Thread: I Found It Over There

Henk Boss made a very ingenious lapping machine form a bike wheel and and electric motor. That idea and some loose grit might make for some easy lapping. What do you use your grit on?

I use a grooved cast iron toolmaker's lapping plate.

Hmmmmm. I think this will require some research. My steel knowledge is not the greatest. I wonder if a piece of AR plate would work.

AR should work the best out of the steels, it's pretty tough stuff. I have machined AR400 quite a few times, it's a PITA.

That is good news. Now what about these grooves? Do you have a picture of your plate? What size is it? So many questions I know. I have wheels turning in my head.

Here's my plate, it's about 7" x 13" and double-sided:

that big of a plate on a moving bed with guides to hold the hone in position should ale for quick lapping.

The thing for me is that the "automated" plates like that don't get the random motions down to spread wear evenly over the plate surface - I have been lapping with mine for about 6 months and dozens of stones, granite and glass plates, etc. and it is still flat within .002". If I built one of those out would be just a roughing-in step, so for me anyway I just do it like I described above. If I were selling a bunch of stones I'd probably make something like Henk did just to save me some time doing that step.

Yes. My thought train is about getting hones near flat and then grid lapping them by hand to finish. The other time saver in there is that if the rough lapping was done by machine you could be near by doing something else, perhaps hand lapping, and decreasing production time. I love finding rocks, I love cutting rocks and I love the final lap of smooth and flat. The length of time lapping is where I want to have less involvement.

Lol, you and me both!