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I have an unusual question on the topic of whetstone. Although this isn't a knife's edge, I thought that maybe someone here might be familiar enough with the types of stones to offer an answer.

When working on electronics I use nylon tools to prevent damage to the surfaces I'm working on. The problem with this is that I will quickly damage a tool either my losing its edge or by chipping and cracking. The edges of these tools are also fairly dull and I would like to give some of them a very sharp edge suitable for cutting (rubber and silicone in this case).

What kind of whetstone would be able to give me a very sharp edge on my spudging tool and allow me to recover an edge in the event that I damage the surface?

Here is a photo of the surface of the spudger:

enter image description here

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    Try a sanding sponge.
    – Optionparty
    Aug 6, 2018 at 2:03

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I'd use fairly fine wet/dry paper taped to a hard flat surface, probably used wet. You could move to a finer grade to finish. This will keep it nice and flat.

Or you can shave/whittle the edge with a scalpel or razor blade. That's what I've done with a nylon spatula that I want a nice edge on, but on that the edge tends to deform rather than wear down, because it's used to push against hot things.

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  • "I'd use fairly fine wet/dry paper taped to a hard flat surface" and "You could move to a finer grade to finish". I don't know what is considered a nomrla or fine grade and I also don't know what a wet/dry paper is. Is it a kind of paper that is textured differently or do you get it wet before using it?
    – Zhro
    Aug 6, 2018 at 20:24
  • Wet/dry paper is a type of sandpaper with waterproof glue and backing, often using silicon carbide as the abrasive. Emery cloth is similar though usually coarser. It's not uncommon in electronics workshops as it can be used to remove oxide layers from copper, take rough edges off metal housings etc. It's normally finer than ordinary sandpaper, so perhaps 120 grit to start with, going to 400 to finish (finer still on a metal blade).
    – Chris H
    Aug 6, 2018 at 20:59

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