Affording good sharpening stones

[Robin Dobbie]

How do you do it? I thought I was savin' up to get some good stones, but the more I look, the more expensive they get. I think I need to become a president of a healthcare organization or something just to afford a stone or two.



I suspect something's up with their currency converter! lol

[EatenByLimestone]

That's some inflation!

[Timberwolf]

How do you do it? I thought I was savin' up to get some good stones, but the more I look, the more expensive they get. I think I need to become a president of a healthcare organization or something just to afford a stone or two.



I suspect something's up with their currency converter! lol

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Do you have any flea markets in your area?????? I have a cabinet full of various types of hones, most purchased on the cheap at tool meets and flea markets...Keep in mind that before Japanese water stones became popular, we used many different types of hones, some natural and some man-made...These days tho, most everyone has access to online auction sites, like Ebay...Plenty of really good hones still available there at much better prices..It pays to shop around...You may even find a few in our S&S from time to time....I have sold a few there in the past...

[Gary G™]

They only have to sell one!

[hbmcc]

I think you are right. However, one outfit I only remember as "Stay Away" wanted some outrageous amount for dowels and, insisted it was the correct price when I questioned them.

[Robin Dobbie]

............................
Do you have any flea markets in your area?????? I have a cabinet full of various types of hones, most purchased on the cheap at tool meets and flea markets...Keep in mind that before Japanese water stones became popular, we used many different types of hones, some natural and some man-made...These days tho, most everyone has access to online auction sites, like Ebay...Plenty of really good hones still available there at much better prices..It pays to shop around...You may even find a few in our S&S from time to time....I have sold a few there in the past...

My post was a joke, but when I was searching for stones, it wasn't easy. The flea markets in my area have actual fleas. The one "tool meet" I went to turned out to be some kind of a traveling harbor freight. And that's an insult to harbor freight. 

I decided on Japanese stones because of the higher grits available and purported speed of cutting. I probably should have just gone straight to mostly diamond plates because flattening stones constantly is a real chore. Although, the renewable surface of stones is part of why I chose them...

Tried some inexpensive Japanese waterstones on Amazon, but they kept breaking in shipping because Amazon packs some most items with just a fart in a bag and a prayer. Tried Ebay, and the seller turned out to be an Amazon drop shipper, and of course they were cracked(technically "it" was cracked as it was a combo stone).

"Arkansas" stones of similar size to the Shaptons I ended up buying(because I knew they came in a plastic case) weren't any cheaper. Some a heck of a lot more. Didn't see a grit rating on most of them. 


Somewhere in my shopping I bought a two-sided EZE-lap 8 x 3 because Paul Sellers has Eze-lap and Paul is "everyone's" hero. It was warped, so one side was concave one was convex. Had to argue with the seller to get a refund.

Tried a $10 12x2 "Silicone carbide" stone from Amazon. Damaged in shipping, very warped. I kept it, didn't bother to get a refund or anything. I put a bit of effort into flattening it, but it's still out of plane. Crumbly edges, probably courser than advertised.

Now, the dollar store sells some 1.something x 4? stones for a dollar. I think I saw someone on YouTube glue a bunch of them together onto a piece of plywood. I might try that just for kicks.

Edit: Oh yeah, there's a few people that also report some success using a brick. A flat, textureless surplus house brick. I think I saw one guy say his brick was equivalent to 800-1000 grit, so not too shabby.

[hbmcc]

Welcome to Amazon, AliExpress (Amazon's brother); and, Lee Valley. LV really surprised me this time. I had lots of small loose stuff in a big, oversize box, with the massive miter plane slamming around. The box was ripped open in a corner. I think I got everything.

A few years ago, about 25 pounds of water stones were shipped to me by train from Highland. I think the train passed through 30 of the fifty states. One stop was a derailment. That box needed two people to move it without spilling everything.

[Robin Dobbie]

Seems like Lee Valley was one of the places I was recommended to buy from because of their superior packing. I never considered ordering from them because their prices on some things were more than double what I could get other places. I expect a premium for peace of mind, but double, and sometimes more? I couldn't stomach it, I guess that makes me a bad person. Or a millennial. Or both.

25lb of waterstones? One stop was a derailment! lol Were you reselling them? Running a woodworking school? That would set me up for life. Then again, some waterstones are really soft, so who knows.

I was looking at the brick thing again and it looks like he was using a backyard paver, not a house brick. Pavers are wider and don't have holes. I guess when it's time to level it, you just grab another brick. When you have a large enough pile of used bricks it's time to build a new workshop!

[hbmcc]

Seems like Lee Valley was one of the places I was recommended to buy from because of their superior packing. I never considered ordering from them because their prices on some things were more than double what I could get other places. I expect a premium for peace of mind, but double, and sometimes more? I couldn't stomach it, I guess that makes me a bad person. Or a millennial. Or both.

25lb of waterstones? One stop was a derailment! lol Were you reselling them? Running a woodworking school? That would set me up for life. Then again, some waterstones are really soft, so who knows.

I was looking at the brick thing again and it looks like he was using a backyard paver, not a house brick. Pavers are wider and don't have holes. I guess when it's time to level it, you just grab another brick. When you have a large enough pile of used bricks it's time to build a new workshop!

I usually have only good things to say about Lee Valley. All I can think is they were pretty harried by Xmas rush. Wait for free shipping, or sometimes the $150 will auto trigger free shipping. You do pay for shipping one way or another.

I didn't really know what to get in sharpening stones, so kinda ad libbed. I only used three of the several ordered. The King stones were OK until I got some Japanese chisels. 

About two hours flattening the 36 bevel with a pint of blood from finger cuts convinced me to get some steel sharpening plates from LV and diamond paste from Tools For Working Wood. Diamond worked a little quicker on the laminated steel. You can't rush Japanese tool steel. Keep thinking it's done and then find more than scary sharp. The spec's. for Japanese steel are for a single bevel and no cheating. I am ready to cheat. And, use an "eclipse" bevel guide.

I think there were a couple bench vise screws in the Highland box, too. The delivery took forever. The derailment only lasted about a week. The kicker were all the zig-zags across country. And, even Canada! I find that most other stores carry what they have.

[Robin Dobbie]

Hopefully someday I can afford to shop there. Haven't heard much bad about them, but I have had bad experiences at places touted to be the best. Also around the holidays. I say if they can't handle me at their worst, they don't deserve me at their best. Or something like that. lol But I've never ordered anything large enough to involve a choochoo train.

If I ever start turning, I'd probably get a pair of slow grinders, one with a coarse grit and one with one of those 1200 grit CBN wheels. I've heard people say don't hollow grind Japanese chisels, others say they've done it with no ill effects. As fast and safe as it is, it would be a no-brainer with frequent handtool work. But I'm not a strict handtool user, so my opinion doesn't count!