How does everyone keep their pasted balsa free of random ditt and contamination when not in use? Lookomg for any and all suggestions. Thanks in advance.
Jeff
Jeff
Pasted Balsa Strop Storage
- Thread starter JeffPryznyk
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- #3
Thanks.
I keep my honing supplies in a shoebox. I think someone said he kept his balsa in a tie box. That sounded about perfect for a balsa.
Ziploc bags work fine too, I used to put them in the same box I have all of my honing stuff.
Yup. I picked them up on Amazon (evidently mensware stores now roll their ties into a cube shaped boxes). The Amazon vendor was actually a baking supply house.
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
If you have multiple balsa strops, you need to store them so that the pastes on them do not cross contaminate each other. You don't want any 3um particles getting onto a balsa strop with 1um abrasive.
One method to achieve this is to store each strop in its own plastic zip bag. Mark each bag with a number that corresponds to a number that you mark on the balsa strop. That way you will be sure of putting each in its correct bag.
One method to achieve this is to store each strop in its own plastic zip bag. Mark each bag with a number that corresponds to a number that you mark on the balsa strop. That way you will be sure of putting each in its correct bag.
I have 4 of these balsa strops....I store them individually in shoe bags that I found
lying around.
lying around.
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
Personal I wouldn't use any bag unless it was airtight. Micron sized particals have a habit of passing through the smallest of gaps.
Maybe I'm just paranoid about cross contamination of abrasives.
Maybe I'm just paranoid about cross contamination of abrasives.
I went to the Container Store and bought gift boxes the size for neckties and they work perfectly and have held up well.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
I just stand them on their side on a bookshelf next to my desk and cover them with a book, tablet, or clipboard. I will be making a dedicated cabinet for all my balsa strops, film and lapping plates, and stones, soon.
Unfortunately, because of a recent experiment in bevel to finish balsa honing, I now have 10 or 11 balsa strops. Lets see... 20, 10, 5, 2.5, 1u, .5u, .25u, .1u, and .025u or 25nm. All are 1/4" balsa on 3/4" cast acrylic, 3" x 12".
Unfortunately, because of a recent experiment in bevel to finish balsa honing, I now have 10 or 11 balsa strops. Lets see... 20, 10, 5, 2.5, 1u, .5u, .25u, .1u, and .025u or 25nm. All are 1/4" balsa on 3/4" cast acrylic, 3" x 12".
I am currently building my first set up. I found that a large Tupperware container fits all of the lapping films, acrylic blocks and balsa strops very well. The hard shell keeps everything together and protects the soft surfaces from damage. Inside all balsa strops are in a separate plastic sleeve cut from a ziplock freezer bag to protect them from contamination. I had some foam sheeting laying around so put that between the strop bags.
From my cigar smoking hobby, I have a number of Boveda humidity control pouches used to control humidity in the humidor. By placing one of these into the sealed Tupperware container the humidity is regulated and this should combat any warping due to humidity.
One question:
To what lengths do you guys go to prevent abrasive grit contamination from the sandpaper you use to flatten the balsa strops?
I have found that 20mm (3/4”) acrylic sheet is a good source of flat, smooth and light backing material. I glued some sandpaper onto one of these for flattening the balsa and it works really well.
So far so good. The trouble is that to totally avoid contamination while flattening I have two options.
1. Have a dedicated sanding block for each strop.
2. Use a new piece of sandpaper for each flattening session and work from finest to coarsest grit strop.
Option 1 is bulky and expensive. Option 2 is a PITA and I am not convinced that my spray adhesive is going to readily let go of a used sheet.
Am I being overly anal in respect to grit contamination? Once you have sanded the grit off of a strop and vacuumed the dust off can we consider it clean and free from any remaining abrasives?
From my cigar smoking hobby, I have a number of Boveda humidity control pouches used to control humidity in the humidor. By placing one of these into the sealed Tupperware container the humidity is regulated and this should combat any warping due to humidity.
One question:
To what lengths do you guys go to prevent abrasive grit contamination from the sandpaper you use to flatten the balsa strops?
I have found that 20mm (3/4”) acrylic sheet is a good source of flat, smooth and light backing material. I glued some sandpaper onto one of these for flattening the balsa and it works really well.
So far so good. The trouble is that to totally avoid contamination while flattening I have two options.
1. Have a dedicated sanding block for each strop.
2. Use a new piece of sandpaper for each flattening session and work from finest to coarsest grit strop.
Option 1 is bulky and expensive. Option 2 is a PITA and I am not convinced that my spray adhesive is going to readily let go of a used sheet.
Am I being overly anal in respect to grit contamination? Once you have sanded the grit off of a strop and vacuumed the dust off can we consider it clean and free from any remaining abrasives?
I just keep mine in a box with other hones, wrapped in a handkerchief.
I made my strops on marble tile. I measured them and my wife and I scoured the container store until we found a bun that fit them pretty well. Each pasted balsa strop got one, then the tile and cut to size lapping films all went in a fourth. A little bulky but it really helps keep them separate.
I just wrap it up in the same newspaper sheet I've used for the purpose for many years now. I do however always see to that it's always the same side of the strop goes onto the same side of the paper. It's kind of colour coded red/green.
Damn fine accomplishment for a lefty.
Dan, could you post a photo. I too have scoured the container store but didn’t look at bins.
Thanks,
Steve.
I keep mine wrapped loosely in the same piece of newspaper I received it in from Whipped Dog and just leave it on the counter.
I keep them in the humidor to stop them from warping. It also makes them smell amazing!
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