Sharpening video on youtube

[Aled Dafis]

I've just published a video on youtube as to how I go about sharpening plane and chisel irons and thought I'd share it with you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFRJIAOGSJI&context=C317f1acADOEgsToPDskJxko6M4gwYc6gkcAbqhMRo

This is my first go at putting a video together, and it was quite straightforward in fact, I used Windows Live Movie Maker, a drag and drop type editor which made the process quite easy. as always with this kind of thing, producing the video takes a ridiculously disproportionate amount of time. The breakdown of time is something like this.

Actual sharpening process including grinding - 2 minutes
Filming - 30 minutes
Editing - 2 hours - I hope to be quicker next time.
Uploading - god knows, I went to bed, but it must have been 5 hours+

Before anybody jumps down my throat saying that I'm wrong, or that their method is better etc. This is the method I use, having tried many different approaches over the years, it works for me, and I'm more than happy with the results it gives me, the video was produced to share information, not to be argued over ad infinitum. I hope it helps somebody out of their sharpening quagmire - I've been there and it's not a nice place.

Cheers
Aled

 

[Paul Chapman]

Excellent video, Aled =D>

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Aled Dafis]

Thanks Paul.

 

[Webby]

=D> =D> thanks good vid .......keep them coming

 

[David C]

Good video.

What grade of diamond stone please?

David C

 

[Aled Dafis]

Good video.

What grade of diamond stone please?

David C

Thanks David I'll take that as a compliment. It's a Trend Double sided stone, of which I only use the fine side. If I were buying new I'd just go for a fine single sided DMT or similar. The polishing power of the strop/diamond paste is amazing, I used to use the Veritas green "crayon" which was excellent, but the Diamond paste has the edge over it (pardon the pun).

Cheers
Aled

 

[woodbloke]

Nice one Aled! - Rob

 

[Lons]

I enjoyed that. Thanks for sharing,
You make it look so easy. Must be the background music :wink:

Bob

 

[Karl]

Good video Aled - though you should ditch that "non-slip" stone holder :lol:

The polishing power of the strop/diamond paste is amazing, I used to use the Veritas green "crayon" which was excellent, but the Diamond paste has the edge over it (pardon the pun).

Cheers
Aled

Have you tried the white crayon Aled? I use both the green and the white, loaded onto a scrap of MDF. Gives excellent results.

Cheers

Karl

 

[Aled Dafis]

I enjoyed that. Thanks for sharing,
You make it look so easy. Must be the background music :wink:

Bob

Thanks Bob (and Rob) the reason I've been meaning to share this method for quite a while is that it really is easy and has very little learning curve, so is great for all woodworkers whatever their level of experience.

Funny you should comment on the music, I think that I'm really too young to admit this at 32, but I'm beginning to find that classical music puts me in the right frame of mind for accurate, considered work and I quite like it. There, done it, I'm "out".

Cheers
Aled

 

[Aled Dafis]

Good video Aled - though you should ditch that "non-slip" stone holder :lol:

The polishing power of the strop/diamond paste is amazing, I used to use the Veritas green "crayon" which was excellent, but the Diamond paste has the edge over it (pardon the pun).

Cheers
Aled

Have you tried the white crayon Aled? I use both the green and the white, loaded onto a scrap of MDF. Gives excellent results.

Cheers

Karl

Thanks Karl. Yes the "non slip" holder is crap, I've been meaning to mount both stone and strop on a single board for a while. I might actually di ot this afternoon seeing as I'm stuck home with tonsilitis.

No I haven't tried the white crayon, I have some at school that I could try, but to be honest this diamond paste is so good that I can't see me changing anytime soon. I'll give it a go though, nothing ventured, nothing gained eh?

Cheers
Aled

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Aled - I enjoyed the video, which was clear, unfussy and showed what needed to be showed without any fancy pretensions. Excellent work.

I was also impressed by the simplicity and cleanliness of this way of sharpening. Apart from the grinding, it can all be done at the bench - no need for seperate 'sharpening stations' knee-deep in water and slurry. It's almost an update on the time-honoured method of oilstone and strop, but the more modern equipment and polishing compounds just make it quicker.

Thanks very much for taking the time to make and post the video!

 

[Aled Dafis]

Aled - I enjoyed the video, which was clear, unfussy and showed what needed to be showed without any fancy pretensions. Excellent work.

I was also impressed by the simplicity and cleanliness of this way of sharpening. Apart from the grinding, it can all be done at the bench - no need for seperate 'sharpening stations' knee-deep in water and slurry. It's almost an update on the time-honoured method of oilstone and strop, but the more modern equipment and polishing compounds just make it quicker.

Thanks very much for taking the time to make and post the video!

Thanks, that's exactly what I was trying to show, that this method is indeed simple. Now that you've mentioned it, it's just that, a bit of an update on the oilstone/strop method.

I've tried the waterstone/slurry/sharpening station method and really couldn't be doing with the mess and the associated cleanup, the cleanup for my method is to give the diamond stone a wipe with a rag, wipe the iron and put the stones back on the shelf - easy!

As regards the "clear, unfussy" video, that was my only option, I don't have the skills or the know how to add any more bells and whistles than I actually did, I was quite happy with the end product though. Thanks for your complements.

Cheers
Aled

 

[Racers]

Hi, Aled

The only thing that concerns me it the overspray from the oil going on to your bench, probbaly the reason your stone slides about.

I have a small sink in my garage and two plastic chopping boards one with cutouts for the stones, that fit over the sink so all the mess is easily dealt with.
I strop with Autosol chrome polish.


Pete

 

[woodbloke]

I'm tempted to invest in some of that gloopy diamond stuff Aled...seems to work very well on a strop. I'm using some green Chromium Oxide powder at the moment which is very good and quite economical, but I suspect the diamond is better - Rob

 

[Aled Dafis]

Pete, I've never really had a problem with the overspray, the reason that the "non slip" bases slide about is that they're actually quite grippy, and they grip onto dust like anything, therefore having a permanent layer of dust stuck to the underside and thus negating the whole grippy interface between pad and bench. I'm going to make a dedicated board for the stone and strop this afternoon.

Rob, yes the Diamond paste is great, here's the link

http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Diamond-Tools

I've used them a few times for taps and dies etc. and their products seem to be great quality at a reasonable price, their service is good also, pretty much next day.

Cheers
Aled

 

[matthewwh]

Nice one Aled,

I'm trying a 120 micron DMT extra extra coarse at the moment as a silent, flat, cordless alternative to a grinder and I have to say I'm very impressed with it.

You are not alone with the classical music thing, nothing to be ashamed of there mate.

 

[Aled Dafis]

Thanks Matthew. That 120 grit DMT should make short work of grinding a primary, but I can't see it beating my Norton 60Grit ;-)

Seriously though, I find a hollow grind to be an advantage when honing by hand as it's easier to feel the bevel as you gently rock the iron in readiness to start raising the burr. A flat bevel doesn't feel as positive, you can almost here the hollow bevel "click" onto the stone.

Cheers
Aled

 

[Racers]

Hi, Aled

You can see the overspray in the video, I am suprised it hasn't caused problems, its probbaly soaked up by the saw dust :wink:

Pete

 

[Harbo]

Nice video Aled - what camera did you use and did you employ a camera person or just a tripod?
It did seem to take a long time grinding especially as you were using the Norton 3M - mine normally just takes a couple of passes. It seemed a bit like Tormek speed?
How do you check for squareness - I normally use a very fine marker pen line to act as a guide.
Do ARC sell grades of paste?
One bit of criticism - were was the Male Voice Choir?

Rod