Hey Jon!
I think there are several possible answers to your current situation. The first is that you are new to the WEPS. I have years of experience with several sharpening devices, belt grinders, and a ton of different stones, including several makes of diamond plates, and it took me “too long” for my first couple of knives because I needed to build the muscle memory.
But I was able to raise a burr with ease from the start….
Which brings us to the second possibility – strokes. If you are alternating strokes, you will not get a burr (at least not a honking big burr) because each alternating stroke cancels out burr buildup. Sweeping strokes, are slower for metal removal and are better once you have established the desired geometry. Try using “scrubbing” strokes, which are up and down strokes, on one side of the knife only. Do this until you get a burr on the opposite side of the knife you are scrubbing, then switch to scrubbing the other side until a burr forms along the entire length of the knife. Then switch to sweeping strokes on one side until a burr forms to even out the bevel’s thickness. Finally, do alternating strokes create a perfect bevel with little to no burr.
I usually scrub then sweep on all four stock WEPS Diamond stones just to be sure.
Then there’s pressure. Heavy pressure can flex the edge – especially on higher grits, but is good for the beginning stages (just be careful not to slip!). Diamonds also tend to create “ruts” in metal, so try mixing scrubbing strokes with a few sweeping strokes to break up the monotony and make stock removal faster. You can even employ circular strokes for the most aggression if you feel confident.
By the WEPS 600 diamond, you get a very well defined, very usable, aggressive edge that should cut paper, but it won’t be a laser at that refinement level. You can get better results out of the plate if you really lighten up the pressure on the 600 WEPS, and of course once it breaks in, the edge gets better as well.
Lastly, sometimes it just takes a lot of strokes. There is no hard and fast rule for the number of strokes it takes to get an edge, and if you are coming over from freehand to guided sharpening, there is an added time element for precision.
Keep at it, and keep asking questions. I’m sure you’ll get it!
B)
