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Sticky edges - sharpness
- Thread starter KC8QVO
- Start date
BluntCut MetalWorks
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2012
- Messages
- 3,464
Balsa because many other hard woods have occasional inclusion of weird large abrasives - I tried quite a few woods, always end up with some long fairly deep scratches. Plywood, mdf and packed-paper-shipping are worst, yield more scratches.
Balsa surface allows abrasives to embed themselves and also softness/flex/spring grain lower the abrading depth - more polish action. Well, at least this is what I deduced from results.
So what can I go to with balsa backing?
I am going to get some steel today at the hardware store to make up some blanks. I know stainless is best, but I'll try regular steel and see how it goes. Maybe I'll paint it first.
Is the monocrystalline diamond spray OK? Such as HandAmerican sprays? They're less expensive...
I am ordering some diamond tape plates for my edge pro and spray from chefknivestogo.com today so it will be neat to see how they work.
I can't put a number (microns) on it because I don't know. I want the knife to feel sharp and where I have to be real careful with it. I can run my fingers across the edge all day long and not worry about cutting myself, its not "sharp" as it is. It will slice paper, but it takes more effort than I feel it should and sometimes tears the paper, rather than slicing.
When I get to the level of sharpness I am wanting I'll know. I have had my 1095 blades, kitchen knives (especially), and swiss army blades there. The 3V just doesn't want to get there yet.
When I get to the level of sharpness I am wanting I'll know. I have had my 1095 blades, kitchen knives (especially), and swiss army blades there. The 3V just doesn't want to get there yet.
The hardware store didn't have any 1" wide steel, so I got a strip of aluminum. I am a bit hesitant to use it - it is pretty flexible. I suppose stropping is not going to need much pressure, so I should be alright. I also have some 1/4" or so thick plexiglass so I might be able to cut some strips out of that.
I picked up both a basswood and balsa strip - 1"x1/16". I am going to use this set up on the Edge Pro and see how it goes.
I have an idea for a desk-top strop also. I will take a look at the steel I have in the garage, I might have a chunk I can use. If not, I can get some pretty easy. I'd like a heavy steel base about 3-4" wide and 10" long, maybe 3/4" thick with some rubber feet so it won't slide.
The spray I ordered is HandAmerican's 1 micron, 4oz bottle. I don't know that I need to refine the edge much past that. I'll see how it works and go from there. I also ordered 6, 3, and 1 micron plates for the Edge Pro.
I picked up both a basswood and balsa strip - 1"x1/16". I am going to use this set up on the Edge Pro and see how it goes.
I have an idea for a desk-top strop also. I will take a look at the steel I have in the garage, I might have a chunk I can use. If not, I can get some pretty easy. I'd like a heavy steel base about 3-4" wide and 10" long, maybe 3/4" thick with some rubber feet so it won't slide.
The spray I ordered is HandAmerican's 1 micron, 4oz bottle. I don't know that I need to refine the edge much past that. I'll see how it works and go from there. I also ordered 6, 3, and 1 micron plates for the Edge Pro.
Just for the heck of it I took my edge back to 320 grit on my Edge Pro. This is the closest to what I consider "sharp" that I have had this blade. I can feel the micro serrations as I run my fingers along the edge, and it grabs a bit when I run my fingers perpendicular to the edge. I tried cutting paper and it will slice, but when the paper gets to the curve of the blade it is very hard to keep slicing before the paper "tears".
I am real anxious to try the diamonds and see what happens.
Something else I may try is polishing on my slotted paper wheel after the 320 grit.
I am real anxious to try the diamonds and see what happens.
Something else I may try is polishing on my slotted paper wheel after the 320 grit.
I make my EP blanks w/ 1/8in thick aluminum and they are not flimsy when cut down to 6in or so. If you want to give it a stronger backbone google "subway tiles". The are 6in glass pieces that are dead flat and glue right to the aluminum blanks. What's the thickness of the aluminum that you purchased?
I got my "sticky" edge. It took diamonds but I got there.
I used the diamond plates from chefknivestogo.com down to 1 micron.
My knife was last sharpened with a 320 grit Edge Pro stone, then polished on a paper wheel. So I went back to the 320 stone and worked up a burr on both sides. Then I progressed through the 600 and 1000 grit stones. The 1000 grit stone is ~7 microns. At that point I switched to a 6 micron diamond plate, then 3, and then the final 1 micron diamond plate.
I had to re-adjust the angle with the diamond plates because they are thicker than the EP stones. After I got the angle set I stropped with edge-trailing strokes only. The diamonds work surprisingly fast. I lubed them with soapy water as I do the EP stones. After very little time there was a bit of darkness to the water that collected on the blade just behind the edge. I worked both sides, then hit the first side very lightly once and progressed to the next finer plate.
The difference between the EP 1000 grit stone and the 6 micron diamond plate was HUGE, and they are nearly the same grit size.
So the moral to this thread:
If you are sharpening really tough blades (3V, as in my case, or S35VN, etc) - try diamonds if you aren't satisfied with your edges.
I am thinking about trying some finer diamonds just for the heck of it. As for my goal of a "sticky" edge the 1 micron does it, and for that matter so do the 3 and 6 microns too. The diamonds just clean up the edge so much better.
I used the diamond plates from chefknivestogo.com down to 1 micron.
My knife was last sharpened with a 320 grit Edge Pro stone, then polished on a paper wheel. So I went back to the 320 stone and worked up a burr on both sides. Then I progressed through the 600 and 1000 grit stones. The 1000 grit stone is ~7 microns. At that point I switched to a 6 micron diamond plate, then 3, and then the final 1 micron diamond plate.
I had to re-adjust the angle with the diamond plates because they are thicker than the EP stones. After I got the angle set I stropped with edge-trailing strokes only. The diamonds work surprisingly fast. I lubed them with soapy water as I do the EP stones. After very little time there was a bit of darkness to the water that collected on the blade just behind the edge. I worked both sides, then hit the first side very lightly once and progressed to the next finer plate.
The difference between the EP 1000 grit stone and the 6 micron diamond plate was HUGE, and they are nearly the same grit size.
So the moral to this thread:
If you are sharpening really tough blades (3V, as in my case, or S35VN, etc) - try diamonds if you aren't satisfied with your edges.
I am thinking about trying some finer diamonds just for the heck of it. As for my goal of a "sticky" edge the 1 micron does it, and for that matter so do the 3 and 6 microns too. The diamonds just clean up the edge so much better.