Thread: Lapping the Hone

A few questions for those experienced regarding lapping:

1. What is the main purpose of lapping, and when do you know to do it?

2. I've read a lot of posts that say to lap a hone with 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper - but I have also heard of some horror stories of sandpaper grit and/or color getting embedded in the hone...how do you prevent this?

Is lapping what a Norton Flattening Stone is for? If so, why not just get one of those and not have to deal with the sandpaper (I think they only cost $19.99)...is there a difference between using the flattening stone and the sandpaper?

3. What is the process - just make sure everything is wet and rub straight back and forth? How much pressure? How many swipes back and forth are recommended?


I know there are a lot of questions...sorry to all those who know the answers and are willing to impart their knowledge! "I am not worthy!"

Well what I was told is to draw a grid on the hone and do most of the work on the 320 and 600 grit sandpaper and rub it on something flat until most of the grid is gone then finish on the 1000. Yeah and in lynn's dvd it talks about the flattening stone.. if I knew where to get one I would do that.. but sandpaper also work sI guess And your suppose to clean it off in the sink afterwards. I still have yet to do this to mine.

Thanks TravisM,

How long have you been using straights? Have you found it's been difficult to hone your razors?

Not that long at all, And it is very difficult atleast for me it is to judge when it is sharp or how much more you need to do, Im sending mine off to get done by someone so I can see what im aiming for. Just takes practice I suppose

A few questions for those experienced regarding lapping:

1. What is the main purpose of lapping, and when do you know to do it?

2. I've read a lot of posts that say to lap a hone with 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper - but I have also heard of some horror stories of sandpaper grit and/or color getting embedded in the hone...how do you prevent this?

Is lapping what a Norton Flattening Stone is for? If so, why not just get one of those and not have to deal with the sandpaper (I think they only cost $19.99)...is there a difference between using the flattening stone and the sandpaper?

3. What is the process - just make sure everything is wet and rub straight back and forth? How much pressure? How many swipes back and forth are recommended?


I know there are a lot of questions...sorry to all those who know the answers and are willing to impart their knowledge! "I am not worthy!"
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The purpose of lapping is to keep the hones perfectly flat.

I have never used sandpaper to lap a hone. What I do is use one hone against another. To flatten quickly I will use a slightly coarser hone and after that I will use a similar grade hone to smooth it out and for touch ups.

It seems to me a reasonable assumption is that if the company that makes your hone also makes a flattening stone that that would be a good way to go, but i've never used a norton.

Not back and fourth but a circular or figure eight pattern.

Good luck, Mark

I use industrial wet/dry sandpaper on a granite surface plate. I do it in the sink with a small trickle of water running over the stone and paper. I do the grid thing forst to be sure the entire surface has been touched and is flat and use laerge and small varying figure eight patterns. I am lapping natural stones, the Thuringian Water Hones I sell and have no problem with grit sticking in these stones. I tested a random sample 2x8 stone I lapped and it was flat within .0006 using this method.

Tony

Sorry Forgot to add the part about using water while lapping

Thanks for the help guys....I appreciate it. I won't need to do it just yet, but now I have the know how.

Use a pencil to draw the grid on the hone. Use either 320 or 600 grit until until the grid is gone then perform about 25 more figure *'s or X patterns. Then use the 1K sandpaper to smooth out the surface.

The embedded grit problem seems to be more frequent when a cheap brand of sandpaper is used. Get 3M sandpaper if possible.

Hope this helps,

Even if you do get embedded grit, it's easy to remove with a brillo pad under running water.