HandAmerican Scary Sharp System with SuperGrip Adhesive

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Jan 6, 2004
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This is to offer my experience and some tips for using 'Super Grip Adhesive' for adhering abrasive paper strips to 3" X 11" glass sharpening platen of the Scary Sharp System.

Characteristics:
- It's a wax substance - thus more 'sticky' than 'adhesive'.
- Grip is not all 'Super' - 'marginal' is a better descriptor.

Advantages over adhesive-backed adhesive papers:
- No creases or wrinkles- uniformly flat honing surface.
- Plain-backed adhesive papers are cheaper than adhesive-backed papers.

Application:
Thicker is better. Get a good gob of wax on your finger and apply it in sections in a circular motion. It should be thick enough to see some of the white color of the wax showing in streaks - not transparently thin. Press the abrasive strip firmly onto the wax - a roller might be best. Applying the wax uniformly to both (paper and glass) mating surfaces works well.

Cheating for better adhesion:
Waxes melt easily, and microwave ovens heat quickly. Lay an abrasive paper strip on the waxed platen, check alignment, press firmly - and pop the platen into the microwave oven for 10 or 15 seconds. A heat gun/air dryer probably works well also. Press some more while the wax is soft. Perfecto!

Exchanging abrasive strips:
There's a problem here - when you remove a strip, you also remove a significant fraction of the wax. You'll have to use more wax for each additional strip for maximum 'stickiness'. This won't be a problem when exchanging grit-strips that have already been waxed.

The major advantage seems to be the uniformly-flat honing surface when using Super Grip, versus the irregular honing surface due to wrinkles in adhesive-backed papers. Cutting into the abrasive paper on an edge-forward stroke is also less likely.

Shoulda been called 'Flatter Grip'.

Hope this helps!
 
I ordered some papers and a different adhesive product from hand american for use with the blade sharpener. I told keith what i was doing with it and he said the standard supergrip wasnt going to work but that he had some tubes of another temporary "adhesive" that was stickier he would send me to try out. Ought to be here monday-tuesday. I'll be posting a review on that over in my bladesharpener thread.

The wax idea is good, hadnt thought of that. Will give it a whirl. Spray glues are a PITA especially if you need to change from one grit to another or cut the paper. I used some glue i had in the drawer on my first test and it took me longer to get the paper and glue off than it did to sharpen the knife. They do have temporary spray adhesives that ive used for photo mounting but they do build up and cause an uneven surface although since you are using a glass plate it prob isnt too bad to clean with a razor blade (ive got aluminum). When i worked at a sign shop we had a gallon can of this clear super sticky resin that we never actually used for anything but i bet it would work very well for your application. I'll give them a call and see if they know what it is. If you rubbed it vigorously between your fingers it would turn opaque.
 
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