great video, great idea to use the referance plate. One suggestion to anyone using diamond plates. They need to go through an initial prep. They have a few loose or larger bits of diamond, they can be condtioned by first blowing off any loose diamonds with air pressure and then "lightly" running a wider piece of metal, like a plane blade on the plate. If you dont condition them carefully a loose piece of diamond will be dragged across they plate and remove thin strips of diamonds the size of the loose diamond. This is a fact, experience with multiple stones ive used confirms this. Thank you for the video.

@AussieWoodshed

5 ай бұрын

Thanks for adding this information for people new to diamond stones.

Hi Luke, I'm the guy you were talking with about the troubles with my sharpening stone in the comments of a video of yours I can no longer find(looks like it has been removed). There were some of your replies I couldn't read fully, from the snippet of the push notification I saw that you were hinting at the fact that It could be a really soft stone, but I don't know what you wrote later. Thanks anyway for your time.

@AussieWoodshed

5 ай бұрын

That is because i didn't realise you were messaging me on the video i just uploaded, which doesn't go live until Sunday. What i said was if you don't have a flattening plate, you can use sand paper on a flat surface to re flatten your water stone. The softer stones usually sharpen faster but require flattening more often

@antonellochessa5389

5 ай бұрын

@@AussieWoodshedOh, I understand! Sorry, I didn't know, It just popped on my feed and I watched It. Yes, a couple of days ago I bought a wet-and-dry sandpaper sheet because I expected for my stone sooner or later to need flattening. I have a marble surface to lay the sandpaper on, it should go fine. This weekend I'm going to give It another try, meanwhile I think I can get away with how I managed to sharpen my chisels so far, since I'm working with european linden(I live in Italy), I'm making a wooden knife with a double spiral handle and a carved spherical pommel. Too bad KZread doesn't allow pictures on comments, otherwise I would post a picture of It once it's done, it's turning out nice.

@AussieWoodshed

5 ай бұрын

@@antonellochessa5389 sounds likes great project

i've been using granite tiles from the home improvement store. they are usually flatter than the diamond plates which is as good as you need. they certainly don't have the mass of a surface plate like you're using here, but they are quite a bit less expensive. i use contact cement and stick some neoprene rubber to the bottom of the tile and it stays put most of the time. might be a good midrange option between a scary sharp or cheapo diamond plates and this system.

@AussieWoodshed

5 ай бұрын

I agree, the granite tile with some means to stop it sliding would also work great. Thanks for sharing another option with everyone.

@jsmxwll

5 ай бұрын

your channel is really turning into a gem. keep up the good work. @@AussieWoodshed

nice setup. I only work the burr off the backside on the finest stone.

@AussieWoodshed

5 ай бұрын

Thanks, removing the burr on the finest stone is definitely a good way to not throw the back of the blade out of flat.

very creative

@AussieWoodshed

5 ай бұрын

Thanks

Very good idea using an alternative to the now incredibly expensive diamond stones. When they first came out, you could purchase a complete set for twenty bucks! They may be better manufactured now but not everyone can afford those prices. Thank you for providing alternatives. I look forward to watching your videos each week.

@AussieWoodshed

5 ай бұрын

Glad you liked the video and thanks for watching my videos each week.

Thanks!!! Good set up!!

@AussieWoodshed

5 ай бұрын

Thanks for the comment

Really enjoyed this video, you’ve created a very economical and functional sharpening station that will be ideal for me. I will be saving this video for future reference. Please keep them coming, I have been a keen woodworker for 50 years but your precision and clear style of communication is indispensable. From an avid subscriber.

@AussieWoodshed

5 ай бұрын

Thanks for your kind words. I will definitely keep the videos coming.

I have seen set ups where all the stones/plates are lined up next to each other. Makes me scratch my head. If I need to flatten the backs of chisels and plane blades, I don't have good clear access to the stones. I like mine to be individually placed on a surface, and then I have access from all sides. Different strokes for different folks....

@AussieWoodshed

5 ай бұрын

The reason i have them close is 1 to fit and 2 most of the flattening is done on the 400grit which has full side access, i find when just polishing out the back on finer grits the bottom edge is more than enough access as way less work is required

Great idea to use the granite as a base, only issue is heft. But more likely to set up a dedicated sharpening station somewhere in shop than lift about.

@AussieWoodshed

5 ай бұрын

Yeah, definitely a dedicated sharpening station would be ideal for this setup. Now i just need to find the space for a dedicated sharpening station.

Thanks so much

@AussieWoodshed

4 ай бұрын

No problem

I just found out I use the wrong side of the leather

@AussieWoodshed

5 ай бұрын

There is no wrong side, the rough side just holds the honing compound better, that is why I use that side.

@jsmxwll

5 ай бұрын

the rought side of the leather is more aggressive because it holds more honing compound but it also exposes more of the microsilicates present in the leather already. the smooth side is what you use when you strop a straight edge razor for instance. depends on the result you're looking for.

@AussieWoodshed

5 ай бұрын

@@jsmxwll thanks for clarifying this, much appreciated.