Why are burrs so malleable?

[Mark Reich]

Mark, I know you recently acquired a Gen III Viel, with smaller drive pulley and variable speed motor. Do you notice any difference between edge burr from your full speed Kally and the slower speed Gen III? What about with your Tormek? My question here is could there be a correlation with heat generated by higher speed grinding?

I've only used my Gen III with a leather belt and 16µ PDP compound for burr removal and fast touchups. This is a very aggressive compound at only 1000 grit. With the sharpest particles, this is the toothiest compound that stays on a leather belt. It's easy to create a burr on a Kally, especially when it's freshly loaded, but easy to manage on the Gen III or leather hone.

I only use my Tormek for hair scissors, with a wet 4K wheel. I should use it more, but I've been sharpening woodworking tools on an industrial bench grinder all my life so that's what I'm used to. I'm very aware of the heat, and use a dip bucket.

Belt or wheel speed can be a factor when you're trying to minimize the burr, normally when finishing. Pressure and Grit have everything to do with heat. When necessary, dipping in water is an unconscious act, otherwise I'd be burning my fingers constantly. 

I did some testing with CBN wheels on a Tormek, used wet or dry. The wheels I used were steel D-Way with steel reducing bushings. I used Hone Rite Gold with the water to prevent rust. After reading about corrosion, I am wondering if routine use of Hone Rite Gold might be a good practice with either the Tormek or with water stones. I just watched a video with Rob Cosman using Hone Right Gold. I had not noticed him using it in earlier videos.

I very rarely worry about oxidation, never corrosion. I'm used to wiping stuff clean and pretty dry when necessary. 

My third burr thought was with hand scrapers. When I was in my twenties, I met an elderly refinisher. He was a genuine expert who had apprenticed with an old Austro Hungarian cabinetmaker. He and his teacher were great believers in the hand scraper. Here, instead of trying to remove the burr, we use the burr to enhance scraping. The burrs (double) are formed by pressure, rolling a hardened rod over the edge. In skilled hands, the burrs can be quite large. When the burrs are longer usable, the scraper edge is ground away, back to "good", non fatigued steel.

I like using scrapers with a burnishing tool. The work hardened hook lasts longer. I use a regular burr from sharpening the hook end of these Way more often. I have many, because they are super handy, useful and inexpensive.

I generally sharpen knives with the edge trailing. The factory configuration for the Tormek square edge jig for chisels and plane irons is grinding into the edge. Do those of you who sharpen with a belt grinder sharpen into or trailing the edge?

Almost always edge trailing with belt grinders, almost always edge leading on hard surfaces, like grinding wheels or stones.

Mr Grepper, can you move this last post by Mr Ken and these replies into a new thread, Please? This thread has meandered too far, and "Why are burrs so Malleable" is a topic worth it's own thread IMHO.