Thread: Lapping a new Naniwa 12000

I have a Naniwa 12000 on its way. Is a Norton lapping stone ok to use on it? It is the only lapping plate I have.

Hell noooo
Don't use it on any hones realy
You can start with 360 grit wet and dry on a good flat surface
Is all use with no problems

I also have a Naniwa 12000 and a DMT 325 on their way. I was advised by SRD to simply pencil grid the 12000 and then rub them together under running tap water to lap the 12000.

That's the way I keep my Naniwa 12000 flat with the DMT 325 - its perfect for me - about every third time I use the pencil grid

There is a large following of wet dry sandpaper users, personally I will never go that route. I've been using a dmt 325 for lapping around a dozen hones for over year and have had no issues. $40 or so and you get to lap all your hones, and if you have to go crazy removing chips it works great as a hone too.

Prodigy most everyone mentions the DMT 325. I'm a beginner in the honing aspect so I'm not real knowledgable on hones and lapping plates. I think the Norton lapping plate is the same grit as the DMT 325, right? Would you feel confident with using the Norton for this? Thanks for your time and thoughts!

Originally Posted by prodigy

There is a large following of wet dry sandpaper users, personally I will never go that route. I've been using a dmt 325 for lapping around a dozen hones for over year and have had no issues. $40 or so and you get to lap all your hones, and if you have to go crazy removing chips it works great as a hone too.

They don't have to be mutually exclusive of course. You could still use wt and dry after the DMT if you wanted to polish the hone surface more.

Originally Posted by millbilly

Prodigy most everyone mentions the DMT 325. I'm a beginner in the honing aspect so I'm not real knowledgable on hones and lapping plates. I think the Norton lapping plate is the same grit as the DMT 325, right? Would you feel confident with using the Norton for this? Thanks for your time and thoughts!

I started off honing with a norton 300/1000 and a 4000/8000. This setup was a Christmas present and it came with the norton lapping stone. In my experience, it works. For a beginner just getting into honing it will work. However the first thing I purchased for honing related items was the dmt 325. Once it is broken in, I have never seen a need to go to a finer polish on any hones. My most recent hone is the gokumyo 20k, and my dmt 325 leaves a perfect glassy surface. When they are close to brand new they will leave larger scratch patterns. I honed a couple of really dull pocket knives to break in the dmt. This is a topic that has many threads on this site, and really it comes down to personal preference. I'm sure if a mentor introduced wet dry to me when I was starting, that is what I would recommend. They both work. I never used the norton to lap my naniwa 12k, just because I had the dmt by then. My experience was that the norton starts to become less effective in higher grit hones. The 8k would easily gunk up the norton in a short amount of time, I'm not sure how it will handle the 12k. Just try it and see, if it doesn't perform get a dmt or a flat surface and wet dry. Good luck.

Originally Posted by prodigy

I started off honing with a norton 300/1000 and a 4000/8000. This setup was a Christmas present and it came with the norton lapping stone. In my experience, it works. For a beginner just getting into honing it will work. However the first thing I purchased for honing related items was the dmt 325. Once it is broken in, I have never seen a need to go to a finer polish on any hones. My most recent hone is the gokumyo 20k, and my dmt 325 leaves a perfect glassy surface. When they are close to brand new they will leave larger scratch patterns. I honed a couple of really dull pocket knives to break in the dmt. This is a topic that has many threads on this site, and really it comes down to personal preference. I'm sure if a mentor introduced wet dry to me when I was starting, that is what I would recommend. They both work. I never used the norton to lap my naniwa 12k, just because I had the dmt by then. My experience was that the norton starts to become less effective in higher grit hones. The 8k would easily gunk up the norton in a short amount of time, I'm not sure how it will handle the 12k. Just try it and see, if it doesn't perform get a dmt or a flat surface and wet dry. Good luck.

Use the search box at the upper right. The Norton lapping plate has been discussed in other threads recently with several informed comments that they weren't the best choice because often they aren't flat themselves. DMT 325 in the lapping medium of choice, but again, there are posts that point out that when they are new, they need to be "broken in" with the shaft of a screwdriver or back of a straight kitchen knife to to remove any diamond particles that are sticking up above the surface and could scratch your hones. Also, there is a video where Lynn shows the proper lapping with a pencil grid with the DMT on Naniwa super stones under running water. otherwise they cling together. Check out the videos and other discussions before doing anything.