Printable View
My first attempt at restoring and honing a vintage W&B 5/8 wedge. Such a pain to set the bevel. Had to swoop down to a 220, followed by 1200,finished with a C12k. Shave test this evening. http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...7e73e13f9f.jpg
Sent from my 2014817 using Tapatalk
Yeah, getting the bevel cut is always the hardest part. Very tempting to drop down to a lower grit hone, but I usually stick it out on the 1K until it's completely set. I'll probably be changing that when I go to hone my wedge, that's going to need a solid chunk of steel removed.
I had a few attempts at 1k to set the bevel. Finished on the C12k, stropped with paste, then tried the shave test.. Feels sharp enough, but then,, nothing.. Feels like trying to shave with a spoon.. Attempted a few more times with longer time on the 1k, same disappointing results. Out of desperation, whipped out the old dual grit carboundum. Worked on the finer 400 grits.. Managed to set the bevel finally. Continued with the 1k, 12k, stropping. Managed to get a comfortable shave with her. Smooth, but needs some getting used to since there's no audible feedback..Quote:
Originally Posted by Marshal
Sent from my 2014817 using Tapatalk
So, Gary are you going from 1k to 12k?
What are the brands of the stones you are using and what kind and power of magnification are you using to see the bevel and edge?
You almost never will need to drop below a good 1k stone to set a bevel. Going lower just causes you much more work removing the chipping, especially with 220 grit. You most probably have a very chippy and harsh shaving edge.
You really should read the first 3 posts in the honing forum for a good primer in honing a razor.
Enlarging your photo, I see an excessively worn spine and a very wide and uneven bevel.
Most probably caused from way too low a grit stone and excessive pressure.
It most probably can be made to shave, but will always have the spine wear and very wide bevel.
In your first post, you referenced a 1200 and in a later post a 1k. Do you have both or was the 1200 a typo? If you do have a 1200 then I wonder if it is a diamond plate or a synthetic hone.
In other words, could you please be a little more specific about your available hones?
Until you get more honing experience, I strongly suggest that you make use of electrical tape for taping the spine while honing. This will prevent you from doing at least one form of permanent damage to your razors.
Earlier typo 1200 to 12k.I am still waiting for my 30x loupe to arrive. So basically, honing blind. I have probably messed up the spine and the bevel. The 1200 stone is a local synthetic brand made in Malaysia,. Usable, but not that greatQuote:
Originally Posted by Euclid440
Sent from my 2014817 using Tapatalk
Yeah, I believe I have really messed it up..Quote:
Originally Posted by Euclid440
Sent from my 2014817 using Tapatalk
My apologies, it's a typo. It's a 1200 stoneQuote:
Originally Posted by Utopian
Sent from my 2014817 using Tapatalk
I did use electrical tape on the spine initially, but somehow during the honing, it displaced/came off. Is this indication I am using excessive pressure?Quote:
Originally Posted by Utopian
Sent from my 2014817 using Tapatalk
If, during the honing proces, the tape wears out, or comes off, just replace it with a fresh piece of tape. It can take time and pressure to set the bevel, so it's not unusual that the tape doesn't last from bevel setting to finishing. Excessive pressure speeds up the wear for sure though.
As for tape falling off, some brands of cheaper black electrical tape falls off. 3M tape is the best I've found and never falls off
When doing repairs like heavy grinding, using 2 layers of tape is a good idea, then if you burn through one layer the spine is still protected. Once you get the bevel sorted and meeting, you can drop down to one layer and quickly re-set the bevel angle.
Judging by the wear on the spine, I would put 2 layers of tape to approximate the original spine thickness and proper bevel angle. You most probably have a bit of work removing all the 220 grit stria from the bevel, and you will have to remove it all.
Joint the edge straight on the corner of the 1200 and reset the bevel doing circles, until they meet. Then do X strokes, to get an even stria pattern.
Do you have any other stones between the 1200 and 12K stone? You really need at least a 3,4, or 5k and possibly an 8k.
Buy a quality stone, especially if your 1k (1,200 grit stone) is questionable. You cannot go wrong with a 4/8k Norton or 3/8k Naniwia combo stones, they are relatively inexpensive and will last a lifetime. The 8k edge is a very comfortable shaving edge. C12K’s are hit and miss, some finish, some don’t. The Norton and Naniwia 8k’s are pretty foolproof.
I would skip the C12k until you are able to consistently get a 8k shaving edge, then experiment with natural finishers.
You should probably wait until you get your magnification, before continuing and risk more damage. As said the razor can still be made to shave well with some patients and better tools.
Read the first 3 post in the honing forum for a good overview on razor honing.
Thanks everyone for the advice. Highly appreciated. I will probably need to order the Norton 4/8 from the states as its not available here. The only honing stone carried by my local Ace Hardware store is the smith's honing set which consists of one Arkansas and a another stone. Is this Smith's set capable of doing the SR?
Sent from my 2014817 using Tapatalk
Great to know that. I will try to obtain some 3m.Quote:
Originally Posted by rodb
Sent from my 2014817 using Tapatalk
You can hone on a 3 stone Ark progression; it has been done for hundreds of years. It is more difficult and slower, but the edge is a very nice shaving edge that does have a following.
Arks in the larger size, 8X3 that are best for honing razors can get pricy, especially for the hard stones.
You will need a soft Washita, a hard stone and a hard finishing, Black or Translucent stone.
Learning to hone on synthetic stones is much easier and quicker. All natural stones are unique and can be somewhat un-predictable as far as performance. All synthetic stones of a given manufacturer, are identical and perform, equally well. All Norton 1k’s perform like all other Norton 1k’s.
There are many great, extensive, Ark threads, packed with great information. The process for using an Ark, is exactly the same as synthetics, set the bevel on a low grit stone, then polish out the stria from each previous stone. The trick is the amount of and when to use pressure and a few other techniques.