Replies

1. 
   BG | Nov 26, 2003 01:46am | #1

   Jim,

   I went to a counter top manufacturer that specializes in granite tops..about 1.25 " thick.  First I tried 12x12 squares...and finally settled on two 4" wide strips about 36" long...great for laping.  BTW, all of these pieces were retrived from the recycle bin( dumpster)....tons of stuff in there....
2. 
   jazzdogg | Nov 26, 2003 06:36am | #2

   Jim,

   FWIW, after taking a high quality straight edge with me to the glass shop and seeing how many pieces weren't flat, I performed the same test at the lumber yard and now use a thick piece of perfectly flat melamine as the substrate for my "Scary sharp" setup. Les expensive and works well.

   Good luck,
   Paul

   Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.
3. 
   JeffKurtz | Nov 26, 2003 08:17pm | #3

   Jim,

   Check with your machinery dealer.  I use an extension wing for a table saw.  Somehow my dealer had received an extra in a shipment so they gave it to me.  Works very well, and not quite as fragile as glass.

   Jeff

4. 
   GHR | Nov 26, 2003 09:15pm | #4

   I just lay my sandpaper on my bench top.

   I guess a 1/4" piece of good plywood would do as good.

1. 
   Elcoholic | Nov 27, 2003 12:48am | #5

   I bought a 1/2" glass shelf from a local glass shop out of the unclaimed bin.  It's about 12x30.  One 1 side I have 60, 100 & 150 grits in full sheets for taking out nicks (Marples Bluechips, sigh) and lapping plane soles, this is my 'grinder'.  On the other side I have 180, 220, 320, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500 & 2000 in lengthwise 1/4 sheets.  I use regular paper and attach it with a mist coat of 3M spray disk adhesive.  I work left to right through the grits and blow from right to left with compressed air to avoid contaminating the finer grits.  I also recommend the Veritas honing and angle guides. John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking

   Life is tough.  It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne

1. 
   user-134407 | Nov 27, 2003 07:31pm | #6

   How often do you change paper?

1. 
   Elcoholic | Dec 01, 2003 07:55pm | #10

   I change the paper when it doesn't cut fast enough.  For nick removal on wide chisel or plane iron it may take a second sheet of 80 or 100 to get a nice continuous wire edge on the back.  Permanent marker on the face of the bevel does a pretty good job as an indicator.  For honing I use each grit for 30 seconds and check for a nice even scratch pattern.  If it takes more than 30 seconds I change the paper. By the time you get to the upper range you're approaching a mirror polish.  You'll find that with each successive grit the wire edge diminishes on it's own so there's no need to touch it until the last grit, then it just takes 2-3 wipes to remove it.John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking

   Life is tough.  It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne

5. 
   stancalow | Nov 28, 2003 03:52am | #7

   Jim

   I infer that you want to have a space available to go to whenever you feel the need to sharpen.  I don't have enough available horizontal workspace to set up a dedicated sharpening station.  Also, I like to do my sharpening in batches of chisels and plane irons at a time, in front of the TV while doing nothing else productive.  I use big 12x12 ceramic tiles from the local surplus shop, sandpaper and a veritas guide, all of which I keep in a box.  That way, I can pull it out whenever I have enough stuff to sharpen.  I use full sheets of sandpaper at a time, because I will eventually use them up.  I have used partially used 5" disks from the ROS, too, when that's all I had. 

6. 
   markgraff | Nov 28, 2003 06:59pm | #8

   Do you use a benchtop grinder to get the out-of-the-box chisels to the right bevel?  Seems like that would be a long process with the sandpaper.

   Thanks.

1. 
   PlaneWood | Nov 28, 2003 10:27pm | #9

   Jim -

   I have 3 diamond laps made of steel, 3" x 10" x 1/4", coarse, medium, and fine.  On the backs of those I have PSA backed silicon carbide paper in 600, 1000, and 1500 grits.

   I have a wooden jig that these laps set into and a rolling wooden tractor that holds the blades, chisels, etc to be sharpened, at the proper angles.

   The diamond laps are for the rough gringing and the paper is for the bevels.  I have to soak the laps in paint thinner overnight to get the glued paper off.  That also serves to clean out the diamond grits.

   Before using the steel laps, I used 1/4" aluminum plate.  Anything hard and flat will do. 

   I find commercial PSA paper is better, as I had a hard time getting the glue a uniform thickness when sparying it from a can.

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)PlaneWood