Thread: American standard grit chart conversions to microns

I ran across this chart and am trying to understand and associate it with hones and diamond paste. If you look at 1000 it lines up with 18 microns.

So my question is this - If you have diamond paste that says it's 1 micron is that equivalent to a honing stone that is a 14000 one?
I would really like to understand how this works. Can anyone help me understand?

I'm no expert here but my understanding is .... hones = apples and diamond paste = oranges. Grit size is only 1 factor to consider. You have shape, the hardness of the grit, and what the grit is bonded to/with just to name a few.

Think about the same size diamond grit. 1 in paste that will roll slide move out of the way. The 2nd fastened to a steel plate, unyielding, rigid pointed edges. Each will have a different effect on the steel eh ?

With diamond the industry standard is mesh not microns or grit.

Okay starting to make sense. Microns and grit are not synonymous with each other. I thought they were.

Still trying to find definitive answers but all the information on the internet that I find seems to contradict each other, and no one agrees with the others persons statements. They all talk in riddles.

Thanks Gentlemen!

Yeah some say hones = oranges and paste = apples :<0)

On the higher end of things I have found this chart to be good guide as to what you are getting with paste versus hones for srs. But as you go lower I found it doesn't match up as well for srs

Sent from my U903 using Tapatalk

Yea, about the same grit size.

But diamonds will finish differently, than a stone. 1um diamond will cut more aggressively/deeper than a 14k grit stone.

So, while the grit size may be the same or close, performance may vary. For example, .50um Chrome Oxide, .50um Diamond paste, .50um CBN and a 15k stone will all leave very different stria pattern and edge.

Diamond the roughest, CBN the smoothest, the same for the edge. Ironically .50um Diamond would easily revive an edge and .50um Chrome Oxide and CBN polish it to a very comfortable shaving edge.

Depends on what you are trying to achieve.

Just thinking about utilizing some pasted strops during the honing process. The progression would be a 1K stone (set bevel), then 1.0 micron pasted strop, then to 6K stone, then to 0.5 micron pasted strop, and then finish the process with a 0.25 micron pasted strop.

Maintain the edges with CrOx dusted linen and leather strop. Might work, might not.

I just don't see the sense in buying hones that I won't use. I get incredible results with just a 1K and 6K stones and then strop with CrOx linen and leather. Just looking at and trying to understand different approaches....

If you are happy with what you are already using, then you are all set. Experimentation is not necessary, just entertaining.

That's exactly what I'm doing. Entertaining myself. Just wanted to see if the edges would improve themselves slightly using a simple approach.