Ultimate sharpening- Any more room for Improvement?

[MrDavidRoberts]

Continuing my never ending quest to get the sharpest edge,
My setup so far for sharpening plane blades/chisels:

-400/1000 Diamond stone
-Autosol paste on strop ( circa 3-4k which gets progressively smaller I think)
-Chromium oxide on strop ( something stupid high as 30-50k)

I get an edge I can shave with (I have a bald hand right now..) and it aces the paper test ( need to hold the paper only against 1 corner and barely slide the blade for it to slice the paper). I started at first with the diamond stone and it was such an improvement over what I used in past, than I got the Autosol paste-again it was amazing improvement, than got the Chromium oxide and again It was a great improvement.
Again.. I'm thinking,perhaps there's more room for improvement?
Any Tips from those who have perfected this to perfection?


Please no useless posts such as - ''I sharpen everything to 1k & I have never tried anything else but that's the best method''

 

[Bodgers]

Continuing my never ending quest to get the sharpest edge,
My setup so far for sharpening plane blades/chisels:

-400/1000 Diamond stone
-Autosol paste on strop ( circa 3-4k which gets progressively smaller I think)
-Chromium oxide on strop ( something stupid high as 30-50k)

I get an edge I can shave with (I have a bald hand right now..) and it aces the paper test ( need to hold the paper only against 1 corner and barely slide the blade for it to slice the paper). I started at first with the diamond stone and it was such an improvement over what I used in past, than I got the Autosol paste-again it was amazing improvement, than got the Chromium oxide and again It was a great improvement.
Again.. I'm thinking,perhaps there's more room for improvement?
Any Tips from those who have perfected this to perfection?


Please no useless posts such as - ''I sharpen everything to 1k & I have never tried anything else but that's the best method''

'I sharpen everything to 1.2k & I have never tried anything else but that's the best method'

Sent from my MI 3W using Tapatalk

 

[transatlantic]

The improvement from Autosol to Chromium oxide, how long is that noticeable for? It's always impressive to see people get things so sharp, but if it's lost after a flew light blows with a mallet, whats the point?

 

[Brandlin]

Please no useless posts such as [...]

Well that's pretty judgemental.

I was going to ask why you seek something sharper. Is it a quest for your own fun? No problem with that but i can't think of a practical reason to need anything that sharp.

But... as my post is a useless one....

 

[MikeG.]

Continuing my never ending quest to........

I think most of us know what your never ending quest is, and it isn't anything to do with chisels.

 

[ED65]

I'm thinking,perhaps there's more room for improvement?

There is but it's absolutely pointless for most woodworking to go much (or any) farther.

If I may suggest, stop faffing about and use the edges that you currently have; they are after all what you have to work with now anyway, you'd best learn to use them or you're in a bit of a pickle!

The next stage is hair-poppingly sharp (Google that if you want to know just how sharp that is). You can get there with your current sharpening gear, when it comes to freehand honing that last little bit is nearly 100% about technique and not about materials. But there's every likelihood that you're not going to get there any time soon – some people have strived for edges this good most of their adult lives and failed to achieve them. The simple fact is not everyone can do it, but the good news is that you don't have to be able to go that far to have something you can work with on chisels and even more so on plane irons.

 

[Rorschach]

You also run the risk of spending more time sharpening than actually woodworking :mrgreen:

I see it with the knife sharpening guys on youtube and forums. They spends hours sharpening their knives and I often wonder how long do they actually spend using them?

My kitchen knives I like to spend as little time as possible sharpening them, they dull in use so sharpening needs to be done often and a super fine edge takes too long to achieve and won't last long anyway.

It would make the aficionados shudder I am sure but my main kitchen knife sharpening method takes probably 30 seconds or less per knife and achieves an edge that will shave my arm easily.
Similarly my methods for sharpening tools are as quick as I can make them, I don't want to faff around, I just want to get on with my work.

 

[Woodmonkey]

I keep a hamster in the workshop so i don't end up with bald arms. It doesn't seem to mind being shaved. I have a feeling it's skin acts as a strop as the chisels often seem sharper afterwards.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

You will need to strop lightly on a very fine leather, such as the well-oiled skin of a naked Cuban virgin. The back or thighs can be used for straight edges, and other parts of their anatomy for curved edges.

This is extremely effective, but is a well-kept secret because of the difficulty in obtaining them, and keeping them from the attention of the authorities.

No - you can't borrow mine.

 

[Bm101]

I keep a hamster in the workshop so i don't end up with bald arms. It doesn't seem to mind being shaved. I have a feeling it's skin acts as a strop as the chisels often seem sharper afterwards.

Great tip Woodmonkey.
It's been a busy morning but I shot down the petshop after reading and sure enough after 10 minutes...

The only issue I had was that I might have gone a little far with your Ultimate Honing method and as I've lifted the the chisel to inspect the edge I've only somehow managed to cut a small tear in the fabric of the universe. I put my finger through it and wiggled my finger about a little bit but not much seemed to happen so I've just tried to staple it up for the moment. Not quite sure what else to do really. Mastic maybe? You cant really see it unless you kind of squint at it from the side so I might just leave it tbh.
Thinking about it I might try and fit the dust extractor to it, seems a shame not to use it really...

 

[Woodmonkey]

Yes, this can be a problem when you reach such levels of sharpness. My workshop is full of wormholes now, they mostly seem to swallow up pencils and tape measures.

 

[Sgian Dubh]

No - you can't borrow mine.

Don't tell me - you've had him shovelling the snow off your drive all day so far, and he's too exhausted to loan out. Is that right ... or have I perhaps misunderstood something.

All the previous written tongue in cheek, metaphorically speaking. Slainte.

 

[Lons]

No - you can't borrow mine.

Don't tell me - you've had him shovelling the snow off your drive all day so far, and he's too exhausted to loan out. Is that right ... or have I perhaps misunderstood something.

What do you mean - "HIM"
You've just shattered the mental image I had of a naked Cuban FEMALE

 

[nev]

The Laurel method works for me, shown here in this instructional video at about 4:40

[youtube]-Z6EhA7hiXE[/youtube]

 

[Sgian Dubh]

What do you mean - "HIM" (

Well, he didn't say, did he? Could be male, could be female, or even something else I guess nowadays for all we know. Slainte.

 

[Lons]

What do you mean - "HIM" (

Well, he didn't say, did he? Could be male, could be female, or even something else I guess nowadays for all we know. Slainte.

No he didn't :wink:
The "something else" is a bit disturbing though, hadn't thought of that.
I think I need a lie down in a darkened room now. :lol:

 

[Mark A]

Lons - I'm very disappointed you feel that way. In this day and age gender can be non-binary and we should embrace people's decisions as chromosomes no longer play a part in gender identify.

The next time I fill out an online form I'll type "electric kettle" under gender. It's my decision and if I self-dentify as a kitchen appliance then no-one can argue with that.

[FACE WITH TEARS OF JOY]

Regards,
Electric Kettle aka Mark

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Lons - I'm very disappointed you feel that way. In this day and age gender can be non-binary and we should embrace people's decisions as chromosomes no longer play a part in gender identify.

The next time I fill out an online form I'll type "electric kettle" under gender. It's my decision and if I self-dentify as a kitchen appliance then no-one can argue with that.

[FACE WITH TEARS OF JOY]

Regards,
Electric Kettle aka Mark

Well, you do sound quite switched on about these things, but it might be best not to get too steamed up about it; you could get yourself into hot water.

(By the way, in my original comment I definitely wasn't referring to a 'something else'. It's worth considering that body hair can result in micro-chipping of the edge, which you obviously don't want if you're looking to tear the space-time continuum. Thus, preferably a smooth one - which should cut the options down a bit.)

 

[Lons]

Lons - I'm very disappointed you feel that way. In this day and age gender can be non-binary and we should embrace people's decisions as chromosomes no longer play a part in gender identify.

The next time I fill out an online form I'll type "electric kettle" under gender. It's my decision and if I self-dentify as a kitchen appliance then no-one can argue with that.

[FACE WITH TEARS OF JOY]

Regards,
Electric Kettle aka Mark

Hiya Mark, electric kettle.

I should add of course that I have no objection whatsoever about other peoples personal preferences - as long as I'm not involved.

I was therefore relating only to my own and will go back to imagining the naked female vision. So if that's not politically correct in this day and age it's tough as I didn't decry or demean anyone that might not have the same gender identity as me. (hammer)