Sharpening/honing Stone

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ddickey

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I'd like to buy a sharpening stone. I plan on using it to knock off burs on small parts and sharpening turning tools. Can I get some suggestions?
 
I use a Norton stone that's like 1"x3" for honing my HSS bits. Unfortunately I bought it at a closeout store about a decade ago and haven't been able to find another like it. Everything has been too rough.
 
I've found out that you never have enough sharpening stones. Start hoarding them like me, that way you have too many and can't decide which one to use first. For all around sharpening, your Arkansaw type of stones work good. They vary from very hard, white looking, to very soft, dull brownish/gray. The Indian type of stones do good too. In fact they all do good for their purpose. You will also need to get different grits as you start collecting stones. Diamond impregnated stones have their place, too.
 
I use diamond stones for tool bits. If I have a lot of sharpening to do I use the 6" long steel bars with the solid diamond coating, not the dots. To hone after grinding, I just use the credit card type like herrwood does.

For a fine finishing tool bit I use a fine India stone (creates a different scratch pattern from diamond stones) and polish on a Translucent Arkansas stone. This stone produces a mirror finish and a razor-sharp edge.
 
Sharpening edges is an art that is far removed from deburring, IMO. I use mostly files for deburr work. A set of jewelers files for fine work on up to flat smooth cut files up to 10 or 12". Just kind of depends on what you are working on. I wouldn't mix the two functions too much though. You could nearly ruin a nice stone knocking burrs off parts.
 
Depends on what your calling a burr. Large machine burrs I agree a file or blade but I don't get that size of burr from my belt sander so a stone will do. Grandpa used leather to "straighten" (his words) the burr on his razor after sharpening it on a stone.
 
Agreed. I still use a strop on my good pocket knives to finish them. I generally use only a 120 grit belt on my sander/grinder for most things, which of course is slow and has its own limits, but after a little wear I don't find it leaves an unacceptable burr on parts. But then, I don't sharpen anything on it (well maybe a hatchet or machete type blade), so it just is one of those things that there are many ways and personal preferences and habits that are just fine.
 
Try a lathe tool on the belt sander then do a test cut. Take that tool out & hone it then try it again. It's a world of difference. I can't really tell there is a burr by touch ether. I see it's shinier but the real difference is when I see the cut.

I'm really bad at cutting threads on the lathe but if I hone my cutter I'm much better & there is very little burr in the threads where as the threads are really rough if I don't.

It is more or less a have to when I cut hardware steel round & some aluminium because the stuff is so gummy it has a tearable finish if I don't. When my finish isn't what I expect to see I'll touch up a edge on the hone & back to cutting. Once I shap a tool on the belt sander I usually don't put it back on the sander unless I'm changing the shape for another tool or really screw up.

Tools for my fly cutter are a different story. I'm hard on those. I don't know if I'm shaping them wrong or just don't know how to use them but they get flat fast. For that reason I have a grander in the side of my mill.
 
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