08-07-2020, 12:20 AM
Cool you are enjoying your new toy Mr. Peanut and learning its ins and outs! In my experience, powered sharpening, well I guess any kind of sharpening, requires practice to learn what works best. A good source for practice blades is a thrift store like Salvation Army, etc. If you have a good store practice blades can be $0.50 - $1.00.
I deburr with VF Scotch-Brite too. It works on LOW, or wire edge like nothing else. Takes some practice but well worth the effort.
I'm not a Trazact fan either. They seem to cut OK, but I can't stand the feel and sound they make when using them. Also, I'd be a bit creeped out using a grooved belt with edge leading sharpening like you are doing.
I like AO belts too, with reservations. They seem to cut well and have a nice smooth feel when sharpening and don't cost much. The downside I've noticed is that they are very friable and don't provide consistent grit level very long. Even more so with SiC belts. Those things cut great when new, but don't maintain grit long at all. Of course, YMMY.
My favorite belt is 150 grit Cubitron. A great belt. 180 grit Deerfos ceramic is pretty good too when I want something a bit less aggressive. I've found ceramic belts maintain predictable grit longest, cut great and have a nice smooth feel when sharpening. Belts are a personal preference kind of thing and everybody seems to have their own favorites.
You are absolutely right about deburring and the value of your PT50B. IMHO, deburring is everything. It's not difficult to grind an edge, but deburring requires practice and understanding. Cool you are using a microscope! I've found that lighting is extremely important when examining burr under a scope. Specifically the direction of the light. Burrs can be very visible or completely disappear depending on lighting. Play around with diffused lighting from the side and from every angle. Lighting makes a HUGE difference. Hard to emphasize that enough.
Please keep us informed as to your progress. Really looking forward to seeing some of your sharpness testing numbers from your PT50B!
I deburr with VF Scotch-Brite too. It works on LOW, or wire edge like nothing else. Takes some practice but well worth the effort.
I'm not a Trazact fan either. They seem to cut OK, but I can't stand the feel and sound they make when using them. Also, I'd be a bit creeped out using a grooved belt with edge leading sharpening like you are doing.
I like AO belts too, with reservations. They seem to cut well and have a nice smooth feel when sharpening and don't cost much. The downside I've noticed is that they are very friable and don't provide consistent grit level very long. Even more so with SiC belts. Those things cut great when new, but don't maintain grit long at all. Of course, YMMY.
My favorite belt is 150 grit Cubitron. A great belt. 180 grit Deerfos ceramic is pretty good too when I want something a bit less aggressive. I've found ceramic belts maintain predictable grit longest, cut great and have a nice smooth feel when sharpening. Belts are a personal preference kind of thing and everybody seems to have their own favorites.
You are absolutely right about deburring and the value of your PT50B. IMHO, deburring is everything. It's not difficult to grind an edge, but deburring requires practice and understanding. Cool you are using a microscope! I've found that lighting is extremely important when examining burr under a scope. Specifically the direction of the light. Burrs can be very visible or completely disappear depending on lighting. Play around with diffused lighting from the side and from every angle. Lighting makes a HUGE difference. Hard to emphasize that enough.
Please keep us informed as to your progress. Really looking forward to seeing some of your sharpness testing numbers from your PT50B!