Hi so I'm looking at buying 3 sharpening plates, I'm considering dmt stones, they are around 65 each. Any of you guys use them? What would you recommend?

Can't go wrong with diamonds.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Diamond+sharpening+stones&t=ffsb&atb=v80-5&iax=images&ia=images

 

Herb

I use DMT diamond...

no complaints..

what coarseness are you considering..

 

DMT is a good choice.

You might also look at CBN. I have a set of cards I use for my turning tools and they are much better than the diamond (cheap one) files I had been using

My DMT plates (300, 600, 1200) do a good job. 

Tagging along EZ...I'm where you're at and also have been considering the DMT's.

1 hour ago, Gene Howe said:

My DMT plates (300, 600, 1200) do a good job. 

The plates just sit there Gene . You do the work.

That must be why they've lasted so long.

I have turned to using DMT's for my chisels and plane irons. I've gotten tired of the mess that is created with my water stones. The DMT's do a much better job. Once I run through the Fine, Extra fine and Exta Extra fine plates, I hit them on a strop.

 

Price a set of Norton water stones, then realize that; they are messy to use, wear out quickly, are constantly needing flattened, and then compare the price to a DMT that will probably last a lifetime of use in your workshop.

 

I watched eBay and got them all three of them (8 x 3) plates at very reasonable price. I was patient and even found one of them as an overstock/box full of misc. stuff acquisition. the plate was still in the box and apparently had been never used. I got it for about 1/2 the going street price.

 

I debated about picking up a course but decided, that, if I needed to reestablish a bevel angle or repair and edge I had my WorkSharp 3000.

 

You won't go wrong with these plates.

 

Update: I just checked and I paid $52 (F), $47.99 (E-F), and I bought the EE-F from Zoro for $70. $160 total or $53 a piece average. No tax and shipping included. Norton combo stones will run around $65 + tax from Woodcraft (just as a reference point).

Edited January 15, 20188 yr by schnewj

I was planning for a coarse 250 grit, fine 600 grit and extra fine roughly 60quid each. I'm running out of sandpaper and the oil stone I have is already hollowed despite trying to use the full stone.

I've shopped around on Amazon, ebay, axminster and other UK stockists and the cheapest I can find is ebay.

I can't do a great deal about the cost, it was more about whether they were any good!!

Sound advice as usual many thanks for your input!

17 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

My DMT plates (300, 600, 1200) do a good job. 

 

good range of grit...

a 24~3000 grit is a good move too...

Unless you need to repair an edge I would steer clear of the coarse stone. Opt for the fine, X-fine and XX-fine stones. This will basically, give you somewhere around 300, 600, 1200 grit. Using a strop afterwards only refines the 1200 edge. For most people 1200 is all you should need, unless you are doing very delicate work. Dovetails and mortises are not necessarily "delicate" work.

 

It's obvious, that, you have discovered how expensive the scary sharp sandpaper method can get. In the long run the plates will pay for themselves MANY times over.

 

These may help with some perspectives.

 

SHARPENING STONES.pdf

DMT Grit_Color Code.docx

SharpeningPlaneIronsandChisels.pdf

 

 

 

Again, be patient, Lee. I watched eBay for weeks until the right deal came along. When it came to the XX-fine there were no deals to be had, so I went to the cheapest, reputable tool dealer (in this case Zoro Tools in the US). At $70 USD it was still a decent price over normal retail.

 

In the scheme of things £60 isn't too bad, considering your taxes. If it were Canada then it would probably be around £80-100 a copy. I cringe when some of my friends in Canada tell me what they pay for the same things that I get in the States.

Yeah sound advice, I may skip the 250, I can use my belt sander for coarse if I need a total reshape I guess. I think the eef was 8000 grit but it had average reviews and was 100 quid!. i have some leather so gonna make my own strop I think

1 hour ago, eazygeezer said:

I can use my belt sander

 

I don't believe you said that...

oh the shame...

1 hour ago, eazygeezer said:

Yeah sound advice, I may skip the 250, I can use my belt sander for coarse if I need a total reshape I guess. I think the eef was 8000 grit but it had average reviews and was 100 quid!. i have some leather so gonna make my own strop I think

They don't make it easy to make a comparison...however

 

TAN (EE) Diamond -  Extra-Extra Fine

For the edge enthusiast who wants the ultimate edge. (8000 mesh, 3 micron)

 

9μ.....................................1200

2μ.....................................6000

1μ.....................................8000

 

Sort of, kind of, extrapolating puts the EE-F somewhere in the neighborhood of 4000 grit

6 hours ago, schnewj said:

I cringe when some of my friends in Canada tell me what they pay for the same things that I get in the States.

So you understand why I just use a flat fieldstone to sharpen my tools! And FWIW, we stopped using the pound a few years ago.

John

2 hours ago, HARO50 said:

So you understand why I just use a flat fieldstone to sharpen my tools! And FWIW, we stopped using the pound a few years ago.

John

Just trying to be accommodating to Lee. You know that when you live south of the 49th we get easily confused with Imperial vs metric, USD vs CD, everything vs the Pound.

Ahh but only, if I were king of the world.....