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06-08-2021, 08:30 AM
(This post was last modified: 06-08-2021, 08:33 AM by Elijah A..)
I wanted to circle back to this after I figured out the issue. The more I sharpened, the more I started to notice the scratches in the hock iron as well, I also started noticing scratches with an old coffin smoother that I have. I was starting my sharpening with diamond 300, 600, 1200, and ending with strop. I started using my 1200 diamond first, added a 6000 waterstone, then strop and suddenly I am getting glass surfaces on all of my planes without scratches and I'm finally enjoying my LN plane with the A2 blade! All blades are extremely sharp and leaving equal mirror surfaces. This may not work for everyone, but it's made a big difference for me!
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Good to know you found a solution, Elijah. I think you discovered that 300 and 600 grit diamonds are too aggressive once a blade is set for bevel and routine sharpening.
Diamonds are pretty harsh on metal anyway. I never was satisfied with sub-micron diamond honing. Then I sacrificed a belt, so to speak, and stropped after a 6k or 8k stone. All the scary wild stories are true. However, I don't think that depth of keen edge is necessary outside a bathroom.
Heirlooms are self-important fiction so build what you like. Someone may find it useful.
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I'm puzzle. How are you getting "wiggly" scratches? Unless you're making "wiggly" passes with you #3, any scratches caused by a rough spot on your plane sole or a chip or burr on the iron should match the path of your stroke. I don't understand How you are getting wiggly or curved scratches if you're taking a reasonably straight stroke with your plane. Maybe your problem isn't caused by your plane.
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06-10-2021, 07:51 AM
(This post was last modified: 06-10-2021, 07:57 AM by AHill.)
Happy days that you've solved the problem. To me, it sounds like loose diamond particles from the coarser grits were being transferred to your strop, which then impart micro grooves on your blade when stropping.
Another thing to consider in the sharpening routine is not only to rinse off the blade between stones, but wipe it with a soft cloth. I highly recommend getting a loupe (cheap ones are available online) and inspecting your edge to see whether it's truly progressed from one grit to another. It's not something you need to do all the time, but it's useful to determine how many strokes are required for each stone to remove scratches from the previous grit, and also to troubleshoot issues like the one you experienced earlier.
Also - I hadn't thought about this earlier - your LN No. 3 is a manganese bronze body. It's possible a particle or two of grit got embedded in the sole of your plane, and when you're planing, the grit is rolling around causing the wiggly scratches. The bronze body is softer than a cast iron body, so it's more likely to happen compared to your vintage Stanley.
Still Learning,
Allan Hill
