: Hello all,
: With the weather starting to turn around in Michigan, and my
: thoughts turning back to my project, I want (need) to sharpen my
: plane blades.
: I picked up a 4 sided diamond sharpening block over the winter
: (200, 300, 400, 600) and a honing guide.

: I've never used a diamond kind of block before and really don't
: know much about them.
: I've also never sharpened anything but a kitchen knife. So I
: apologize if these are stupid questions.

: Do I need to use any type of oil or water on this diamond block
: thing? It didn't come with any kind of instructions :/
: Should I put a lot of pressure on the blade while running it back
: and forth on the block with the honing guide? Or is it more of a
: just slide it across gently kind of thing?

: I've got the honing guide and angles figured out I think, but how
: to actually use this block is my trouble...
: I'd hate to ruin blade and the block by not doing it right.

: Thanks much for any advice and wisdom..

Hello Andrew,
A couple of years ago my sharpening experience was the same as yours. After some discussion with the experts on this forum I purchased a $4 plane from Harbor Freight that fits in the palm of my hand, a sharpening fixture to fit the small blade, 3 pieces of 3/8" thick tempered glass and 4 grits of emery paper. The finest grit is 6oo. I read the enclosed web sites and sharpened my plane. I am just starting my 3rd kayak and I have only had to touch up the blade a few times on the 600 grit paper. I could not be happier with the plane or the sharpening method.

www.woodworkstuff.net/scary.html
www.woodbutcher.net/scary.shtml
Randy