This is how I sharpen pegwood

[Neverenoughwatches]

1 hour ago, Waggy said:

Anyone tried steam to preclean the main plate and jewels? Something similar to the below? Maybe there is a smaller version or an attachment that would allow you to get into the nooks and crannies of the movement (pre-roving or avoiding anything with shellac of course).  

Is it me or is that a little overkill. Might be at risk of flash rusting on anything ferrous. 

[Waggy]

45 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Might be at risk of flash rusting on anything ferrous. 

Ah, good thinking... Nice to bounce ideas off the group before I wreck a watch 

[kd8tzc]

10 hours ago, HectorLooi said:

And for those who think the waterpik is the answer to flossing, it isn't. The waterpik can only remove loose food particles. It can't remove plaque, it can't remove food particles pinched in the contact area of the teeth

I like to use mine to remove the floss that gets stuck between my teeth.   

 

[VWatchie]

3 hours ago, Waggy said:

Anyone tried steam to preclean the main plate and jewels?

That could possibly work really well as long as the parts can take the heat. I sometimes use a fine-bristled toothbrush, washing up liquid, and (not too) hot water to clean larger parts and the result is truly stellar.

[HectorLooi]

On 5/17/2023 at 4:34 PM, Waggy said:

Anyone tried steam to preclean the main plate and jewels? Something similar to the below? Maybe there is a smaller version or an attachment that would allow you to get into the nooks and crannies of the movement (pre-roving or avoiding anything with shellac of course).  

I had a bigger version steam cleaner in my lab. It was capable og 4 bar pressure. Never even considered using it to clean watch parts. The pressure is so great that things tend to fly into oblivion. I used it to clean dental micromotor rotors and stators. Also to clean wax out of plaster of Paris moulds during denture fabrication.

I don't think it has a useful application in horology.

[VWatchie]

4 hours ago, HectorLooi said:

I don't think it has a useful application in horology.

Well, you're probably right about that! If it had, we would have heard about it already. After all, steam cleaners have been around since about the 1960s.

[VWatchie]

On 5/4/2023 at 3:04 PM, nickelsilver said:

I use a standard snap-off cutter, but use the extra sharp NT Black blades- really makes a difference on peg wood.

The other day I received my Japanese knife with extremely sharp blades, and even compared to my scalpel, even with a new blade, it is clearly sharper. I wouldn't say the difference is a revolution, but it's still very noticeable. I get associations with the infamous samurai swords 

It is easier, faster, and more accurate to carve into peg wood, especially the last sharpest part that you can shave with this knife, so from now on I will not use my scalpel for this purpose. Another advantage is that it is quick and easy to get a new sharp edge by just breaking off a piece of the knife blade, which is significantly easier than changing the entire blade of my scalpel, and significantly cheaper in the long run.

In addition, I took the opportunity to order a large pack of 50 knife blades, which I think will last for many years to come. Just like my scalpel blades, these blades are treated with a thin oil film to prevent rusting. I think it might be a good idea to remove this film with, for example, a piece of old Rodico so that you don't risk contaminating the peg wood and consequently the jewel bearing.

The only downside, however temporary, is getting used to the grip of the new knife. Carving into peg wood and making an extremely sharp tip is a bit of an art, so like other tools you need to get used to it and learn how to use the tool optimally.

I am really happy with these Japanese knife blades which I think will save a lot of time and frustration in the future. So, thanks again @nickelsilver for the tip!
 

Edited May 31, 2023 by VWatchie

[mikepilk]

20 minutes ago, VWatchie said:

The other day I received my Japanese knife with extremely sharp blades, and even compared to my scalpel, even with a new blade, it is clearly sharper. I wouldn't say the difference is a revolution, but it's still very noticeable. I get associations with the infamous samurai swords 
 

Thanks for the review, I'll order one.

The Japanese seem good at making sharp blades. I have a good Japanese carving knife which is as sharp as a scalpel. I only sharpen it maybe once a year, and don't get it as sharp as I could, as it's so sharp, you can easily hurt yourself.

[RichardHarris123]

Sorry but there is nothing special about Japanese blades.  Good quality blades from other countries are just as good and as sharp. 

[kd8tzc]

I just use either my pocket knife (I know.. poor choice but I keep it really sharp) or an exacto knife.  I do have one of those small snap off knives in the garage, but I have never tried using it for this.

[HectorLooi]

Aliexpress has a tool specially for sharpening pegwood.
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mOeXb1e

 

[VWatchie]

1 hour ago, RichardHarris123 said:

Sorry but there is nothing special about Japanese blades.  Good quality blades from other countries are just as good and as sharp. 

Nothing to be sorry about as these blades and the knife was very expensive compared to getting what's locally available. I had no idea! So nothing special about "extra sharp NT Black blades" then? How and when did you compare?

[RichardHarris123]

18 minutes ago, VWatchie said:

Nothing to be sorry about as these blades and the knife was very expensive compared to getting what's locally available. I had no idea! So nothing special about "extra sharp NT Black blades" then? How and when did you compare?

Fair point, I haven't compared.  My comment was that other countries produce steel to the same standard and thus should be able be sharpened to the same degree.  There's a lot of mythology about samurai blades, they weren't superior but the Japanese blacksmiths took low quality steel and forged it into good quality steel. 

[mikepilk]

I don't know who makes the sharpest craft knife blades. I haven't been able to find any mention of tests. The sharpest blade would be flint - I might try some.

The first pic is a brand new craft knife blade. The edge is surprisingly uneven and rough.

The second pic is after a few minutes on a fine stone to polish the edge. It does cut better.

[RichardHarris123]

4 minutes ago, mikepilk said:

I don't know who makes the sharpest craft knife blades. I haven't been able to find any mention of tests. The sharpest blade would be flint - I might try some.

The first pic is a brand new craft knife blade. The edge is surprisingly uneven and rough.

The second pic is after a few minutes on a fine stone to polish the edge. It does cut better.

Obsidian? 

[mikepilk]

4 minutes ago, RichardHarris123 said:

Obsidian? 

There's plenty of flint in the local soils. I don't know where the nearest obsidian would be 

[LittleWatchShop]

[VWatchie]

33 minutes ago, RichardHarris123 said:

My comment was that other countries produce steel to the same standard and thus should be able be sharpened to the same degree.  There's a lot of mythology about samurai blades

You may be 100 per cent correct. I wouldn't know. Next time I see a similar knife when shopping I'll get it and compare them. Maybe it is just "hype".

Edited May 31, 2023 by VWatchie

[Neverenoughwatches]

2 hours ago, VWatchie said:

The other day I received my Japanese knife with extremely sharp blades, and even compared to my scalpel, even with a new blade, it is clearly sharper. I wouldn't say the difference is a revolution, but it's still very noticeable. I get associations with the infamous samurai swords 

It is easier, faster, and more accurate to carve into peg wood, especially the last sharpest part that you can shave with this knife, so from now on I will not use my scalpel for this purpose. Another advantage is that it is quick and easy to get a new sharp edge by just breaking off a piece of the knife blade, which is significantly easier than changing the entire blade of my scalpel, and significantly cheaper in the long run.

In addition, I took the opportunity to order a large pack of 50 knife blades, which I think will last for many years to come. Just like my scalpel blades, these blades are treated with a thin oil film to prevent rusting. I think it might be a good idea to remove this film with, for example, a piece of old Rodico so that you don't risk contaminating the peg wood and consequently the jewel bearing.

The only downside, however temporary, is getting used to the grip of the new knife. Carving into peg wood and making an extremely sharp tip is a bit of an art, so like other tools you need to get used to it and learn how to use the tool optimally.

I am really happy with these Japanese knife blades which I think will save a lot of time and frustration in the future. So, thanks again @nickelsilver for the tip!
 

For hundreds of years Japan made it an artform producing the sharpest edges from the finest folded steel. I have some Jap chisels that i use when working on quality hard timbers.  In 20 years some of them i have sharpened less than a half a dozen times and the edge is like nothing else i use. Bloody expensive though. Not used to sharpen pegwood , i find a fair quality craft knife blade does the job sharpened on a 3000 grit sintered ruby stone . Anything sharper then a Washita or Arkansas or finer still would be on my old Tam O Shanter stone, the grit supposedly can be as fine as 10,000. Probably pointless on a cheap knife blade, the steel wiĺl only sharpen as far as its grain will allow. I guess these Japanese blades are really thin, the carbon content also on Jap steel is generally higher than anyone elses.

[mikepilk]

X-Acto do zirconium nitride coated blades, which they claim to be the dog's danglies.

I can't find any for sale in the UK. Has anyone tried them ?

[DrHWO]

I didn't like to show my newbie ignorance, but there are some parallels I have seen with my other (woodworking) hobby. Most commercially produced blades have rough edges that can be improved by a few passes on a leather strop +/- a honing compound eg Autosol. But, for me, it's the technique of sharpening the peg wood that makes the biggest difference. I use a piece of hardwood faced ply as a cutting surface and after the initial cut, support the cut surface for subsequent cuts. Seems to keep the finest tips more consistently, but sadly it doesn't make them last any longer in use! I use Swan Morton scalpels with disposable blades (and yes, even these are improved when you get your strop on). 

[VWatchie]

4 hours ago, DrHWO said:

I use a piece of hardwood faced ply as a cutting surface and after the initial cut, support the cut surface for subsequent cuts.

That's very interesting. I have been sharpening my pegwood holding the knife in my dominant hand and the pegwood in my other hand without any support. That method is very exhausting so I will definitely try to use your method. Thanks for the tip!

Anyway, having zero experience with crafts, what exactly is "hardwood faced ply"? I searched eBay for that phrase  but I am really not sure. Perhaps you can provide a link to an example?

Edited June 14, 2023 by VWatchie

[grsnovi]

2 hours ago, VWatchie said:

what exactly is "hardwood faced ply"?

I would interpret it to mean: a plywood constructed with (at minimum) a layer of hardwood on the outside face.

I believe most plywood is sheets of fir laminates.

Some plywood is laminated with all hardwood sheets while some may have a particularly figured sheet of decorative hardwood on the outside face.

[DrHWO]

I work in oak primarily and had some offcuts of this https://www.howarth-timber.co.uk/plywood-white-oak-veneered-single-side-2440-x-1220mm/. Sanded off at the edges and only needs to be 10cm by 10cm for my purposes. I had 6 ply, but for this, 3 ply would do. Ive found that for me, by supporting the last cut, subsequent ones are more accurate and less likely to result in tip snappage.

 

 

[Geotex]

That Aliexpress tool is basically a very small upside-down block plane, which is the way many people sharpen their shop pencils.