stooooopid question

J

jpvjr

Joined
Feb 19, 2007
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340
OK here it goes. I think I remember reading about using glass as a sharpener, but is it a final polish or act as a backing for something else. I know glass is harder than steel.
Or am I just halucinating?
The reason I ask is my dad got a flat plate of bullet proof glass free. (I don't know where or why).
 
I don't know about using glass as a final polish but you can use it as a backing for wet dry sandpaper.
 
Usually you use sandpaper or lapping film on glass because it is very flat.
 
I used to use a flat piece of glass moistened and with Arm and Hammer baking soda sprinkled on it. Makes a super fine abrasive for that final, scary sharp, very polished edge. You can even polish a scratch from a pair of glasses with a wet finger tip dipped in the soda. Takes a while but it works.
 
Old CW4 said:
I used to use a flat piece of glass moistened and with Arm and Hammer baking soda sprinkled on it. Makes a super fine abrasive for that final, scary sharp, very polished edge. You can even polish a scratch from a pair of glasses with a wet finger tip dipped in the soda. Takes a while but it works.
Click to expand...

That would work. Glass by itself will not.
 
I use a smooth glass rod in the kitchen as my 'steel.' I had it made for me in a chemical supply shop for just a couple of dollars, and works beautifully. I've been using it for a few years now, and am very satisfied with the results. :thumbup:

It's made of 'borosillicate' glass, the stuff you know as 'Pyrex.' and is much harder than most steels, thus good for touching up the edge on a daily basis without removing metal. It won't sharpen a dull edge, but it will maintain a good one every bit as long (or longer) than a smooth steel.

You can get the same results using the edge of a Pyrex meatloaf pan, giving you a long, straight edge, or even a edge of a Pyrex measuring cup just using one point of the rim. Being that having the rod made was so cheap, I opted for a dedicated tool. Some day I might get around to making a handle for it, :rolleyes: but right now it's a round rod about 1/2" in diameter and about 12" long. As long as I don't drop it on a cement floor it should last forever!

A flat glass plate about 1/2" thick makes a very good backing plate for mounting wet/dry sandpaper if you want to sharpen using the 'scary sharp' method. When I do this, I use a glass plate 1/2" thick, 4" wide, and 10" long. I mount the sandpaper on the glass using a stick of paper glue. (The stuff that comes in a screw-bottom tube like lip-stick.) That hold the paper down well enough, but allows me to remove it easily to change grits, and washes off with plain water when I'm done sharpening. The glass plate insures that I have a smooth, flat surface to work on. :)

Stitchawl
 
You may be thinking of the old car window sharpening trick. The frosted surface at the top of a roll-down car window can be used to sharpen softer steels (under rc60) and as a sharpening steel on harder blades.
 
So I'm not senile,or halucinating, that's good to know.
I think I'll try the A&H baking soda trick when I get home.
Thanks.
 
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