I have a lot of Veritas PM-V11 steel, which I like, especially the thicker blades of their jointer and low-angle jack. But this steel requires either a hollow grind or a secondary bevel and ceramic stones to hone and polish. Honing a flat single bevel on one of those? I do not have the patience or the time.
My experience with PM-V11 is that it becomes a real bear if the primary bevels creep on you. I grind with a Sorby Proedge to keep the primaries narrow, then use Shapton ceramics. Doing this, they are a doodle (although not the same doodle) like A2 or O1. On a freshly ground A2 iron, I need two swipes on the Shapton 1000 to get a burr vs. 3-4 on PM-V11. The difference here hardly matters, but it increases exponentially if you let primary bevels grow.
I learned to turn watching your Lost art press video and some others you have. I think your advice to just get on there and sharpen your tools is the best advice I’ve had. I started turning with t a cheap set of HSS lathe tools and not afraid to practice sharpening. It mad it a little more difficult to learn to turn on them but I have technic now for sharpening. I did recently buy CBN wheel and they are a came changer for speed. I have also invested in some better tools as I’ve need them.
I learned to sharpen chisels and planes from David Charlesworth and he teaches flat sharpening on water stones after you hollow grind. I do have a Tormek now that I use separately for my chisels and planes.
I like to use my Tormek as much as possible, however with my lathe tools I’ll use CBN wheels with 80 grit (green wood only) & if I’m turning kiln dried maple then it’s right back to the Tormek on the lathe tools
Sharpening is not my favorite but what a huge pay off it has on my work
I have a lot of Veritas PM-V11 steel, which I like, especially the thicker blades of their jointer and low-angle jack. But this steel requires either a hollow grind or a secondary bevel and ceramic stones to hone and polish. Honing a flat single bevel on one of those? I do not have the patience or the time.
My experience with PM-V11 is that it becomes a real bear if the primary bevels creep on you. I grind with a Sorby Proedge to keep the primaries narrow, then use Shapton ceramics. Doing this, they are a doodle (although not the same doodle) like A2 or O1. On a freshly ground A2 iron, I need two swipes on the Shapton 1000 to get a burr vs. 3-4 on PM-V11. The difference here hardly matters, but it increases exponentially if you let primary bevels grow.
Thanks for the feedback, very interesting
Regarding your comment on CBN clogging with non hardened steel, does that mean not to use them if you are making your own spokeshave/travisher blades?
I learned to turn watching your Lost art press video and some others you have. I think your advice to just get on there and sharpen your tools is the best advice I’ve had. I started turning with t a cheap set of HSS lathe tools and not afraid to practice sharpening. It mad it a little more difficult to learn to turn on them but I have technic now for sharpening. I did recently buy CBN wheel and they are a came changer for speed. I have also invested in some better tools as I’ve need them.
I learned to sharpen chisels and planes from David Charlesworth and he teaches flat sharpening on water stones after you hollow grind. I do have a Tormek now that I use separately for my chisels and planes.
I like to use my Tormek as much as possible, however with my lathe tools I’ll use CBN wheels with 80 grit (green wood only) & if I’m turning kiln dried maple then it’s right back to the Tormek on the lathe tools
Sharpening is not my favorite but what a huge pay off it has on my work