Thread: Check my lapping equipment?

So I am starting off my honing adventures with a coticule I bought from Jarrod on Superior Shaving. I eventually (maybe sooner than later) will have an Escher.

The coticule comes pre-lapped but I would like to buy whatever lapping equipment I'll need in the future (just because it's somewhat fresh on my mind). I've narrowed my choices down to either sandpaper or Atoma Plates.

So for the Coticule:

Would getting a flat granite stone and some wet/dry sandpaper give me the same results as one of the Atoma Plates? If I go the sandpaper route, what grit would you start on, what increments would you go up, and where would you finish? If I go with the Atoma plates, would the 1200 be enough or should I grab a 600 to start with?

For the Escher:
(I will be getting a smooth one already)

If I go sandpaper, which grits to I start and finish on?
If I go with the Atoma plates, would the 1200 be enough or should I grab a 600 to start with?
If I did the Atoma 1200 should I still finish with 2000 grit sandpaper? If so, why not just go sandpaper all the way?

Thanks in advance for any replies!!!

- Gene

I have the Atoma 400 and 1200. I would not lap from scratch a warp stone with the Atoma 1200, however, I would maintain (refresh and lap) all my naturals with it.

It's better to lap with sand paper progression on flat surface (back of the Atoma plate) then maintain and raise slury with the Atoma 1200.

Sand to 400 wet/dry, rinse stone well (sandpaper particles get loose), start on that, then use the 1200 to finish on water or raise a slury and dilute to water. That's what I would do with only one plate. No diamond plate (don't leave particles behind), only way to raise an acceptable slury is with another stone.

If you ever get affected by HAD, then get the DMT325 or Atoma 400 (IMO better for initial lapping). You would thank me later!

My 2cents, Double O.

Double O.,

Thanks for the reply. Was this mostly referring to the coticule or the escher (or both?)

- Gene

Originally Posted by drgenefish

Double O.,

Thanks for the reply. Was this mostly referring to the coticule or the escher (or both?)

- Gene

I'm no expert honer (just a hobby). I've been playing around with the coti recently and I would say that when you use another stone (coti) to raise slury, the surface is very smooth and if you decide to refresh surface/lap, the 1200 surface is smooth, but not as smooth as with the slury stone itself.

That's call dressing the surface, IMHO the finer the surface ( to a degree and for the most part, not always) is better for finishing an edge. Or a progression of the surface, like start dressing the stone with the 400, then the 1200. This is for use on water only or slury raise with diamond plate.

If you raise slury with stone, then the surface would be dressed with the surface of the stone you used. I use a coti slury stone to raise slury on the coti. Once I get to diluting to water only, the surface is smoother than if I would have used a 1200 diamond plate. Which IMO, it helps on the smoothness of the final edge.

On my Escher, I use the Atoma to refresh and I have used slury from another turi (light to water) or slury from the 1200 Atoma, or no slury, just water, and I think it depends on the steel and the condition of the edge going to the finisher, but sometimes I get better edges from one or the other method.

Welcome to the wounderfull world of honing with naturals!

Double O

hah I think I now know less than before - if that's possible

Originally Posted by drgenefish

hah I think I now know less than before - if that's possible

LOL! That's how I feel! The more I know, the more I know I know nothing!

With coticules I don't feel much benefit in going beyond 300-400 grit, I get the feeling Eschers may be similar but I've never used one.

Originally Posted by drgenefish

I would like to buy whatever lapping equipment I'll need in the future

Quality diamond plate(s), a big flat thing and a pile of various grit wet/dry should cover most needs.

I have the DMT 325 and the Atomas in 140 and 400. I actually find it easier sometimes to use 400 grit sandpaper on a countertop by the sink. I don't know if the countertop is totally flat, but it doesn't seem to matter because I vary where on the countertop I put the sandpaper and because of the different (back and forth, circular, figure eight) motions I use to lap various stones. I've used this method with success on everything from a 1K Chosera and Norton through the Shapton Glass series to my Escher and Gokumyo finishers.

drgenefish,

An observation WRT silicon carbide (SiC) paper :

I do not have the Atoma plates, but do have the DMT 325.

The finish the DMT 325 puts on my coticules and Belgian Blue Whetstones is far superior to that from 600 'grit' silicon carbide paper

This is also true for my synthetic waterstones (Naniwa SuperStones & Norton 4k/8k).

I would go for the Atoma 400 or DMT 325.

If you use a slurry stone on the coticule, the surface finish will quickly come up to speed

Good luck !

Have fun

Best regards

Russ

Originally Posted by PhatMan

The finish the DMT 325 puts on my coticules and Belgian Blue Whetstones is far superior to that from 600 'grit' silicon carbide paper

I would agree that a broken in DMT 325 gives a better finish than fresh 600 grit wet/dry but things can even out once the wet/dry has seen a little wear.