Does anyone have a CAD file for Edge Pro blanks?

OhioApexing

OhioApexing

Sharpener
Joined
Apr 17, 2018
Messages
235
I recently picked up some Practical Sharpening/Poltava metallic bonded CBN stones and really, really enjoy them. They come unmounted and work pretty well as such but I would like to mount them for my own purposes. Considering that you “lap” (etch, really) them with ferric chloride, aluminum or metal blanks won’t do the trick.

So, I’m thinking I’ll have some blanks 3D printed. There are half a dozen 3D printing shops in my town and I’m sure I could bring a blank to them and get the job done but simply sending over a CAD file would make the job go much quicker for everyone. I haven’t touched a CAD program since roughly 2003 though I might give it a shot myself.

Thanks in advance.
 
How thick do you want it and what file format? Also, you can't share it with anyone, this is only for you please. Keep in mind plastic blanks will give you virtually no structural integrity and far more thermal growth. Do you want me to use your contact email address?
 
Diemaker said:
How thick do you want it and what file format? Also, you can't share it with anyone, this is only for you please. Keep in mind plastic blanks will give you virtually no structural integrity and far more thermal growth. Do you want me to use your contact email address?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply man. I was actually thinking of messaging you directly but didn’t want to impose. I’ll shoot you a message to pick your brain and go over a couple of things. Thanks again.
 
D Diemaker just remembered I can’t message you on here. I’ve got an email address for you from last year but just shoot me an email at my contact address in my signature and I’ll circle back.
 
OhioApexing OhioApexing
Why not just them on Aluminum blanks with 3M Super 77 Spray and when you want to etch just use some non compressed Acetone or Contact Cement Remover to take the stone off of the blank.

All you need to do is just get an old butter knife or gt one from a dollar store and the pout a tiny bit on the edge of the stone and then put the butter knife in a bit more and after 2 or 3 small pours of Contact Cement Remover and your done,you still need to wash the stones and blank off a bit with more Contact Cement Remover to get it all off.

It doesn't take long to remount the stones either,I haven't gotten any from Practical so I don't know what they are using for glue but if you can un-mount them that's the way I'd be going.

That's also the way I reuse blanks from retailers that I know who use 3M Super 77,the Contact Cement Remover I use cut threw the glue like it's nothing and I haven't tried Acetone but I have heard it works great.

OhioApexing said:
I recently picked up some Practical Sharpening/Poltava metallic bonded CBN stones and really, really enjoy them. They come unmounted and work pretty well as such but I would like to mount them for my own purposes. Considering that you “lap” (etch, really) them with ferric chloride, aluminum or metal blanks won’t do the trick.

So, I’m thinking I’ll have some blanks 3D printed. There are half a dozen 3D printing shops in my town and I’m sure I could bring a blank to them and get the job done but simply sending over a CAD file would make the job go much quicker for everyone. I haven’t touched a CAD program since roughly 2003 though I might give it a shot myself.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
 
Another way would be to apply the ferric chloride on the stone with a brush or a sponge so that there is no excess dripping on the mount material.
 
Would a little ferric chloride on a flat surface, glass or plastic cutting board, with the stone laying on it work? That would be safe for the holder and easy enough to do.
 
You want to use like .5mm or so and put it in a glass bread pan or something like that,Ferric Chloride attack's everything even stainless steel cement you name it it attack's it.I think some plastic's can handle it if it's not the stronger stuff.
 
AliExpress has 20mm wide blanks for 5$ a 3-pack in black color plastic. see my RUIXIN PRO review
 
Last edited:
Thanks for all of the feedback, folks. I’m thinking I’ll probably use $5 aluminum blanks as suggested here and by D Diemaker via email. It sounds as though it will be a whole hell of a lot cheaper (and easier) to simply use cheap blanks and toss them if they etch at all. As D DaveDM suggested, I’ve been using a paper towel to wipe FC on the stones and it’s been working well — not much has left the top of the stone and makes for a really nice, smooth, even application.
 
wade7575 said:
You want to use like .5mm or so and put it in a glass bread pan or something like that, Ferric Chloride attack's everything even stainless steel cement you name it it attack's it.I think some plastic's can handle it if it's not the stronger stuff.
Click to expand...
What I am thinking of is instead of sponging or brushing it on the stone, drop several drops on a surface with a pipette then lay the stone on them to spread it out. It wouldn't take much ferric chloride that way and be totally safe for the stone mount. If the acid "wears out" too fast you could just do it again until you get the results you want. Glass or polyethylene seems to work best for acid containers, and polyethylene is common for cutting boards. Generally if acid attacks one it won't the other.
 
That may work I haven't tried the Ferric Chloride yet on my stones because they have needed it yet.

I know when you watch guys use Ferric Chloride on PCB boards to etch them a lot of the guys slosh the solution back and forth,I don't think it is needed but I can't say or certain.
 
OhioApexing said:
Thanks for all of the feedback, folks. I’m thinking I’ll probably use $5 aluminum blanks as suggested here and by D Diemaker via email. It sounds as though it will be a whole hell of a lot cheaper (and easier) to simply use cheap blanks and toss them if they etch at all.
Click to expand...
If you need cheap aluminum blanks as consumables, I can sell refurbished 1$ blanks in bulk. We can't use these due to incorrect engraved labels.

Diemaker said:
If the acid "wears out" too fast you could just do it again until you get the results you want.
Click to expand...
I'm afraid after one or two failures, the surface will not be flat enough.
 
I figure the acid will lose its effectiveness, become contaminated, after etching some copper so the less used the less it will etch. As long as the full stone surface is wet then it should still stay flat, even if it isn't etched enough. This is what I meant by taking multiple tries with fresh acid.

By the way, how do you level them after years of use?
 
Diemaker said:
By the way, how do you level them after years of use?
Click to expand...

I was doing some digging through Poltava’s site a few days ago and saw that they recommend using vitrified bonded silicon carbide to flatten/true their diamond and CBN metallic bonded wheels. AlOx for their resin-bonded products, which seems to add up with other resin bonded abrasives I’ve used. I presume, perhaps incorrectly, that the sharpening stones are constructed from the same materials as the grinding wheels. I wonder if a fairly heavy, even layer of SiC on glass would be effective. I might try that this afternoon before mounting them. Here’s a link, though it looks as though their site is down for maintenance. It was up this morning.:

https://pdtools.com.ua/en/inform_po...he-use-truing-and-dressing-of-diamond-wheels/

And thanks for the feedback, Gritomatic Gritomatic . Yesterday, I received 10 aluminum blanks I ordered through your store earlier this week. They seem to be very flat via a simple “light test.”
 
I have heard of guys using SIC powder but it takes a very long time.

I'm looking at using UV Curable Solder Mask to protect the blank and I'll be testing it out once I get it in a few weeks,if you go onto aliexpress you can find it on there cheap enough with the UV flash light.

They say it can be washed off with gasoline are solvent's,I'm going to test it first and see how removes after being cured,it's supposed to come off with Acetone as well.

I'll post the result's when I have tried it.
 
Update: I just dressed both sides of the metallic bonded stones using FEPA-60/FEPA-120 SiC on glass. Contrary to my expectations, it went relatively easily. I think I’ll post a thread with photos tonight or in the morning. I haven’t sharpened with them yet but I think I may be sitting the ferric chloride in the closet for a while.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top