Paper wheel woes

S

skippy75

Joined
Mar 13, 2013
Messages
42
I bought a set of paper wheels about 6 months ago and although I can quickly and easily get them shaving sharp, I'm finding the edge stops being sharp extremely quickly. Im sharpening at roughly a 20 degree angle and the bevels are relatively flat but they all just seem to lose their edge really quickly. Even my folding knife made of VG1 steel blunts in no time.

Does anyone know what I might be doing wrong?
 
Was this something that started recently, or was this always the case? How does the edge dull? Is it chipped? Did it roll?(if you drag your fingers off one side and then the other, your fingers will drag on one side and not the other)

What are you cutting with it? It used to surprise me that my knives dulled seemingly in one day, then I paid attention to what I was cutting with it(onion roots) and realized that the dirt in the roots was blunting my edge.

The only other explanations is that you burned the edge on the wheels and damaged the temper(usually blackens or puts a rainbow color on the steel), or you had a wire edge clinging on when you finished.
 
You might not be removing all of the burr. It would seem really sharp but it won't last long if that's the case.

Good sharpening,
Dave
 
If you truly get it sharp, then the knife blade doesn't have a clue what got it that way. It could have been a Wicked Edge system, an Edge Pro system, a Japanese water stone, or a set of paper wheels. Same way with getting wet, was it rain, your kid shooting you with a water gun, or did you jump into the lake? Either way you are wet, and wet is wet.

Not being a smart @##, but how you get something sharp, if it is truly sharp, has no bearing on how long it stays sharp. What you cut, the grind design, and the type of steel make up decides how long it will stay sharp. If I am wrong, then someone will quickly point me in the right direction.

Blessings,

Omar
 
A burr or wire edge is likely not the issue. A very small burr can sometimes fold over the edge making it feel duller than it should but a wire edge is rigid and if anything will work just fine often performing just as the edge would normally.

My guess is your angle is too extreme. Anything over 20 degrees per side will greatly reduce the edge longevity. That or you are over polishing the edge.
 
Another possibility is that the compound on the finishing wheel is loaded up. This will seriously effect its ability to remove the burr and leave a nice clean apex. Once it loads up, its only doing some burnishing and mild polish - easy to leave a wire edge even if it noticeably shines up the bevel. Try very lightly (less than the weight of the blade) scraping a "fresh" edge along a piece of wood at a steep angle and examine closely. If there is any hint of a burr turned up from this action, that's the wire edge left behind.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I cant feel a burr when they are freshly polished or when they become dull, but a wire edge that is breaking off could be a possibility. I will try backing off the angle slightly and not polishing it quite so much and see how that goes.

Ive had this issue every time with the paper wheels but never when using stones so its something I'm doing with these. This is the first time I've sharpened with a machine rather than stones so its quite a learning curve.

The finishing wheel is definitely not loaded up now as I just refinished both wheels about a week ago.
 
Could the edge be getting too hot?

Diaclaimer: I know nothing about paper wheels.
 
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