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43 Years Ago, I was Issued a Norton HB13 to Dull Things

duke762

Rose to the occasion
I was issued a HB13 Norton in my Tool and Die Apprentice tool kit. Old school tool maker rule of thumb. After grinding a die section, remove the resulting burr with the Ark. Actually work the edge so that it's not razor sharp. This will make it stronger and last longer. The theory behind this is that if the burr was left on the die steel and was taken off my the usual shearing forces, the resulting imperfections would cause early dulling or chipping because of pressure and abrasion. The Ark would also remove the base of the burr by forming a minute, radius. Any highly stressed steel being rolled onto the edge is removed.

The use of an Ark in this situation is ingenious. With some of our low clearance dies, (.0015" or .0381mm) you have to watch what you are doing with the Ark, but the edge should still, be very, gently, broken. Everything else, well, there is only so much you are going to accomplish with this stone. Any dulling effect it has on the D2 is self limiting. There's only so far you can go with it. Yes, given an unlimited amount of foul language, pressure and time, it may be possible to round a 90 degree, edge on D2 beyond the useful level of dullness with an HB13. HB13's are actually the mysterious and usually missing, gauge block hone. Usually a Norton HB13, Trans or Black.

A few of the die sharpening procedures sound a lot like any other sharpening procedure. Same terminology comes up now and then. I went on to learn how to produce many freaky, sharp knife edges on that stone, never realizing it was a Trans Ark. Refreshing of that stone was done on the ferro-concrete, shop floor, with aluminum oxide grit from grinding wheel dressings. I've sharpened a whole bunch of hunters knives on that tiny stone. I used it way out of proportion to it's size. I've still got it....and some of it's brother's and sister's......great, grandparents too...cousins.....
 
LOL, I have a 1x3 black from a well known and respected brand that somehow is just great at dulling knife edges. It’s a bit of an enigma why it does this - bad batch from Mother Earth - but I still love it.

Arks are something to behold. If you don’t break them, sell them, or throw them away, they could be used for many generations and not be consumed.
 
I've got some of those small shop arks. Several slip stones and I've got a 1x3 translucent wedge they do pretty special stuff to the action of rifles that like to drag. This post actually reminded me I need to polish the bolt on my Remington 700, .30-06 with my norton black sb 15. I've got a 300 savage lever action that I need to pull apart and oil and polish the a action of too. There's always so much work to do, even on small farms. Even without any crops for another month.
 

duke762

Rose to the occasion
I've got some of those small shop arks. Several slip stones and I've got a 1x3 translucent wedge they do pretty special stuff to the action of rifles that like to drag.

Man, don't get me started on action work. I've done some wonderful things on hand guns with Arks. I even make use of broken pieces that just seem to be just the right size to go where I need periodically. I watched a gifted die maker making a shot tower to produce shotgun shell shot. He was drilling .015" or. , .381mm holes through high quality steel set screws. When the drill went dull, which of course was frequently, he put on his 20x visor and borrowed my Ark to sharpen it. I never dreamed it was possible...
 
I've got some of those small shop arks. Several slip stones and I've got a 1x3 translucent wedge they do pretty special stuff to the action of rifles that like to drag. This post actually reminded me I need to polish the bolt on my Remington 700, .30-06 with my norton black sb 15. I've got a 300 savage lever action that I need to pull apart and oil and polish the a action of too. There's always so much work to do, even on small farms. Even without any crops for another month.
300 in a 99?
A man of taste....
 
A question for the enlightened minds.... ever known an old cowboy to be wrong about his tools? I sure as hell haven't.
Some things should never go away.

Against the odds Arks are still with us and holding strong.

We have lost the 99 for good, there will never be another one made.
 
Some things should never go away.

Against the odds Arks are still with us and holding strong.

We have lost the 99 for good, there will never be another one made.
Most good things stopped being made 50 or 60 years ago. I'm not even 50 but I know better but I know better than to not buy things made before the mid 70s unless it was done by an actual craftsman. I will probably never have to replace 95% of my furniture but everything made after the early 80s I'm most certain I will have to replace eventually. It's good to not support child labor anyway, which tons of modern products are made with. I want things made by men that were built to last generations. There are some but few companies can provide that these days. It's why it's so imperative for us to preserve and restore these things every chance we have. I do my best and my 9 year old can spot quality better than most adults I know, but I make him help me build things and help with restorations.
 
Most good things stopped being made 50 or 60 years ago. I'm not even 50 but I know better but I know better than to not buy things made before the mid 70s unless it was done by an actual craftsman. I will probably never have to replace 95% of my furniture but everything made after the early 80s I'm most certain I will have to replace eventually. It's good to not support child labor anyway, which tons of modern products are made with. I want things made by men that were built to last generations. There are some but few companies can provide that these days. It's why it's so imperative for us to preserve and restore these things every chance we have. I do my best and my 9 year old can spot quality better than most adults I know, but I make him help me build things and help with restorations.
At one time the amount and quality of specialty hand tools was amazing. That stuff isn't even available today except on the used market. Competition further insured quality.

We see it right here on this these forms with straight razors. Vintage razors were manufactured in styles and sizes to satisfy anyone's needs or wants.

Go down to the local hardware store to buy an axe today and there is probably a Dayton style hanging on a rack, of dubious quality, loosely following the original in side profile only. At one time there was a long list regional variations and specialty axes to suit the task or local conditions and timber.

The list goes on and on but we are lucky in that so much of that stuff was made and has survived to be appreciated by us few.
 
At one time the amount and quality of specialty hand tools was amazing. That stuff isn't even available today except on the used market. Competition further insured quality.

We see it right here on this these forms with straight razors. Vintage razors were manufactured in styles and sizes to satisfy anyone's needs or wants.

Go down to the local hardware store to buy an axe today and there is probably a Dayton style hanging on a rack, of dubious quality, loosely following the original in side profile only. At one time there was a long list regional variations and specialty axes to suit the task or local conditions and timber.

The list goes on and on but we are lucky in that so much of that stuff was made and has survived to be appreciated by us few.
It's a tragedy that the way of the master craftsman is disappearing.
 

Steve56

Ask me about shaving naked!
Back to the OP, would a fin not be an issue in the first place with a coticule, which reportedly does not make a burr/fin? @David @Herrenberg @cotedupy @rideon66 ?

I’m asking because I’ve been looking at ‘de-burring’ - like Iwasaki the elder did with CrOx on raxa cloth (I don’t really think that was all that he was doing), especially after watching Iwasaki the younger's videos with all the diamond paste syringes in the foreground.

I’ve used 3-6 light DRY strokes on a polishing JNat after honing to improve HHT, Alex Gilmore suggested it and Takeshi confirmed it, more or less.

I’ve tried using a coticule to de-burr a JNat edge, but with 4-6 light DRY strokes, I seem to have a coti edge, lol.
 
Back to the OP, would a fin not be an issue in the first place with a coticule, which reportedly does not make a burr/fin? @David @Herrenberg @cotedupy @rideon66 ?

I’m asking because I’ve been looking at ‘de-burring’ - like Iwasaki the elder did with CrOx on raxa cloth (I don’t really think that was all that he was doing), especially after watching Iwasaki the younger's videos with all the diamond paste syringes in the foreground.

I’ve used 3-6 light DRY strokes on a polishing JNat after honing to improve HHT, Alex Gilmore suggested it and Takeshi confirmed it, more or less.

I’ve tried using a coticule to de-burr a JNat edge, but with 4-6 light DRY strokes, I seem to have a coti edge, lol.
The yellow side of my Les lat will raise a burr but I don't think that bbws will.
 
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