Sharpening Set , Anyone?

[Dennis]

If ever you see these in the tool section of your local pound shop, they are brilliant for finishing the edge of a piece of metal, or trueing the sides of a ring. My old ones are a bit worn after five years and today I found this replacement at Lidl for £2.49. (I also got a pack of 100 6”x5” inkjet photo paper for £3.99).
Your shophound.

[Ominicci]

So do you use them in place of a file, or a largish piece of flat sandpaper? I can see lots of uses if so.

[Dennis]

So do you use them in place of a file, or a largish piece of flat sandpaper? I can see lots of uses if so.

Yes, to finish edges after sawing.For instance on bezels and rings made of flat sheet, or hammered from washers. I'm not a skilled filer, so I put them flat on the bech and rub the work on them. There are three useful grades inthe set. Kind regards, Dennis.

[elliboo]

Thanks Dennis - picked up a set of these this morning, they look really useful. I also grabbed a digital caliper for 8.99 - no idea how well calibrated it is, but got to be better than me guesstimating with a ruler!

[Jayne]

Did you get digital calipers in Lidl?

[elliboo]

yep, right next to the diamond sharpeners - I'd been waiting for them to come back at Aldi, but grabbed these when I saw them - glad I went now

[Dennis]

I think you will find them very accurate. But for jewellery making they need only be consistant and measure the same every time, for instance to fit a bezel to a stone, or choose two stones for earrings.

[Ominicci]

Thanks Dennis - am off to get some!

Already have digital calipers from Tchibo (when they used to be in the Somerfield stores) £9.99, and I wouldn't be without them.

[lesley]

I'm sure I've seen these in our local "rubbishy old tat" shop. Will check them out - cheers.

[disorganised]

I have the aldi digital calipers, and have found them to be reasonably accurate, but not always perfectly consistent. They're good enough for the kind of things I'm making, but for very precise work they might be less good. For example - my 1.2mm round wire from cooksons last night measured between 1.15 to 1.24 on repeated measurings. So, fine to the nearest 0.1mm but unreliable after that.