Thread: Lapping for noob?

Hi, Guys, Appologies for this not being in the honing section, but I cant post threads there for some reason and can only access the curent thread. I have a norton 1/4k, belgian coticule and a DMT 12k.
The norton and the DMT are both brand spanking new and have not been used yet. Can I use the 12000 grit diamond plate to lap the coticule and the norton when it needs doing or do I need to use something of lower grit?
Ta,

Nobby

12K or 1200?

A 1200 can be used for lapping if you do it under running water, but it isn't fast.

A 12K would be much too slow, and probably get damaged quickly.

Yeah a 12k, got it to do the final touch up after using the coticule with water. Guess ill have to treat myself to a 320 grit or something for doing the lapping then. Thanks

Here is a chart showing DMT's grit sizes. The finest they make is equivalent to 8000. If you have a 1,200 grit plate you can lap the 4k and the coticule with it but IME not too many times. It will begin to take the nickel/diamonds off the DMT. I did it long enough to see the gray haze on my Norton 4k but luckily found out what the deal was before I ruined my plate. It actually broke it in for straights quite nicely and it is a great bevel setter now.

If you have the 8000 grit plate don't even think about lapping with it. The 325 is good and I have lapped a lot of rock with it but Utopian knows what he is talking about and he says the XX is even better if it is a dedicated lapping plate. It is even fast on barber hones. Here is DMT's FAQ, check out # 18 for their recommendations for lapping waterstones. All under running water as Ray noted.

Cool thanks, Ill check it out!

Just lap with wet/dry sandpaper, using it wet and on a flat surface like plate glass or a nice flat ceramic tile. The cost is right and the results are excellent.

You'll need a coarser grit to lap the belgian. A DMT 325 grit coarse grade is what I've been using five or six times a week for the last six years. The finer grits, even the 1200 extra fine, load up too quickly.

I have had great success using the DMT Coarse or 325 for lapping all my stones from Nortons, to Shaptons, to Naniwas to Nakayama, to Chinese, to pretty much you name it. The only one that really wasn't too effective was using it on the Translucent cuz dat puppy is hard.

Have fun,

Lynn