Scary Sharpening Tip

[Jacob]

I've never watched a scary sharp video. My father showed me how to get get my Footprint chisels and my Stanley No 4 plane blade sharp (all part of my youngsters too kit aged about 8 (I guess) - and all tools I still have and use). This was about 40 years ago. He used "wet and dry" either on a foundry plate, or a sheet of thick glass, and some liquid (can't remember what), to keep the paper down and thin lubricating oil from his can to lube the grinding surface. He was an engineer (Midlands) and I suspect he had been doing it since he was an apprentice. It's not new and it's not scary. I have no idea why people go on about it.

Tools were never rusty. If they were not used much they were stored in some special brown paper.

It's how we did cylinder heads. I did a Beezer Bantam and an M21. Not successfully ISTR :roll:

 

[transatlantic]

I've never watched a scary sharp video. My father showed me how to get get my Footprint chisels and my Stanley No 4 plane blade sharp (all part of my youngsters too kit aged about 8 (I guess) - and all tools I still have and use). This was about 40 years ago. He used "wet and dry" either on a foundry plate, or a sheet of thick glass, and some liquid (can't remember what), to keep the paper down and thin lubricating oil from his can to lube the grinding surface. He was an engineer (Midlands) and I suspect he had been doing it since he was an apprentice. It's not new and it's not scary. I have no idea why people go on about it.

Tools were never rusty. If they were not used much they were stored in some special brown paper.

Yeah, the name is stupid.

Whilst using abrasive paper to sharpen is nothing new, the accessibility/affordibilty to such fine grades is (the silly low micron ones)

So I consider it an improvement to an old technique, using better materials.

Sent from my SM-J510FN using Tapatalk
U

 

[ED65]

It's not new and it's not scary.

Yeah in a previous thread I mentioned that I've read references to this from well before WW2. Still trying to track down the earlier mentions from the noughts or teens.

I have no idea why people go on about it.

As irritating as many of us find it the catchy name helps! And frankly it initially did give results that a lot (possibly the majority) of others, who weren't all armchair warriors by any means, were not then able to get with whatever else they were using. It doesn't reflect poorly on the other systems, although obviously it can seem that way, but it had the grass-is-always-greener thing going for it.

Plus of course the low startup cost was/is so attractive. Thankfully now there are other options that can directly compete on price right at the start, with the added advantage of lasting years and years.

 

[FatmanG]

Just watched this video by Jonathan Katz-Moses where he's just discovered the 'Scary Sharpening' system (has he been living under a rock?) ... anyway, he pointed out that if you spray the plate first with water, it gives you a chance to not only reposition the adhesive backed abrasive, but also work out the air bubbles.

Thought I'd share, as it's new to me.

He's the guy that makes his living hawking useless dovetail accessories making countless you tube videos of him never making anything. One of god only knows how many of his ilk. I'm no Chippendale but I know enough to spot a charlatan when I see one. I told him so too.

 

[ED65]

He's the guy that makes his living hawking useless dovetail accessories making countless you tube videos of him never making anything. One of god only knows how many of his ilk. I'm no Chippendale but I know enough to spot a charlatan when I see one. I told him so too.

I don't wish to start an argument, and I have no particular desire to defend him, but fair is fair. His dovetail guide block is not useless; any more than all similar magnetic sawing guides are, of which there are quite a few.

And FYI he's a working carpenter/furniture maker who started up a woodworking channel, not the other way around (not that there's anything wrong with doing it the other way around). The merch and other stuff sold off the back of his channel is a ah, 'side hussle' I believe is the term du jour.

 

[transatlantic]

Thankfully now there are other options that can directly compete on price right at the start, with the added advantage of lasting years and years.

Do you mean diamond stones? Other than waterstones I don't know of other systems that have such high grits.

 

[Jacob]

Thankfully now there are other options that can directly compete on price right at the start, with the added advantage of lasting years and years.

Do you mean diamond stones? Other than waterstones I don't know of other systems that have such high grits.

Oil stones are the only ones which last for years and years and available in finer grades than even woodworkers need.

 

[AndyT]

Shall we just leave that there, love-all as they say in tennis?
Some of us have new year resolutions to keep! ;-)

 

[ED65]

Thankfully now there are other options that can directly compete on price right at the start, with the added advantage of lasting years and years.

Do you mean diamond stones? Other than waterstones I don't know of other systems that have such high grits.

Diamonds mainly, but not just plates. The plates are available up to at least 3000# for those who want one that fine; I don't feel that's necessary but IMV.

If anyone wants/needs a honing surface that goes even higher they can get diamond paste or suspension, or instead a suitable metal polish, and impregnate a hard material with it. Going another way entirely a slate hone followed by stropping on leather can yield very similar results.

 

[transatlantic]

If anyone wants/needs a honing surface that goes even higher they can get diamond paste or suspension, or instead a suitable metal polish, and impregnate a hard material with it. Going another way entirely a slate hone followed by stropping on leather can yield very similar results.

So for the sake of discussion, I'd be curious to see your shopping list (with urls)

Here would be the abrasive paper route :

Float Glass : https://www.workshopheaven.com/float-gl ... -10mm.html (£25)
40 Micron (~300 grit) : https://www.workshopheaven.com/3m-lappi ... o-psa.html (£3)
12 Micron (~1000 grit) : https://www.workshopheaven.com/3m-lappi ... o-psa.html (£3)
3 Micron (~8000 grit) : https://www.workshopheaven.com/3m-lappi ... o-psa.html (£3)

So lets call it £35. The plate isn't even a consumable. Each sheet can be cut into 3. For the hobbyist, that's maybe £9 every few months.

Over the years it's going to add up, but I would still recommend it to anyone entering the hobby. Even if you do change to some other system at a later date, the plate will come in use for other things, so your outlay is arguably only for the sheets.

 

[FatmanG]

He's the guy that makes his living hawking useless dovetail accessories making countless you tube videos of him never making anything. One of god only knows how many of his ilk. I'm no Chippendale but I know enough to spot a charlatan when I see one. I told him so too.

I don't wish to start an argument, and I have no particular desire to defend him, but fair is fair. His dovetail guide block is not useless; any more than all similar magnetic sawing guides are, of which there are quite a few.

And FYI he's a working carpenter/furniture maker who started up a woodworking channel, not the other way around (not that there's anything wrong with doing it the other way around). The merch and other stuff sold off the back of his channel is a ah, 'side hussle' I believe is the term du jour.

I'm too tired to argue I spent all afternoon sanding in my shed. I'm just reading another thread called favourite you tube woodworker and its getting pretty feisty. I've no desire for that kind of nonsense so I shall shut my big mouth and carry on reading the threads on here I don't have to watch him.
Cheers
Glenn

 

[ED65]

So for the sake of discussion, I'd be curious to see your shopping list (with urls)

Well working with diamonds (in any form) you can ditch the float glass so really this is too easy

Seriously though, you don't need to look any further than my thread from a while ago where I asked people for their cheapest day-to-day honing setup and suggested one of my own (which I still use). Right now, I mean literally today, you could get an equivalent to my suggestion for nearly exactly £2.50 + however much your chosen source charges for Autosol, Peek or other metal polish. Assume that source is a bit gougey and we'll call it £8.50 all-in.

Now if you want a full hand-sharpening setup you have to add at least one more diamond plate at the coarse end, and if you want to go finer than what I think is fine enough you need to add a third. Adds another fiver.

So that would be one ultra-coarse, one fine, one very fine, metal polish (substrate for this assumed to be free) all for £13.50. This is being generous, the polish should not cost six quid.