playing with the new QX5

hardheart

hardheart

Joined
Sep 19, 2001
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Got my new toy today, QX5 digital scope. These things were in stock for less than a day at digiblue, they must not make many of them these days. Looking at some steels finished with a nakayama kiita, Japanese natural stone supposedly in the range of chromium oxide & similar (30,000+ grit when the slurry breaks down) The images are 200x


S90V mule, finished on the kiita

M4 mule, also kiita

Vintage razor with what seems to be ruined steel, it is constantly microchipping, no matter how I finish it. There was a lot of old corrosion at the edge, so I think this full hollow just doesn't have anything left. I rust blued it to try to slow things up, but the damage is already done. Anyway, I just want to show how the bevel looks, that's the fuzzy finish from the kiita

Country Cousin in D2, kiita

vintage razor finished on kiita then cro, needed a little touch-up cause I didn't oil it

52100 mule finished with coticule, translucent ark, & cro
 
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Nice pic's :thumbup:


Looks a little coarse for 30,000+ grit, What range do you think it was in for your samples?
 
I couldn't say, haven't looked up the proper pixel counting and such to measure scratch size. I just wanted to make sure the stone wasn't horribly off and I got hosed on the purchase. With the natural stones, you never know what you will get. Plus a couple of those steels are pretty wear resistant and probably could have used many more passes. These natural stones do not mirror polish like CrO can. The finish looks like a bead blast because of the way the stone abrades the steel, which I think the King showed best.

This site has some pics, though he says they are only 25x. http://www.thejapanblade.com/test27.htm It's interesting, because I would have expected to see something less scratchy at 25x from 16 & 30,000 Shapton. I don't know if the QX5 is managing true 200x, being intended for kids and surely all plastic lenses.
 
Very cool. Hope to see more pics from you :thumbup:

I really need to get something like this, though my wife will probably have me committed :o
 
these are pics of the same edge, the first two are the same spot actually. Just see what changing the angle does, lighting and magnification are the same.



 
Here's a few pic's you might be able to use for comparison. Compared to other stones how sharp was the finished edge?

.........Did some quick research on the natural stone you used and it lead me to a straight razor forum, interesting stuff.




200x DMT EEF, S30V millie
PIC029.jpg


PIC031-1.jpg


400x
PIC034-1.jpg


VG-10 2000 grit 3M sandpaper, stropped on a hard felt pad W/1 micron diamond spray about 20 passes per side. 200x
PIC038.jpg
 
Gotta tell you, until I break out the postal scale and thread again, I'm having trouble telling. I thought straight shaving was going to be a good test for the high grit stones. Since I figured my sensitive face and kinda coarse whiskers would give me a practical use for keen edges, it seemed like the next step. Add in the braindead ease of sharpening a straight - no pressure, angle guide built in, I thought I was golden. Until I found out through reading and experimentation that I could get a comfortable shave at 4000 grit/3 micron, or off a coticule, which has garnets up to double digit micron size.

Still, the M4 got sharper than the S90V for the amount of work I put in, but it's pretty clear that everything could use some more time and refinement.

Anyway, I honed out the chips in the old razor again (those so obvious in the 3 comparo pics), did the Chinese hone (~12,000) followed by the kiita, then went back to the translucent Arkansas followed by CrO... and it must be my eyes and the cheap scope, but I had trouble seeing a significant difference between the results. Most all the chipping is gone again, too bad it only lasts for a few shaves (except for where the corrosion makes it impossible:() I think another reason is I believe the scratches get too fine to show up past ~one micron because of the wavelength of visible light and the size of the scratches.
 
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Lighting is a very tough factor, I have to use high power flashlights on either side to get some of my pics. This next one is CPM-D2 after a lapped UF ceramic and 1 micron compound, sometimes you have to use some incandecent light to get the right look.

PIC048-1.jpg
 
Interesting pictures, thanks! I too have an old straight that I got at a rummage sale, a no-name kind where the edge just crumbles. I've pretty much given up on it, just keep it for sentimental value.

I've pretty much given up on the coticules, I just don't get a good edge with these. I've gone to 8K Nortons, followed by a loaded strop (I use the Theirs Issard paste), then a good strop on bare leather. I've been wanting to go back and try the ceramic EF in lieu of the 8K, I might have to try that again.

Are you using a Nagura slurry on your coticules, or just wetting them down?
 
Awwww come on now, one of you crazy sob's just needs to go on, break down and buy you a nice, home-version Scanning Electron Microscope and be done with it. Surely your local university would be happy to sell you theirs and get a newer one. Can settle all this debate with a few 5000x snap shots!! Merry Christmas indeed :D
 
This is some deep dark voodoo stuff...

You all are speaking another language...

Where does learn these arcane things? And can I mount these kind of stones on an Edge Pro, or does one have to freehand?

Marion
 
Gotsouthern said:
Awwww come on now, one of you crazy sob's just needs to go on, break down and buy you a nice, home-version Scanning Electron Microscope and be done with it. Surely your local university would be happy to sell you theirs and get a newer one. Can settle all this debate with a few 5000x snap shots!! Merry Christmas indeed :D
Click to expand...

I would LOVE a SEM, got a credit card I can borrow :cool:


Where does learn these arcane things? And can I mount these kind of stones on an Edge Pro, or does one have to freehand?
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Jig's :eek: we don't need not stinking Jig's! :D

All freehand on my end, its just not the same if its not.
 
knifenut1013 said:
I would LOVE a SEM, got a credit card I can borrow :cool:




Jig's :eek: we don't need not stinking Jig's! :D

All freehand on my end, its just not the same if its not.
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LOL I hear ya brother!!! If you took allllll my open credit and combined it, might make for a hell of a down payment on one haha. Tis the season!!! :D

+1 on the freehand. No other way to do it.

And BTW, man I missed that Rift M4 by less than 24 hrs. Shouldn't have waited. Im so bummed. I called, told them if anyone backed out I had paypal in hand lol.
 
umm, I was watching 12 electron microscopes on ebay a couple weeks back. It's possible to get them for as low as $5K, but I have no idea what it would take to get one up and running.:o:foot::rolleyes:

I'll try to get some pics of coticule w/slurry & plain water, the scope is not working with Vista too well, installing to my old XP machine.
 
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hardheart said:
umm, I was watching 12 electron microscopes on ebay a couple weeks back. It's possible to get them for as low as $5K, but I have no idea what it would take to get one up and running.:o:foot::rolleyes:

I'll try to get some pics of coticule w/slurry & plain water, the scope is not working with Vista too well, installing to my old XP machine.
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Well, since Gotsouthern offered, he could buy us one, and we'll make it a passaround! ;)
 
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