Thread: From film to stones

Been using film for a few years in combination with stones.

I bevel set with a good 1K just for speed, then go to film to finish. Or just finish on film after 12k stones. I use 5um to .3um AO film.

Film can produce a very, very straight edge, down to .3um, but usually use 1um over paper to finish. There is a difference between Diamond and Aluminum Oxide film, I prefer AO and it is cheaper, Diamond is always more aggressive.

One of the biggest problems with film and some new high grit Synthetic stones is they can cause a harsh edges, from too much honing or pressure, making a super thin and harsh edge.

CBN can really calm the edge, as can honing with a layer of paper under the 1um or .3um film. Try some .50um or .125um CBN, misted wet on a paper or fabric strop.

If using .3um film to finish, I only do 6 laps with paper under the film. Paper gives a bit of cushion so only the front 1/3 of the edge of the bevel is honed, not quite a micro bevel, but similar results.

Micro bevels are also an option, just add an extra layer of tape and do a few laps, less that 10.
What stone did the barber finish on?

Many natural stone are more comfortable than film or high grit synthetics, but are not as keen. When I say not as keen we are talking about a very small difference, what we call the extra 2 percent.

You can get the best of both worlds, experimenting with technique and stropping for comfort. Stropping on leather will calm an edge also, though you may have to do 100 + laps.

One other thing to check is your film plates, make sure they are flat and smooth, glass is not flat or smooth, but can easily be lapped with diamond plates or Wet & Dry 320 paper.

This will make a big difference in performance and the ability to stick to the substrate. The flatter it is the more of the film is in contact with the bevel. Substrate does not matter that much, I use glass 3X12 in tiles from Lowes, about 4-5 bucks but have used Ceramic tiles lapped flat with the same results.