X-actly sharpened blade

Vladimir

Detail Decepticon!
If you think your life is perfect, then buy a magnifying glass! (C):) And it’s better if it would be X60 or even a microscope;) After this, nothing will remain the same as it was, especially in you ABing.

We all use X-acto or similar knives in AB field for many reasons like cutting mask, loose masks and stencils, in scratching techniques etc. Mainly, only the tip of the blade is used, unless you sharpening something with it.
Using the blade for scratching we end up rather fast with a dull blade tip. When the blade being used for cutting masks or stencils - the tip also dulls or even is broken. As the result we have useless blade for mentioned operations, while only the tip is spoiled, still other part of the blade is new and very sharp.
An idea came in my mind to bring the blade to life back.

For this I’ve sanded down just a spoiled tip of the blade, there’s no need to go further. Just a little touch of the spinning wheel with the blade tip and you’ve got a result! You don’t need to remove the blade off the holder, it safe way to grind very sharp blade (you don’t need to hold the blade in your hand) and moreover grinding the blade this way is more convenient and precise. Grinding was proceeded on random diamond wheel installed on my sharpening (grinding) machine. Diamond wheel is just fine grit sanding wheel where diamond particles are used as grinding agent. Other types of the mineral in the wheel would also do, but the wheel must be of fine grit.
Doing this procedure take all the safety measures for grinding!
You can choose any angle for the blade tip, that very angle that you consider to be convenient for certain application of the blade.

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After the procedure small burr remains on the sanded blade tip.
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The burr can be removed by manual sanding it with the sandpapers on a piece of glass. You don’t need to search for the same glass as I use (on the photo), just a piece of plain window glass will do the same job for you. I’ve used step sanding 1500-2000-2500, but it’s not required, only 2000 grit would be pretty enough. Only a few strokes on the sandpaper and you’re there. Don’t go crazy with manual sanding as you’d do bad to the tip rather then good, mind that manual sanding is only for the burr removal.
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Whole procedure takes less time then watching and reading this post and, I think, slightly more time then to take new blade out of the box and to install it in the holder.
Doing this procedure you can have as many new and very sharp blades as blade’s length would allow.
What you end up with is very sharp blade. How sharp it becomes I will not be describing, just look at the photos. I also will not point out which blade is sharpened (repaired), while other blades are totally new just out of the box. Do you find that new blades are very far from perfection?
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Have laser precise cuts!;)
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Nice work Vladimir. Thanks fo the info and the SBS too.


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Great job More toys to play with!!!

Yeah! The more we play, the more of them we need to play with:)

I like the tanto style tip. I'm sure it will stay sharp for longer as well.

Tanto indeed! Maybe it will, I didn't even thought about it. One thing I'm sure of is you can make insanely precise cuts with this way sharpened tip compared to stock one.

Small trick to everyone. You can make more precise cuts of paper mask or stencil on a piece of plexiglass or mylar or any other plastic like sheet material. Cutting on a self healing mat you will not have the same result (mine mat consists of infinite quantity of micro bumps, I've got that green one).
 
Been using Arkansas White stone to sharpen my Design Knife blades for years, but coarser and cheaper synthetic stone is needed when the tip breaks off. But I haven't yet needed a microscope; my 14x loupe serves me well.
Chris
 
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