FatFrumos Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 I bought myself a set of Gesswein polishing stones to try them as a replacement of sandpaper for polishing the blades. When they arrived, they were of a standard rectangular shape. However, in all youtube videos demonstrating their use one end of the stone was beveled on one or both sides. As a result, you would get a contact patch of a specific size and would have to hold the stone at an angle to the blade to apply it to. I hope that makes sense. My question is - how does one go about creating this bevel? Is there a preferred way or should I just take it to the grinder or a file? Thank you! Luka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 Have you contacted Gesswein? Youtube isn't a very good place to learn a craft if you don't have at least a basic grounding. It takes knowledge to sift the good from the bad and dangerous. Do you have a file you want to blunt or didn't you think before asking that one? Taking it to the grinder is more likely to make a jagged chipped transition rather than a smooth bevel and turn your polishing stone into a scratch machine. Not that I don't want to help but I'd have to contact the maker to find out what kind of stone was used and what to use to bevel an edge. I suppose there are plenty of options but . . . Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 Belt grinder comes to mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FatFrumos Posted June 25, 2020 Author Share Posted June 25, 2020 6 hours ago, Frosty said: Have you contacted Gesswein? Youtube isn't a very good place to learn a craft if you don't have at least a basic grounding. It takes knowledge to sift the good from the bad and dangerous. It depends. If a person just says something on youtube it's one thing, but if several people on different channels are actually using beveled grinding stones to good effect on video, it's a good signifier that it can be done. Quote Not that I don't want to help but I'd have to contact the maker to find out what kind of stone was used and what to use to bevel an edge. I suppose there are plenty of options but . . . I suppose I will do that. But I thought that since this is a knifemaker's forum, someone here might have dealt with it before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latticino Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 I am not familiar with which of the many Gesswein stones you are referring to, and on review they appear to come in a variety of hardness's. Is it possible they all start out with a rectangular crossection and after much use abrade away to have the bevels you saw in the videos? The classic way to modify the surface of a sharpening stone is to resurface it with a diamond lap wheel. I used to have a nice 18" diameter one that I used for lapping glass that would also work on stones. Depending on the hardness of the stones you have you might be able to work them down with a dressing stick. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 4 hours ago, FatFrumos said: if several people on different channels are Youtube is useful IF you already know enough about a subject to know the good from the bad. Your metric of "if several people on different channels are" . . . whatever the craft you're watching is not a good one. Urban myth is literally many people spreading the same myth. Lots of people saying something does NOT make it true or correct. I'm not saying beveled stones aren't in common use, the above is a bit of advice about believing something just because lots of people are saying it. As Latticino points out there are many grades of stone from soft to very hard and how you dress them depends strongly on how hard they are. Were I to buy a set of stones I'd read the data sheets that comes with them and keep them so I could use the right tool to dress them or ask questions that CAN be answered in a meaningful way. I keep the data sheets, directions, manuals, etc. for everything more complicated than a new grinding wheel or belt. They have the pertinent info printed on them. I'd probably use my belt grinder were I to dress a polishing stone but I'd know which belt to use before I did. Now if I picked up a handful at a yard sale for cheap without info I could afford to experiment but if one ate a $25, 1000gr zirconium belt I'd be in the hole. Maybe try a diamond hone? Asking good questions is an acquired skill, you have to know enough about a subject to know what you don't know. Then you need to supply enough information other folks CAN answer. Not knowing you need to tell us how hard your polishing stones are is a perfect example of something you didn't know you needed to know. I know that sounds confusing but it isn't really and it's an important communication skill. Don't go away, I expect someone will be along who has a better idea. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welshj Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 There is an old school method for dressing honing stones.... that may help you do what you want. You'll need- Someplace to make a mess. an old piece of glass that you dont care about. The thicker, the better... helps alieve nervousness and breakage. Sand- fine play sand, or a finer blasting grit even... but make sure it has no large chunks, or rocks or anything in it that will destroy your stone. Water. Place glass on a level, even surface so that it doesnt move around. Pour a handful of sand in the center. Add water to a puddle consistency... rubbing sand around. Place stone face down in water and sand, and move around with even pressure, in circles, in a line, whatever is needed to smooth and flatten surface til smooth and cleaned. Took me ten minutes to clean and dress a stone I've had for twenty years. It was dished in the middle concave... on one side, and worn down on an outer edge on the other. Convex... It would take some time to grind a bevel with this method- but it could work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAG Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 Mr. W. et al., amateur astronomers (a.k.a. star gazers) can save money by grinding their own mirrors. They do the grinding much like you describe. But they are using uniform grit abrasives. I suggest that those who wish to profile a polishing stone. Get in touch with the local astronomy club for information about the abrasives they use and where they buy it. Happy hunting citizens. SLAG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 Could try a rock shop, they'll carry abrasives for rock tumblers. Maybe even hobby shops. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FatFrumos Posted June 30, 2020 Author Share Posted June 30, 2020 Thank you all for your replies. I will give it a try when I get a chance and report back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.