File Sharpening Stone

[Ron Nossaman]

>I purchased your Eze-Lap Diamond sharpener (3" x 8", medium grit) for
>sharpening my bridge notching chisels. It seems to really cut nice. I am
>also using a honing guide as I am a newbie to chisel sharpening. BUT it also
>seems to me that the medium grit (400) is WAY too coarse to produce a fine
>edge. They also offer Fine grit (600) and Super Fine (1200). Seems to me I
>need these also. What do you use, etc., etc., to produce a fine fine edge.
>
>Terry Farrell


Yo Terry,
A new diamond stone tends to cut "coarse". After some use, it will break in
and get a lot friendlier. I seem to remember the instruction sheet
explaining that pretty well. You DID read the instructions, didn't you?
Just flattening the back sides of a couple of chisels should put enough
miles on the grit to settle it down and get you in the ball park. I don't
use a super fine grit, because I don't like a super smooth edge. I like a
(very) little "tooth" to the edge because I do a very light micro bevel on
the final edge that survives hard maple much better for me than a straight
low angle bevel. The "tooth" doesn't adversely affect the quality of the
cut surface, but I get a better starting bite (less skating), and can
maintain a thinner curl with better control, for longer times between edge
touch ups, than with a "conventionally" sharpened chisel. Even with the
"tooth", it's still an edge that will shave a clearing on my arm easily, so
I'm not really giving up much in sharpness either.

You may prove to be happier with a finer grit for finish work, but you
won't regret the medium for light reshaping, so what you bought won't be
wasted. Different strokes, and all that.


Ron N