Popular Woodworking 2003-08 № 135, страница 14

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Q & A

How to Keep Your Stones Flat

To prevent your stones from becoming convex, you need to flatten them using three types of strokes .

Sharpening Questions:

What's the Best Way to Flatten Stones?

In the "Supplies" box of your recent sharpening article ("Sharpening Plane Irons and Chisels" April 2003), you specify using an 8" DuoSharp Coarse/X-coarse diamond stone. This diamond stone is slightly smaller than the Norton waterstones. But in the illustration on page 49, you show a DuoSharp stone that appears to be larger than the Norton stone - it looks like a 10" DuoSharp.

I'm new to flattening waterstones, but it seems as if the larger DuoSharp stone would make it a lot easier to flatten the Nortons. Also, do you have any suggestions for techniques for flattening the waterstones?

Tom Ryan via the Internet

You're right about the DuoSharp. I'm using a 10" but specify an 8" to save a few dollars. I've flattened my Norton waterstones with both sizes of DuoSharps without too much difficulty. But you're right, using the 10" is a bit easier.

The trick to flattening the stones is to use three different kinds of strokes. The first stroke is to push forward with both stones parallel. Then skew the Norton about 30° and pull back. Push forward with the stones parallel. Then skew the other way and pull back. This maintains flat

ness. I grasp a stone in each hand under running water, which keeps the diamond stone from clogging. You might find this process easier with the diamond stone sitting flat in your sink. If you have difficulty with the diamond stone, try using plate glass and wet/dry sandpaper. And others recommend you use another Norton 1,000 stone, which I've never gotten the hang of.

— Christopher Schwarz

More Sharpening: Should I Avoid Wire Edges and 8,000-grit Stones?

Great article on sharpening. A quick question: I've been told to only push the tool forward on the stone, as to avoid a wire edge. Is that necessary, or can you go back and forth, a far faster process?

Also, I just purchased 800- and 4,000-grit waterstones; is the 8,000 required? With cash a little tight to buy a third stone at this time, will I notice a big difference with the 8,000?

Tim Reagan Chatworth, California

Push back and forth when sharpening because you want that wire edge. The wire edge allows you to gauge your progress - it becomes smaller at each finer grit. Plus, you use the wire edge to gauge if you're sharpening all the way across your edge. If there's someplace along the cutting continued on page 14

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Popular Woodworking August 2003