tcmeyer

I suggest measuring each stone on a flat, solid surface.  Measure the angles on both faces, and also turn the stone end-for-end and check them again.  The angle differences should measure close to 0.1 degree or less.  If your measuring cube has a readout of 0.1, +/- 0.2 degrees, you’re SOL.

Keep in mind that any error you find could be caused by…[Read more]

I have a lot of experience using DLF in the edge-leading mode.  It can certainly be done, but you have to be careful.  If the blade has a deep belly, for instance, the edge will bite into the film, as will a blade’s tip or heel.   The wider the edge at the engagement point, the more tolerant it is to edge-leading action.  Plane blades are an exam…[Read more]

I too have the 1,500, 2,200 and 3,000 grit stones, as well as lapping film and strops.  In fact, I have a lot of DLF inventory that I’m very little use out of.  The 2200/3000 grit stones don’t seem to produce the polish I got with my well-worn 1500’s, but microphotos suggest that the scratch patterns are correct. so I’ve been using them.  The on…[Read more]

I’m a little late to this discussion, but can’t resist chiming in.  I have three rigs: the Gen 1 with the PP upgrades (equiv of WE120), a Gen3 (WE130 model) and a Gen 3 Pro.  All have the microadjust mods. I love them all.  If I had to choose, I’d go back to the Gen 1 and add the Gen 3 vise upgrade.  This would let me go back and forth between vis…[Read more]

I use mostly the UHMW plastic cutting boards.  I do have some rather large wood boards, but I reserve them for carving cooked poultry and larger roast meats – but mostly because they have the perimeter grooves to catch juices.

I read some time back that wood tends to hold bacteria more readily than plastic.  I would expect end grain wood to be m…[Read more]

Thanks Clay:   The particle sizes you’ve measured and the assigned grit ratings fall very close to the numbers I’ve been using.  I am really curious though, as to how they will be rated now.  Seems to me it ought to be something like “scratches per inch,” but I’m guessing it will be straight micron particle size, to stay in the “apples for app…[Read more]

Yeah.  Right.  Being a “snowflake” myself, I’ll count myself among those who forgive, but don’t forget.  Or maybe not.

Gee, I’ve never heard anyone complain about the gap from 200 to 400.  And I’ve never wondered about a 300-grit option, much less thought I needed one.

I don’t see redundancy in the option to buy 2200/3000-grit stones.  I see them as a sensible option for buyers who choose not to buy the 1500/glass w/ film stones, but who might want the n…[Read more]

Sounds like you’re moving right up the learning curve!  Did you follow my convex method on the Gen 3 Pro?  (Using the Gen 3 Pro’s detent system for each incremental step)

Way to go!

I’ll have to try Expedia’s lube, but generally, I try to keep anything wet or sticky out of my pocket knives, as they tend to collect grit that accumulates in my pockets.  I’ve been using the Flitz Rifle, Gun & Knife Wax.  It dries right up, leaving a protectant film of wax.  It isn’t necessarily a lubricant, but I think dripping a little into th…[Read more]

Very well put, Pat.  You’ve succinctly summarized the top bullet point of learning to get the most out of your WEPS.  I would expand on your point about checking for an apex at each grit.

I always use alternating strokes – for any set of stones, the coarser grit is angled down and towards me, while the finer grit is angled down and away from m…[Read more]

Hi Michael:  Can you please explain which model you have and which screws are coming loose on you?  Marc addressed those screws which are known to come loose, but you say “all the threads and screws getting loose.”  Perhaps there’s something else happening here.

That’s a really good question, and I’ll be eager to hear a response from WE.  I use a “mesh”/”micron” chart, which is somewhat different from grit ratings.  Mesh refers to the opening size of a screen through which the particles would be sifted and sorted.  It is very nearly the inverse of the micron size.  Theoretically, a 1 micron particle wou…[Read more]

It sounds like you still have a burr on the one side.  Depending on how solidly held it is, and if you are using edge-trailing strokes (as with film and strops), the burr may flop from one side to the other.  This happens when it is about to fall off, like when you are bending a piece of metal back and forth, stressing the point of flex until i…[Read more]

Brewbear:  Downward strokes are edge-leading.  Edge-leading or edge-trailing are terms describing the blade relative to the stone.  Because the WE system moves the stone, relative to the blade, we tend to get it backwards.

I have the mod that Marc is describing for the Gen 3 Pro and I can get as much as five degrees difference from side to side.  Basically, it replaces the existing micro-adjustments with extra-long screws.

I’ve done a couple just like that.  The rust is manageable with any of the rust removers.  I use Evapo-Rust, which is non-toxic and biodegradeable.  The only real problem could be deep rust pits along the edge.  I just had an old plane blade that has pits that reach all the way through the blade just behind the edge.  I’ve never seen that in a kn…[Read more]

Scrubbing is OK with higher grits, but in my opinion, you should take care to not hit the apex with very low grits and “up” strokes.  They can create rather deep chips which can be very difficult to remove with higher grits.  If you are scrubbing with 80 grit, for instance, switch to a higher grit (maybe 200?) and edge-leading strokes when you s…[Read more]

Here’s an analogy that sort of explains the difference between diamond film and diamond paste on strops.  Film on a hard substrate is like the drum sander I use on my pedestal polishing rig.  When I press a piece of steel against it, the grit particles rip scratches in the surface of the steel.  Strops are like the wire brush wheel I use on the sa…[Read more]