Getting a chisel scary sharp

[NeilMott]

Hey Zulu.

I appreciate the info.  My chisel is fairly new, so I think maybe it could use a coarser stone to begin with?  I've definitely sliced my fingers here and there so I know it's pretty sharp.  I've almost entirely been working on baseball leather from used gloves.  I have a sense that it's not as easy to work with compared to regular veg tan leather...  

I was surprised to learn from that video that my whetstones will groove but it makes sense.  So I'd need a diamond stone to get it flat anyway right?  Most don't say if they are mono-crystalline diamonds...  Any recommendations for a diamond stone and guide?

Neil

[YinTx]

2 hours ago, NeilMott said:

Any recommendations for a diamond stone

I did this with an Atoma 1200 diamond plate, and a 1000/4000 water stone, followed by a leather strop.  It started with a pretty rough edge that I reprofiled on the diamond plate.

I don't think you need to be fancy, just steady and persistent.  

 

YinTx

[zuludog]

My Dad was a carpenter; I grew up with oilstones as diamond & ceramic stones just weren't around when I was a boy, and that's what I I still use; mainly because I inherited them, and also because - call me old fashioned -  but I just can't get me 'ead round the idea of using water on a sharpening stone. Nevertheless I bought a cheap, coarse diamond stone for rough work, and I accept that it will wear out more quickly. However for finer work I use my oilstones

But as YinTx has stated, it doesn't really matter what you use, as long as you're patient. Here are my comments, though I'm sure there will be other opinions

Oil stones - Not as popular as they were, but they still do the job. Reasonably cheap to buy, and because they've been around for longer you can often find secondhand ones quite cheaply. Try secondhand dealers; flea markets; garage sales. Clean them up as shown in YouTube videos

Japanese water stones - I must admit that I haven't used one, but people do, and manage well enough. Need soaking before use - fairly messy - as I understand it, these stones are designed yo wear as you use them, and it is this slurry of water & grit that does the sharpening. The slurry can be created either as the tool is sharpened or by rubbing the stone with a special type of stone called a NAGURA. this nagura stone is also used to flatten the waterstone as it wears

Ceramic stones - notably Shapton - ceramic bonded to glass - lubricated with water - less messy than water stones

Diamond - lubricated with water - probably easiest to use - with cheap ones the spread of particle size is not as consistent, and the diamonds are more likely to wear off - good ones are expensive

Instead of water on these stones you can get special lubricating solution, or use clear window cleaning spray, or a small amount of washing up liquid in the water

So there you are - yer pays yer money and yer takes yer choice. And speaking of money, you will find that things can easily get expensive. By all means buy a set of diamond stones if you wish, but as you already appear to have a decent fine stone, my suggestion is that you get a cheap, slightly coarser diamond or water stone, say 800 to 1000 grit to start off your sharpening, then go to the 3000/8000. Once you have the chisels sharp all you should need is a strop and occasionally that fine stone. Treat yourself to some proper honing/stropping compound; I use Veritas, a small bar will last for ages

It's easier to skive leather if you dampen it slightly, especially old or veg tan; experiment to find the right level

You might find this YT video useful - 'Preparing and sharpening a woodworking chisel' by Paul Sellers