Honing compound/paper cutter jig
September 11th, 2024
In woodworking, precision starts with a razor-sharp blade, and getting there doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. My take on the Scary Sharp Method combines the tried-and-true power of sandpaper with a custom honing compound, giving you pro-level sharpness without breaking the bank. By harnessing the friability of ceramic sandpaper and finishing with my 8000 grit aluminum oxide paste, you can sharpen efficiently with just a couple of strips of sandpaper—no need for endless supplies or fancy equipment. It’s a method designed to work within your means while delivering an edge sharp enough to cut a hair in half.
ATTENTION: These plans are yours to use…they are offered as a gift from me to you. You have every right to use them to make this project for yourself, but please, do not sell or give these plans away as your own! I make absolutely no money off of these so I would appreciate those who view these plans to abide by basic copyright laws.
watch all steps in this video before starting
Please use the material and tool list below as a guide to finding the products locally.
Materials
- Compound:
- Aluminum oxide (8000 grit)
- Thin mineral oil
- Plunger
- 1/2 Pint jar (with lid)
- Glass bathroom tile (FLAT)
- -or-
- Ceramic tile (FLAT)
- Paper cutter:
- 3/4″ x 9″ x 12″ Hard / Softwood
- 1/4″ x 1″ x 11″ Hard / Softwood
- 1/4″ x 1″ x 9″ Hard / Softwood
- Cutting board (optional)
- Sandpaper 220 grit
- Sandpaper 600 grit
Tools Needed/used
- Compound:
- Measuring cup
- Dowel (for stirring)
- Paper cutter:
- Hot glue
- Utility knife
- Ruler
- Pencil
As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Step by step instructions
1.1 Materials
Check the materials above, but this only requires aluminum oxide and mineral oil. I use an 8000 grit media and it works very well. The mineral oil needs to be very thin.
Click image to see this step on youtube
1.2 Mixing
We’ll mix one part oil and one part powder…hey, we’re keeping this simple. When mixing, you’ll want to get the smoothest mix you can make. Having clumps of powder can offset the fine grit we’re looking to use, so be sure to mix really well.
I used an ordinary plunger to put my compound in…which is another reason why you’ll want a thin mineral oil.
Click image to see this step on youtube
1.3 glass vs ceramic
Aluminum oxide is hard…very hard. It’s hard enough to scratch glass but not hard enough to mar ceramic. I would recommend ceramic over glass any day of the week, but it might be difficult finding a ceramic tile that’s absolutely flat and free of blemishes. Glass, on the other hand, can be found in tiles in your local box hardware store, in the bathroom area. It’s generally very flat but make sure it isn’t textured…it needs to be very flat for our honing.
Click image to see this step on youtube
1.4 method
I like to use a small squeeze of this stuff on my glass. Avoid the edges of the glass as they may be beveled, and concentrate on pulling back on the chisel in the center. As you use it, the paste will turn black and you know it’s working. Besides the bevel we’ll also need to make sure the back of the chisel is perfectly flat on glass.
Click the image to see the full step…it’s worth watching, even if it’s simple.
Click image to see this step on youtube
2.1 Materials
This can easily be made with scrap wood and a little hardboard.
Click image to see this step on youtube
2.2 Quick build / Marking
The build is very simple and involves creating a 90 degree frame on top of a piece of stock. I took a piece of hardboard that I used to find the center of a piece of sandpaper. It will be a template for future strips.
Click image to see this step on youtube
2.3 Cutting process
In this step I showed a quick demonstration of the cutting, which you can watch in the attached video (click on the image).
Click image to see this step on youtube
8. Demonstration
Click the included image for a full demonstration of both!
Click image to see this step on youtube
Tip Jar
If you found any errors on the page, please use my email below and contact me!
