Making the "Cut" ... Need help getting to the "Push cut" stage of sharpening

Hankins

Hankins

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Dec 7, 2008
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Making the "Cut" ... Need help getting to the "Push cut" stage of sharpening
So a well respected member of this forum tells me my knives are sharp but not where they need to be... Hummm
After some wrestling with my ego the common sense side of my brain admitted he was right:D

So need your help getting a 1/4" thick piece of D2 to do Push cuts thru newspaper type material

Sharpened prybars Yes they are:thumbup:

Tips Suggestions all are appreciated
 
use 1/8th inch stock ;-)


I'm not a sharpening expert, but might help if you go into your process as it stands. do you use a system, stones, belts. do you strop your blades? you can also read up in the maintenance forum for some sharpening advice.
 
Strops help tremendously. Even after only a few strokes on each side, the knife will cut phonebook paper considerably easier.
 
Taking it to 400grit burr and removing with a super fine ceramic rod. Gives a good edge and leaves a little tooth.
Am I trying to make a Silk purse out of a sows ear?
Blade thickness will stay the same. Maybe a thinner edge? or Hollow grind?
 
I don't think the stock thickness should matter that much for just cutting paper. I've gotten a splitting axe push cutting newspaper straight off an 80 grit belt before. I think just make sure you have a clean edge with no burr. Also make sure you you don't round the edge. :)
 
Edge angle, degree of edge smoothness, and removal of all wire edges is how to get a blade really sharp.

If you NEED a push cut blade, lower the angle to as acute as the edge will take and still not chip out. The intended use of the blade will determine whether a push cut through newspaper really matters.

If the edge is at 120 grit, all the stropping in the world won't make it go smoothly through newspaper. Sand the edge to a minimum of 400 grit and if you really want paper destroying edges, take it to 10,000 grit or higher with good quality water stones. Roman Landes strops with 1/2 micron diamond compound....that is 50,000 grit size.

The wire is removed in the stropping. If the wire was thick ( usually due to too coarse of a stone/belt, or too high speed on a belt grinder), this may leave the edge slightly blunt, and additional stropping or even returning to a superfine stone and re-stropping may be needed.
 
I have recently switched to Heavyhands washboard system.

How thin are you bringing the final edge down to before the final bevel?
 
Have been sticking with D2 as of late, that seems to be helping.
Also found that some Mfgs make better steel than others. Not always the case that you get what you pay for either :)
Was bringing the edge to around .050-.060 Pre HT
Key phrase is Rounding the edge after the sharpening it and removing the burr... How is that prevented?
 
I do believe the .050 - .060 is far too much before heat treat. But you must be doing some more bevel grinding after heat treating so it may not matter as long as you get that bevel to the edge where the secondary bevel for the edge will be done. Perhaps you are doing this too and all ,is left is to use some newer belts to create that edge. D2 is a great steel and takes good hardness ,. Perhaps you need to start that secondary bevel with a new 120 grit and then continue with belts that are new just to see what results you get? Frank
 
So you sharpen the .050 thick edge? I usually grind my main bevel down to .005- .010 before putting on the secondary.
 
I take the edge thickness on D-2 to about .010-.015" before HT and to .005" before sharpening. .050-.060" is WAY too thick.
 
Yeah, think about what's happening: the cutting edge itself may be "sharp," but right behind it is this big fat Wedge that you have to push through the cut in the paper. Try a really keen, fine edge and tell us what you think.
 
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