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--- sharpening_guide [2023/08/12 17:53] – created tim-o-root
+++ sharpening_guide [2025/03/24 13:58] (current) – old revision restored (2024/06/15 07:13) tim-o
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 ====== Sharpening Beginner's Guide ======
+<WRAP center round todo 60%>
+To Dos
+  * Include pictures of partially sharpened blades, visible evidence of burrs and high and low areas.
+  * Add way more detail about how to keep bevel flat, how to notice if you're creating a micro-bevel, why to avoid using honing guides.
+</WRAP>
+===== Overview =====
+This guide summarizes the approach outlined in [[https://japanesecarpentry.com/wordpress/product/book-sharpening-and-the-japanese-hand-plane-in-depth/|Sharpening and the Japanese Hand Plane in Depth]] by Dale Brotherton. This book is well worth the money to have as a reference and covers sharpening, chisel setup, hand plane setup, and troubleshooting each. Below, we recommend water stones rather than oil stones and carborundum powder given the availability of water stones and the relative ease of maintenance.
 ===== Prerequisites =====
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 This [[https://www.amazon.com/SHAPTON-Kuromaku-Ceramic-Whetstone-Medium/dp/B01FYEYKD4/ref=sr_1_6?hvadid=580647302114&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9004843&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=13242535789632455191&hvtargid=kwd-11810175725&hydadcr=1642_13457728&keywords=shapton+sharpening+stones&qid=1691292877&sr=8-6&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.006c50ae-5d4c-4777-9bc0-4513d670b6bc|1k/5k Shapton combo set]] will do great for beginners at $100.
-Do not go crazy spending money on stones when starting - it's a waste of money and time. Also, do not go super cheap, since that's also a waste of money and time. Shapton, King, and anything sold by Suzuki Tool will serve you well.
+You do not need to spend a ton of money on stones when starting. When beginning, you will need to develop the hand-eye coordination to keep your blade flat against the stone. It's better to get something that wears well and won't be a total pain to keep flat then something that can theoretically create a better edge.
-===== Process =====
+If $100 is above your budget, find the best stone you can afford and use it. Cheaper stones will likely be softer and may require more frequent flattening, but that's not a barrier to entry.
-At the root of it, sharpening involves flattening a sharpening stone, and then:
+Another budget-friendly alternative is just using sandpaper stuck to a flat surface with double sided tape or water.
-. Using the stone to create a burr on the bevel of your tool, and
-. Using the stone to flatten the back of your tool, removing the burr.
-As you refine the sharpened edge, you do this over, and over, and over again, but the process never changes.
+===== Process =====
-Flatten the stone.
-Raise a burr on the bevel, flattening the stone as you go.
-Refine and polish the bevel, flattening the stone as you go.
-Polish the burr off.
+At the root of it, sharpening involves:
+  - flattening a sharpening stone,
+  - flattening the back of your tool,
+  - creating a burr across the entire front of your tool, and finally
+  - removing the burr by polishing the back again.
-===== Flattening the Stone =====
+The grit numbers on stones are like grits in sandpaper - the higher the number, the finer the abrasive particles in the stone. Lower grits will remove more material faster, but leave the edge of the tool ragged and microscopic grooves in the face of the tool. Higher grits will remove less material and "even out" deeper scratches.
-Stones are flattened using a known flat surface (“lapping plate”). Here are some ways you can create a lapping plate:
-* Find a piece of plate glass, and stick some sand paper to it
-* Buy an Atoma plate (~$70)
-Either method is fine to start. As you're refining your practice, you'll probably want to stop using sand paper since the silica in the paper can get embedded in your stones. But you can get *very* sharp tools using sandpaper and relatively inexpensive stones.
+==== Flattening the Stone ====
+Stones are flattened using a “lapping plate”, which is a fancy way of saying a flat reference surface with some abrasive on it. Here are some ways you can create a lapping plate:
+  * Find a piece of thick plate glass or a granite counter remnant and stick some sand paper to it (cost: a few dollars for sandpaper and glass)
+  * Buy a [[https://suzukitool.com/tools/japanese-woodworking-tools/japanese-sharpening-water-stones-toishi/diamond-sharpening-plate/atoma-diamond-sharpening-plate.html|400 grit Atoma plate]] (cost: ~$100) or a [[https://hidatool.com/item/2693|Suehiro Flattening Stones]] (cost: $20).
+Any method is fine to start. As you're refining your practice, you'll probably want to stop using sand paper since the silica in the paper can get embedded in your stones. But you can get *very* sharp tools using sandpaper. Better to get practice using what you have available than stop yourself from trying because you don't have the ideal setup.