Thread: Stone flattening made easier...

I had some drywall screen type sandpaper handy do I tried some 220 grit on a vintage Arkansas translucent that needed about an eighth of an inch removal to get flat . It worked really well. I used it with water, although not constantly running over it. Sofar for me , it seemed to cut faster grinding on its own slurry flOating inside the open squares. Maybe took five- ten minutes. YMMV. Worth a try. Lowe's Home Improvement

Thanks, I had forgotten that one! I had used it on the first mudstones that I bought way back when.
~Richard

That stuff cleans the heck out of porcelain too ! Old tub soap scum and stuff ,,, bye bye no scratches.

Argh! Like Geezer, I knew that but had forgotten. Sheesh, a couple of weeks ago I spent over an hour taking a couple of mm off a very hard jnat. Thanks for reminding me.

I guess it's true about the two things that happen as you get older, the memory starts to go and.. well, you know.



rs,
Tack

I've used 120 grit of sanding mesh like that for a long time. It works better than regular waterproof sanding paper and lasts longer. It does not stay flat though so afterwards you have to continue on sanding paper. I've tried a (worn) 40 grit sanding belt as suggested by others and that works even faster

And just to follow I just experimented with worn out 40 belt and added big pinch of sharp sand. It worked treat. Very fast. No need to get new belt and much smoother scratch pattern. Also feedback is audible. Once it changes the sound you just brush off the old powder and reload with new sand.

I am getting stones for xmas and will need to ensure they are flattened. What would be your best suggestion for doing this? I can't afford much either. Do flattening stones need flattening also? if so how do you really start?

Originally Posted by Gonzo4str8rzrs

I am getting stones for xmas and will need to ensure they are flattened. What would be your best suggestion for doing this? I can't afford much either. Do flattening stones need flattening also? if so how do you really start?

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A Norton Flattening stone might need to be checked for flatness but diamond plates are supposed to be flat from the factory. Keep all your stones flat for best results. Good luck.......

Originally Posted by Gonzo4str8rzrs

I am getting stones for xmas and will need to ensure they are flattened. What would be your best suggestion for doing this? I can't afford much either. Do flattening stones need flattening also? if so how do you really start?

Many guys use a DMT8C diamond plate for lapping their stones. I fall into that camp. They aren't terribly expensive and seem to work well.

Originally Posted by mrsell63

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A Norton Flattening stone might need to be checked for flatness but diamond plates are supposed to be flat from the factory. Keep all your stones flat for best results. Good luck.......

Supposedly!
I have had two that were about a mm out of flat when put on a machinists surface plate. They didn't answer my questions at DMT either. Just ignored me.
~Richard