[Woodartist]

Thanks Brian....never thought of the dowels. Great suggestions here and that is why I posted I'm digesting the ideas and will come up with a workable approach.

[BobD]

The only compound I stay away from (sorry Hi Ho...don't mean to disagree) is the green Chromium Oxide. Chromium is a heavy metal that can be an accumulative poison...so I steer clear. If you're just applying it to an ordinary strop, you probably will never have a problem...but if you're applying it to a buffing wheel or a power strop...well...I'm just not comfortable breathing it in!

Then again, I'm really sensitive to metal; the only wedding ring I can wear is one made from titanium (I'm allergic to yellow gold, white gold, and platnium)...

Bob

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Seems a lot of people are allergic to wedding rings now a days !

[Eddy Smiles]

My vote goes to Flexcut Gold. I have a tube of Yellowstone that I've had for years but since trying the Flexcut product I hardly use it anymore. As for the strop, I thought that's what the Good Lord intended old belts to be used for!

[Woodartist]

What exactly is the gold compound composed of? I'll give it a try, being the curious kind I have a black Arkansas stone in a wooden case and on top of the case is an old shoe sole and then on top of that is an old belt.......looking for a better approach

[Thomp]

couldn't find the grit chart as to micron size of the abrasive partials but
from http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/buffman.htm#
Chart on compound and buffing wheels for polishing sheet metal, but gives the idea for what the different grits are designed for..
http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/buffman.htm#wheel
shows what the different grits were made for as far as the metal industry...

basically they say ,
BLACK = Emery Compound, a course abrasive material for removal of scratches, pits, paint, rust etc.
BROWN = Tripoli compound used for general purpose cut and color on most soft metals.
WHITE = Blizzard compound, used for color and final finish of harder metals, has a cutting action.
RED = Jeweler's Rouge, designed to polish without any cutting action. Safe on thin plates. Use on its own wheel.
BLUE = A dryer, almost greaseless wheel - designed to polish without any cutting action. Safe on thin plates. Use on its own wheel.
GREEN = Used exclusively for Stainless Steel.

for cut/color terms see the site,

i wouldn't say this isn't the final authority, its what i could find.

flexcut
http://www.flexcut.com/information/sharpening/
Flexcut Gold™ site link
tells some but not grit size..

along with the methods they show they tell you how to make the ABRASIVE WHEEL SYSTEM

http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/aws750.htm

I've been looking for for years.. on the kind of glue to use to make these flexible grinding wheels, they got it....
--------------------------------------------------
I think the preference in compounds is a personal one,
it depends on how your taught, what you have learned since then and what performance you get from a product,

i dont like to hone for long periods or carve two strokes then hone two strokes, so i made some hard carbon steel tools which hold there edges and have become my favorite tools,

but with softer steel tools you gotta hone more often to keep the edges conditioned..
--------------
I have heard some folks talk about using the back of a tablet, or their shoe and having good results, as a hone...

but i think my edege test is cutting cross grain chips, and the knife sounds off like its crunching celery as it cuts the fibers and leaves no tell tail white lines in the cut path, which can occur if you have dull spots in the blade, or scratches in the edege,,,

[Woodartist]

Great info Thomas, and thanks a bunch. Lots of great tips that I can surely use.

[Bob_in_TN]

I think the grit, plus the other ingredients in Flexcut Gold, Yellowstone, and others, would come under,"proprietary information". They want to keep their secret, a secret.

[Woodartist]

Could be and maybe the key is in the color

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

I have some of the white, chalky compound, not sure even what it is, it came with some leather tools I have.....I can rub that on bond paper, or smooth cardboard (like the inside of a 12 pack pop carton) and you would be amazed how good a strop it is lol............