Thread: Honing without a lopping plate?

I just use 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper on a flat surface, and it works fine. Some caution that sand particles can get imbedded in the hones, but I've been careful about this and have never seen it happen. That's about as cheap as you can go. I have all the available lapping plates, and I just find this way easier, quicker and still effective.

Find a place that does custom counter installs, they usually will have a big scrap pile of granite that you should be able to find a nice sized flat piece to use. The one local to me will actually cut it and finish it for me for a small fee. Then just follow ace's suggestion and use running water that usually helps keep sand out.

Thanks for the link! I did a few searches and was seeing prices upwards of $170 for lapping plates. $50 is cheap.

My two cents is I flatten my water stones with a rock that I found and was been flattened by trying to flatten a rock.
Use the sun and you eyes rub off the high spots. Then check with a light and if light passes under the stone and something flat.

If you have nothing else, you can rub the stones against each other in a sort of progression. It does work. Doing this under running water is usually best.

If you have a lot of material to remove then you need something quicker probably - a plate or wet and dry sandpaper on a bit of stout float glass or trued marble/granite is good, as is lapidary grit on glass for very course to very fine removal.

Regards,
Neil

I'm thinking that DMT 325 is looking pretty good. Just watched a video by Lynn and looks pretty straight forward.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

The DMT 325 is my preferred method for softer stones.

Do you have a stone in the 1K region ?

Wid - no, and I was wondering about that. I noticed in Lynn's videos he starts with a 1000k.

Yeah, you will be needing a stone in the 1K region. Setting a bevel with a 5k stone would be a job.