would probably make you wish you had a 1980 Toyota.

There were a few reliable cars here in the states, but a lot of the base cars had carbs - it's not hard to understand ignition and carbs on those old cars, but nobody wanted to. Fuel injection started appearing widespread here in the late 80s (it was here long long before, but I mean as a base option in everything, even cheap cars), and that was about the end of that (and about the time that people stopped talking about cleaning carbon from cars by punching them).

There were some cars around the time you mention, though, that would go very far - especially diesel cars before emissions. A 300D is like a sewing machine, and i'm not sure I could point to anything MB has made in the last 25 years that anyone would refer to as reliable. But I think that's a business choice.

I let my wife drive a nice car, and I drive a 2008 Scion XB - so far, I have replaced the brake discs twice, tires a few times, and battery twice (it's due for another)..and, well, I guess wiper blades and a few coils. But we're nearing 12 years.

The total cost of the coils and one bulb change in the real license plate (which in that car involves removing the trim from the rear door - dumb - I let a mechanic do that for $70 rather than learning how the trim was fitted)...anyway, total cost of the non-wear items (5 coils and the labor charge for the license plate bulb..

...$170).

It is an illustration of what you say - little from the 80s could match it. Unfortunately, since the mid 2000s, honda and toyota have had a change of heart and the cars are filled with plastic rubbish (and we've stopped getting much imported from japan, which is where my lowly lunchbox was made). I think it's over.

I can technically afford an XC, but probably not as comfortably as you can - the philosophy of automakers now scares me. I can see it both ways (when's the last time someone had the pleasure of riding in a short wheelbase car with narrow 13" tires...here where freezing is common (and thus resulting potholes), that's a spinebuster).
 
I may be a lone voice here, but does it really matter if a water stone isn't flat? I gave up flattening mine a while ago, and I find my moving around the stone I can get the edge I want. Mine are King double sided, bought I guess 20 years ago when I started on the journey that Jacob described. However in my case I've always been too tight to splash out on the other sharpening fads, so my journey just went from oil stone to water stone.

By the way we had a Bedford CA as a family car when I was a kid. D reg which I think was 1966, 1500cc with three speed column shift. But I'd be really surprised if it could manage 80mph, it wasn't really happy at 60.
 
I may be a lone voice here, but does it really matter if a water stone isn't flat? I gave up flattening mine a while ago, and I find my moving around the stone I can get the edge I want. Mine are King double sided, bought I guess 20 years ago when I started on the journey that Jacob described. However in my case I've always been too tight to splash out on the other sharpening fads, so my journey just went from oil stone to water stone.

By the way we had a Bedford CA as a family car when I was a kid. D reg which I think was 1966, 1500cc with three speed column shift. But I'd be really surprised if it could manage 80mph, it wasn't really happy at 60.

I think that's a good point. A wise man (Chris Tribe on his sharpening and tool fettling course) once said to me that it's best to find a way of sharpening that works for you and then stick to it as it's better to spend time doing woodwork than wasting it arguing about the best way to get a few extra atoms aligned perfectly.
 
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By the way we had a Bedford CA as a family car when I was a kid. D reg which I think was 1966, 1500cc with three speed column shift. But I'd be really surprised if it could manage 80mph, it wasn't really happy at 60.
Actually only hit 80 once - bombing down the M1. Temp gauge went off the dial and had to slow right down for a few miles and then go back to steady 60. It was our family vehicle too and fondly remembered - cruising through Wales in high summer with the sliding doors wide open, camping holidays....
 
Hello guys, thankyou for such a number of replies and also for sharing your thoughts ....
Listening to your experiences was very interesting !!!
For the way I sharpen my tools I really want to try diamond stones,
because If they cut steel and are flat with the help of a strop I'm done ...
I learned the hard way that when talking tools cheap is bad so whenever I can I buy the best I can afford ...
This time though given the huge difference of money between Atoma and a cheap diamond stone set,
I think I'll have a try with the cheap ones, if anything is wrong I wont waste a lot of money
and will still have the chance to upgrade.

For this purpose I've selected this set :

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Faithfull-...prefix=diamond+sharpening+ston,aps,229&sr=8-6
I'll buy it on the italian amazon with free shipping and it will be also returnable ...
Do you see other options in the same range ?
 
Hello guys, thankyou for such a number of replies and also for sharing your thoughts ....
Listening to your experiences was very interesting !!!
For the way I sharpen my tools I really want to try diamond stones,
because If they cut steel and are flat with the help of a strop I'm done ...
I learned the hard way that when talking tools cheap is bad so whenever I can I buy the best I can afford ...
This time though given the huge difference of money between Atoma and a cheap diamond stone set,
I think I'll have a try with the cheap ones, if anything is wrong I wont waste a lot of money
and will still have the chance to upgrade.

For this purpose I've selected this set :

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Faithfull-...prefix=diamond+sharpening+ston,aps,229&sr=8-6
I'll buy it on the italian amazon with free shipping and it will be also returnable ...
Do you see other options in the same range ?
Mikey, a wise choice IMO , similar to the double sided one I bought (early post) been very pleased with mine for the price. My philosophy on tool purchase is the same as yours, bye cheap bye twice ! So with a caveat that other than a one off use I always buy the best I can. Good luck
 
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