EdgePro past 6k tape

[Lagrangian]

@Noctis3880:

I don't suppose anyone came up with a definitive test to distinguish a 0.25 micron edge from a 1 micron?

What an interesting question! My knee-jerk response was,"Get a high-powered microscope, like a Dino-lite (what Clay Allison uses)." But then I realized that this might not work: Visible light has a wavelength of about 0.4 to 0.7 microns. So if the 1 micron paste leaves scratches which are much smaller than 0.4 microns, we probably can't see them with an optical microscope.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visible_light

It seems that high-quality conventional microscopes are limited to seeing features which are bigger than 0.2 microns. So there is hope, but not for us without access to high quality optical microscopes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_microscope#Limitations

In practice, if the 1 micron paste leaves larger scratches (say, closer to 1 micron scratches), then we have a hope of seeing it in a microscope.

So the answer, of course, is get a scanning-elctron-microscope! But... that doesn't help.
http://www-archive.mse.iastate.edu/...te.edu/static/files/verhoeven/KnifeShExps.pdf

If you have a high quality optical microscope, then maybe try some experiments? You might not able able to tell the difference, but even if that is what you discover, it's pretty darn interesting.

Outside of visible-light optics, I just don't know.

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"What grit sharpens the mind?"--Zen Sharpening Koan

 

[Lagrangian]

Out of curiosity, I looked at some edge photos that Clay Allison did using a USB microscope at 240x
http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/909886/tp/13/

His blue line is 0.5mm in the real world. In the computer it measures about 320 pixels long (use Pythagorean's theorem). So that means each pixel represents 0.5mm/320 = 1.56 microns.

That's not a huge factor away from 0.4 microns (about 4x) which is the shortest wavelength of visible light.

Don't know exactly what this means, but seems pretty interesting to me.

Sincerely,
--Lagrangian

P.S. I know I keep repeating this too often but... it still seems so dang interesting to me and it's relevance seems ever-present when considering precision sharpening:

A modern razor is sharp to about 0.4 microns.
http://www-archive.mse.iastate.edu/...te.edu/static/files/verhoeven/KnifeShExps.pdf

-------------------------------------------------------------
"What grit sharpens the mind?"--Zen Sharpening Koan

 

[Noctis3880]

As hypocritical as this may sound for someone who spent hundreds of dollars on sharpening equipment, I don't think I want to spend a hundred or two just to see if my edge is really sharper than 1 micron.

I sharpened up my Para2 in CTS-20CP with the 0.25 micron diamond loaded belt. I suppose it's sharper than the 12000AO, though perhaps it was a bad idea to use a 9% vanadium steel as a test of razor sharpness. I just figured the diamonds could polish even the vanadium carbides. And did I mention I hate the Dupont diamond spray? I suspect it must be oiled based since it stays moist even under a fan for half an hour and soaks into leather while my HA diamond spray dried up almost instantly.

However, I think I'll do as Ankerson did and use Mother's Mag Polish instead. Even though the spray I used wasn't good, it seems like a massive waste to use diamond on a power tool. Plus I figure I might have missed the point of power tools, which was that I didn't NEED diamonds to cut a 9% vanadium steel. Though I'll try the HA 0.5 micron CrO paste in between them, as I figure 2-3 microns to 0.25 microns might be too much of a jump even with power tools, and Mother's Mag polish is supposed to be even finer(?).

I think Mothers Mag Polish is less than .25 Micron.

I polish the 6K grit tapes with it until they look like glass then continue.

I found one site saying it's 2-3 microns and another saying it's 0.050 microns, which is interesting given that something so fine could possibly polish aluminum, no matter how much elbow grease you put behind it. Though looking at the edge of the Manix 2 you sharpened, I don't see any clouding, so I would think it's smaller than 1 micron. But again, I find it very interesting that something so fine could polish anything to any measurable effect.

If you went from 1 micron(6k tape) to 0.05 microns, it boggles my mind that it actually gets noticeably sharper, unless I haven't been going all the way down to 1 micron this whole time.

 

[singularity35]

You guys are nuts!

But I wanna be like you when I grow up.

 

[Noctis3880]

You guys are nuts!

But I wanna be like you when I grow up.

Being sane is overrated.

Besides, putting on an edge that will tree-top hair within 5 minutes is something worth bragging about:thumbup:.

Oh, and Hand American CrO paste on the worn 12000AO belt works great:thumbup:. Sharpness is much more noticeable and will cut all the way through a free-hanging hair as opposed to merely splitting it in half. Looking forward to trying the Mother's Mag Polish.

 

[Noctis3880]

I cleaned out another 12000AO belt, though it turned out kind of "sticky". I think I might have mashed the belt cleaner too hard or long against the belt and melted it into the belt.

Anyways, I went ahead and put some Mother's Mag Polish into the belt anyway. My edge undeniably got even sharper. It tree-tops with ease and will cut through hair from heel to tip.

The warning label on the can says fatal or harmful if swallowed, but I figure it should be safe enough if I wash it thoroughly after sharpening.