Thread: Nearly an hour of lapping, is this what a new DMT 325 should look like?

Originally Posted by onimaru55

I agree the corner is not an issue,in fact I can't imagine how the razor would even contact it during honing.

Agreed. In fact, as you flatten it in the future, you shall see that corner come in!

I take the shank of a 12" screwdriver to the new DMTs. Break them in with that because I don't have plane blades or chisels. Wet the surface, a couple of drops of dish soap and I give the plate a going over with the screwdriver shank. I make sure I give the corner of the edges a good going over to knock off any divots. When I lap it is always under running water. Been working well for me to avoid stiction and to keep the swarf draining off.

I keep a bristle scrub brush off to the side to clean the plate under the running water between grits. Some guys use scotch brite pads IIRC.

I used to use a screwdriver but lately I use the unlapped side of my phig. Much faster than the screwdriver and eventually I will have a lapped paperweight, I mean c 12k or 8 k or whatever its supposed to be.

Good advise! Truly, I have found that a dedicated stone-maintaining monster is a worn-out DMT325. I am sure the grit rating goes to hell and a handbasket, being worn out. Still, I am trying to kill them. They just get better for the purpose!

Spyderco UF is a great way to kill diamond plates ... Literally.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

Spyderco UF is a great way to kill diamond plates ... Literally.

Ha! Try some old barber's hones!

Seriously, it is seen as blasphemy to get a 325 and ruin the shit out of it, but I must recommend it to have a nice stone plate. Especially if you wear it out on useful purposes!
I also recommend a dab of Comet or Ajax and a scrub brush on the 325.

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Ha! Try some old barber's hones!

The DMT XX (120) eats barber hones for breakfast and is hungry for more.

I am sure! So does the sidewalk! Still, they have to go up grit a bit from there!

Originally Posted by sharptonn

I am sure! So does the sidewalk! Still, they have to go up grit a bit from there!

I gave up on flatting rock pile finds on side walks.
I switch to a nice big piece of 60 grit sand paper blacked on a nice dead flat piece of lumber.
might buy courser sander paper if they go lower.
but it works awesome man your littery sanding and grinding away rock even after the paper part is gone.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

Spyderco UF is a great way to kill diamond plates ... Literally.

My Spyderco came with the promise to be perfectly flat from the factory. You can see the grinding marks from a Blanchard type grinding table. This stone was not leveled on a standard surface grinder. Diamond plates don't make a dent in it.