Best Stropped Edge At 14/10u?

[NorCalQ]

So, after 1000, I go 1500>2200>3000>9 & 3 DLP, then to strops 14>10>5>3.5>1>.5 emulsions on balsa.  I seem to get my best hair splitting edge at 10u.  After that, I can get splitting, but it just seems to get progressively worse as I go finer.  I keep the same angle throughout, with very light pressure, so I don’t think I’m rolling the edge.  I’m wondering why I seemingly get the sharpest edge at 10u?  I do get a better mirror with the finer grits.

[tcmeyer]

That really does sound like the finer strops are rounding the edge a bit.   If you like the polish you get with the finer grits, drop them down one or two degrees to see if you still get the polish you want without reducing the keenness of the edge.

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wickededge, Brewbear, Organic, Dwight Glass

[Marc H]

I think the very smooth edge you get with the stropping progression may remove the toothiness or the bite the edge needs to cut the hairs.  Instead you see the hair sliding across or bending around the super sharp polished knife edge.

The only way to know for sure if you’re reducing sharpness with the extended stropping and not just smoothing a very sharp knife edge is with a true sharpness test with a device like an Edge-On-Up tester.

Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)

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wickededge, Brewbear, Dwight Glass

[NorCalQ]

Thank you for the replies.  Both having me thinking.  The Edge-On-Up would be great, if I could afford it.  Interesting…I’m wondering if anyone else has had this experience?

• This reply was modified 4 years, 8 months ago by NorCalQ.

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wickededge

[Organic]

I also suspect that you are rounding the apex ever so slightly as you do additional stropping. It may have very little to do with the particular grit of the strips you are using hand have more to do with the number of strokes.

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wickededge

[NorCalQ]

I usually do 8o strokes per grit stropping.  Too many…not enough?

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wickededge

[airscapes]

NorCalQ wrote:

I usually do 8o strokes per grit stropping. Too many…not enough?

Get a USB microscope so you can see when it is time to change grits..  counting is guessing

 

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Marc H, Brewbear

[NorCalQ]

Sure am learning a lot here.  Turns out I was rounding the edge with a combo of too many strokes and not quite soft enough stroke force.  Now I’m using only about 20 to 30, ver, very light strokes, from 5u on down.  I also reduce the angle by a degree, just to get more of the bevel, without rounding the edge.  So far it’s worked out well, however I’m sure I’ll be discovering even more effective techniques as I forge ahead.  Thanks all for the help.

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wickededge, Hogdog, NotSharpEnuff, Organic

[Author]

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