Easiest Blade and Chisel Sharpening

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hi john,

I have used DMT with no problems for 3 years, I have just heard custard on here saying the atoma are the best ones he's ever used and I respect his opinion highly, nout wrong with DMT or EZE lap, they will last forever if well looked after.
 
Atomas have diamonds in little piles. They're more precisely graded, but the piles are installed orderly (a nice thing for leveling stoned), in rows. Think of a marching band and looking across the ranks and diagonals.

You may or may not like that feel in honing something, though - especially on 400 and less - you can feel sort of a zipper type feeling. They are wonderfully flat, though, and not that expensive if you order them directly from japan (now that stu tierney has stopped, just search anywhere - ebay, etc).

DMTs always seem to have large stray diamonds on them, as do the new ezelaps, and ezelaps can have a seeming crust around the edges (that goes away, just like the large ones on the DMTs). Plastic backed DMTs are nicely flat, ezelaps are close. Both slow down more than the atomas, but that means just expect it - they last in slow mode for a long time, and if you like a 1000 grit water stone-ish kind of thing, expect it with a 600 grit ezelap and something similar for DMT - perhaps both of those will become slightly slower than a strong cutting 1000 grit stone.

(technique is still more important than all of it, aside from saying that if you're flattening stones with a diamond hone, atoma is the clear winner in my opinion. For regular sharpening, I'd prefer the ultex type stuff - double sided 8x3 for about $25US for the "DMD" branded version of those. They're not perfectly flat, but you probably won't be doing much back work on them, anyway - the finish stone can handle that, and prep for it can be done on sandpaper).
 
I use the back of a pig, thats rubbed down with lard, bit like cannibalisum, but it seems to work and the pig likes it ...... (hammer)
 
I'm curious what kind of flat stable material do people use with these cheap thin diamond plates.
I have glued mine on to 20mm plywood but it soaked up water and warped. not good.
 
Osvaldd":3nmqb0aq said:
I'm curious what kind of flat stable material do people use with these cheap thin diamond plates.
I have glued mine on to 20mm plywood but it soaked up water and warped. not good.
Better by far, cheaper and faster cutting, is thin paper-backed wet n dry used very wet on an impervious surface. Once flooded and well soaked it stays down flatter than cloth backed or glued down.
Good idea to keep the sheets between boards so they stay flat. For a long plane sole just use two sheets end to end. I do mine on my planer bed with white spirit.
I seem to do it most often to old chisel faces which have been slightly dubbed over by previous owner - I guess by flattening on dry sand paper. Otherwise difficult to sharpen and take off the burr.
 
I've got some but rarely use them, so in my case the answer is Nothing.

But if you want something more stable than plywood, then painted softwood, hardwood, tile, stone, steel - whatever you can find. Modern construction adhesive in a cartridge will stick to anything.
 
Osvaldd":2t8l1nae said:
I'm curious what kind of flat stable material do people use with these cheap thin diamond plates.
As I've mentioned before (this thread I'm sure) I simply clamp mine down to the workbench top. Sure you lose some length but long strokes aren't vital with a diamond plate especially; you can perfectly reasonably hone across stones and plates – made all the more doable with diamonds because they're so abrasive – meaning the length becomes almost irrelevant (making the premium for long plates all the more questionable for many users).

Osvaldd":2t8l1nae said:
I have glued mine on to 20mm plywood but it soaked up water and warped. not good.
If you're gonna use water ya gotta use a waterproof substrate. Although perhaps this indicates you're using a little too much liquid most cheaper WBP ply, as from the likes of B&Q, is not up to much.

Just to repeat: you can use diamond plates dry and they work perfectly well that way.

Unlike with stones there is no issue with glazing, the surface can't clog up badly and it's the work of moments to clean if you're doing a lot of work in one session. The swarf doesn't cling when it's dry, you can just wipe it off with kitchen paper. Or sweep off with a dirty-jobs brush, or lift it off using a strong magnet inside a plastic bag.

If it's felt necessary you can do a deep clean with a wad of kitchen paper wet with white spirit about once or twice a year, after which your plates will look virtually new again. But this is a cosmetic thing, the difference in cutting between slightly grubby looking and totally clean is unnoticeable. At least from 1,000 grit and on down.
 
I have a couple stuck to MDF. I haven't had any warping, but they're not my main stones either.

Jacob":2amuo34n said:
Better by far, cheaper and faster cutting, is thin paper-backed wet n dry used very wet on an impervious surface. Once flooded and well soaked it stays down flatter than cloth backed or glued down.
I wouldn't call sandpaper cheaper, or better for that matter.

Thin diamond plates cost £3-4 each and last for months to years. Sandpaper lasts hardly any time at all, a few weeks maybe? Also, you can't tear a diamond plate if it gets snagged.
 
I have used the Axminster self-adhesive diamond plates for around 3 years or so, stuck to a granite tile from a local tile supplier, which is as flat as I am ever likely to need. Can't remember the cost - depends on the size, but not an arm and a leg.
 
I have some kitchen tiles but none are flat, there's either a hollow or a bump in them.
 
Rich C":34kgy2ae said:
.....

Jacob":34kgy2ae said:
Better by far, cheaper and faster cutting, is thin paper-backed wet n dry used very wet on an impervious surface. Once flooded and well soaked it stays down flatter than cloth backed or glued down.
I wouldn't call sandpaper cheaper, or better for that matter.

Thin diamond plates cost £3-4 each and last for months to years. Sandpaper lasts hardly any time at all, a few weeks maybe? Also, you can't tear a diamond plate if it gets snagged.
Yebbut how often do you need to flatten the face of a chisel (i.e. the first 10mm or so) or the sole of a plane? For me - once in the lifetime of the tool. Doesn't tear or get snagged and it is silicon carbide not any old "sand".
I wouldn't use it for routine sharpening - just remedial work. Routine: just oil stone.
 
I've taken the advice on this thread re diamond plates, cheap from Alibaba.

Really happy with the result!! They cost me between £1.50 - £3 each, I bought a handful, different grits and a couple of different designs. Can't ask for much more really. They were delivered within 3 weeks.

I haven't stock them to anything yet. I have some glass plate which I previously used for the wet n dry paper method. A may epoxy them to that, but for now, I just use them on a table top.

I'll post pics at some point. I did sharpen some kitchen knives was well - hair shaving sharpness achieved !

Really happy - a super sharpening solution for £10 all in!

Just need to sort myself out a cheap stropping solution and autosol. Not got round to that yet.


Edit: got my sharpening threads mixed up. I meant to post this on ED65's thread, here:

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic? ... source=app

Regarding ease, I will probably buy a honing guide at some point, free hand works, but I like knowing I have a consistent angle.






Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
 
Osvaldd":o8sfwl9h said:
I have some kitchen tiles but none are flat, there's either a hollow or a bump in them.

I wonder what is the easiest way of flattening them... :wink:
 
Jacob":3q08uq99 said:
Yebbut how often do you need to flatten the face of a chisel (i.e. the first 10mm or so) or the sole of a plane? For me - once in the lifetime of the tool. Doesn't tear or get snagged and it is silicon carbide not any old "sand".
I wouldn't use it for routine sharpening - just remedial work. Routine: just oil stone.
You can call it whatever you like, it's still sand by another name. I'm yet to see a wet and dry paper that won't tear, especially when saturated with water.

Regardless, you can get a set of diamond plates for the cost of a pack of wet and dry and that's before we even get into buying oilstones.

Much cleaner in use too.
 
Pain in the ar#e they are! was using the 300g today after hitting a staple.
Mostly I find them useful for reducing the camber using the corners but they keep tipping.
I have some narrow granite pieces somewhere and plenty of epoxy and a stone grinding disc for the angle grinder so must do it soon.
I like the ones bonded to the steel plates, as I only have space for two stones, this one will be a bit awkward to put away compared to an Ultex or whatever.
 
Rich C":358tbatq said:
Jacob":358tbatq said:
Yebbut how often do you need to flatten the face of a chisel (i.e. the first 10mm or so) or the sole of a plane? For me - once in the lifetime of the tool. Doesn't tear or get snagged and it is silicon carbide not any old "sand".
I wouldn't use it for routine sharpening - just remedial work. Routine: just oil stone.
You can call it whatever you like, it's still sand by another name. I'm yet to see a wet and dry paper that won't tear, especially when saturated with water.
It doesn't tear if you do it right. White spirit, not water. Water causes rust.
Regardless, you can get a set of diamond plates for the cost of a pack of wet and dry and that's before we even get into buying oilstones.

Much cleaner in use too.
Yes to messy. Copious supply of oily rags required. I use wet n dry just for remedial work , not routine sharpening, and a pack lasts for years. Typically about 25p a sheet. Two sheets 80 grit and you can flatten a no.7 sole quickly and easily - if you've got a big enough impermeable flat surface to put them on
For sharpening oilstones are cheapest option by far - they last for life.
 

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