Using W&D paper to add microbevel

[JoeS01]

Hello, my son has a Tormek Supergrind 2000 with the SG-250 wheel, and he wants to put a 30 degree microbevel on the 25 degree bevel chisels he sharpens, using Wet and Dry paper glued to 6mm thick glass.

What grit of papers would you recommend?

kind regards,
Joe

[RichColvin]

Joe,

I don't think a 600 or even a 800 grit sandpaper would be better than using the leather wheel with the Tormek honing compound.

Kind regards,
Rich

[micha]

Joe,

like Rich, I don't think you would do your chisels a favour by adding a final step on sandpaper of any grit.

I can see some advantage in adding a microbevel to handplane blades by hand, finishing these on stones from 4000 grit or finer, using the "ruler trick".
(But that's done on the backside of the blade, anyway and doesn't apply to chisels at all.) 
But as it is quite easy to grind chisels precisely to the very edge, I can't see any advantage. Besides, when resharpening, you had to get rid of that extra bevel each time you resharpen, which IMHO results in wasting a lot of metal.

Honing/polishing on the leather wheel will give you a razor sharp chisel.

Mike

[JoeS01]

thanks Mike and Rich, sound advice. Very much appreciated.
He tells me wants the microbevel for the harder timbers. Can he do this with the leather wheel and honing compound after he polishes the 25 degree primary bevel?

[micha]

I wouldn't add a +5 ° bevel on the leather wheel, but rather grind the secondary bevel on the wheel, then polish it on the leather wheel.
It's much more controlled and precise. Assuming he uses a jig for the chisels, it's just a matter of lifting the support bar and doing some more passes on the wheel.

[JoeS01]

Good thinking !  Thanks micha, will pass that on

[WimSpi]

As a carpenter, I never use a micro-bevel.  For harder wood, 30 degrees is indeed a better angle, but then the whole chisel is sharpened at 30 degrees.

But if he wants to do that, then he also needs a honingguide, (for example from Veritas) to do it carefully. Sandpaper I don't think is a good option. Then use a fine whetstone. Myself use this one. Has been used for over 400 years in Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg. Barbers also use it for their razors.


https://www.knivesandtools.com/en/pt/-coticule-selected-150-x-50-mm-6-x-2.htm