Thread: The Question of hone flatness

I checked my naniwas today and notice they are not completely flat. I checked them with a metal straight edge. The 1K has a little rise in the middle most of the way long ways. the others you could see light between the straight edge and stone on a few places. the flattening plate with the same straight edge showed no light. I use the diamond plate after every honing session. and I us it under running water. I know that there is no way for a hone to be completely flat but how off can it be and still be effective. Just a question for the more experienced hone masters.

yes it can be really really flat.

If its off a bit the long way it's OK as long as the short way it's 100% perfect. However it's how you cope with it being off. Some folks can't and if that's the case you need to have it proper flat. If you are OK with it off a bit then continue to hone away.

I'm kind of lazy and do not "lap" my hones on a regular basis. I do clean them with a diamond plate after every session. I have never checked to see if they are truly flat. An annual grid lap is as good as it gets at my house. I may be a philistine but that's just how it works for me.

All this makes me wonder which is better the Diamond plate or 220 wet dry on a granite counter top to flatten the stone. or if necessary get another diamond plate. I have had this one since 2013. I use it a lot

Originally Posted by rhensley

All this makes me wonder which is better the Diamond plate or 220 wet dry on a granite counter top to flatten the stone. or if necessary get another diamond plate. I have had this one since 2013. I use it a lot

Do you clean it after or before use? I scrub mine with a bathroom scrub-brush after each honing session to make sure I get all the stone detritus off of it. I use it to lap each stone (lightly) after each session too.

a soft brush and some comet can bring a lot of life back into it

For what it is worth..........
As a machinist we always lapped a part on a surface at least four times the dimensions of that part. And, we used a rotating "W" pattern as we moved the part back and forth each stroke the part was rotated a few degrees while making the same w pattern.

The diamond plate used poorly may cause a hump in the middle of the stone. Doing a figure "8" while lapping can reduce that.
Due to the weight of the hone or diamond plate, lapping will easily go bad and wear the outer edges of the hone more than the center. Off center pressure during lapping is used to make lenses! To combat this, use the thumb and a couple finger to hold the hone at its center line and apply little or no pressure while moving the hone in a figure "8" pattern on the lapping surface.

Also, many of the man made hones we use do absorb some water so they may grow or shrink in thickness across the width or length. Soak them always for the same length of time before use or lapping and use a spray bottle to keep them damp for honing.

The knowledgeable use of a diamond plate can increase flatness. The Wet / dry silicon carbide paper on a granite tile or counter top seems to do the best for me.

Your mileage may and probably will vary!
~Richard

[QUOTE=Haroldg48;1469474]Do you clean it after or before use? I scrub mine with a bathroom scrub-brush after each honing session to make sure I get all the stone detritus off of it. I use it to lap each stone (lightly) after each session too.[/QUOT

I clean my diamond plate after every honing session. and before cleaning the plate I use it on the hones. pretty much the same.

Originally Posted by Geezer

For what it is worth..........
As a machinist we always lapped a part on a surface at least four times the dimensions of that part. And, we used a rotating "W" pattern as we moved the part back and forth each stroke the part was rotated a few degrees while making the same w pattern.

The diamond plate used poorly may cause a hump in the middle of the stone. Doing a figure "8" while lapping can reduce that.
Due to the weight of the hone or diamond plate, lapping will easily go bad and wear the outer edges of the hone more than the center. Off center pressure during lapping is used to make lenses! To combat this, use the thumb and a couple finger to hold the hone at its center line and apply little or no pressure while moving the hone in a figure "8" pattern on the lapping surface.

Also, many of the man made hones we use do absorb some water so they may grow or shrink in thickness across the width or length. Soak them always for the same length of time before use or lapping and use a spray bottle to keep them damp for honing.

The knowledgeable use of a diamond plate can increase flatness. The Wet / dry silicon carbide paper on a granite tile or counter top seems to do the best for me.

Your mileage may and probably will vary!
~Richard

I'll pay more attention to how I lap. also when I lap I hold the plate in the left hand under the faucet and the hone upside down on top of the plate. i'll see if that helps. thanks

At my house all synthetic hones that I've had, with the exception of the Nortons 4 & 8, will not remain flat between honing sessions, even if I were to flatten them at the end of the session. Speaking of Shapton pro, naniwa super stone, naniwa chosera, suehiro 20k. I've heard the glasstones are no different.

I suppose the reason that the Nortons don't change is because of the binder. A rock collector/honer/scientist told me that polymer binders are affected by humidity, heat, even light. So it is part of the trip.

I use a Starrett straight edge to check them. So I resigned myself to lap at the beginning of each honing session. Life in the big city............