Thread: Atoma 1200 diamond plate.

I watched Dr Matt, put a bevel on a gold dollar with a diamond lapping plate. I've not come across this method. But his bevel was done in five minutes. He used an Atoma 400, and I cringed, but a couple of waterstones later and he had it sharp and it looked good under the veho.
NOW, I have on top of a dozen quality waterstones, from the nani 1k to the Gokumyo20k & an atoma 400 . He used tape on the spine, which was removed. So here is the conundrum. Bevel setting is 90% of the job, he did it in 5 mins. I imagined a toothy edge off the plate. But toothy edges are easily removed with slurry circles. My point is no spine damage. I have an Atoma 400, next time I obtain a dodgy razor to play with I will set the bevel with the Atoma with tape,, heaps of slurry on a nani lobster 4k and 40 circles each way, look at it under the loupe 40x ??? I'm expecting plenty of feedback guys so get going.

Bob

Not for me. I wouldn't think of using my Atoma 400 on a razor to set a bevel. Maybe if there were seriously huge chips in the edge, but even then probably I'd rather use a Chosera 600 or equivalent Shapton. YMMV, but I don't like the deep anomalous scratches the diamond plates leave behind. Once the bevel is set, you'd still need to remove a significant amount more steel to get all those deep scratches out, which to me is a waste of steel. On a GD not such a big deal though I suppose.

I've used an Atoma 400 once for "corrective surgery" - I don't like to use it if it isn't necessary. The edge of a razor is delicate and what the 400 Atoma does is anything but delicate.

I start a Gold Dollar by taping the EDGE and then using usually a 325 DMT to flatten and smooth the spine until there's a uniform wear pattern on the spine. Then remove the tape and you have a better chance of getting a uniform bevel.

Here are a couple of videos of a GD bevel set:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5iDImHEwrc

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

It's a good way to understand what you're in for. You could of course, cut the time with a DMT 325 or an Atoma 400.

Cheers, Steve

I recently tried to use an atoma 400 for restoring some razors.
My plate has seen a lot of work but still cuts fast. Breadknifing on a slight angle, then using double tape to restore the bevel. I never tried it because I was thinking that the tape would definitely get stuck between the diamond dots of the plate, and that "diamonds cut too deeply".
But nothing of this sorts happened. On the contrary, the breadknifing went well, as I was careful not to remove too much metal. And, as far as the bevel goes, the tape lasts more on the atoma 400 than an actual stone, and no more than necessary metal was removed on that step either. After that the 1k stone (I used a suehiro 1k) took care of the scratches of this plate that weren't much deeper than any other 400 grit stone.
I think it's becoming my preferable "stone" for edge restoration.

It's not my first choice, but I've used them before (both generic and atoma). The effect on an edge is similar to using a medium india.....and i just did that this weekend to set a bevel on a new japanese razor (they often come with a "strop finished" edge or some other such description, which equates to having no actual bevel the way we think of it).

The biggest turnoff setting a bevel with the atoma is how it feels and how far apart the diamonds are. It doesn't have the same filing feeling that a cheap continuous surface plate does, but the result is probably similar. It's maybe a step more coarse than a 1k grit stone, but they work.

Like Dave, I find it does the job, but the feedback is awful - a horrible feeling/noise that makes you think the edge is disintegrating, but in reality it is not. For this fact I would rather use a DMT (600 grit) - if I have too - on razors, better than that I prefer a chosera 1k.

As for the 5 minute bevel set - thats all it takes on a razor in good shape where all the geometry correct. If it has knobs on the spine, a kink in the spine, etc then you can kiss 5 mins goodbye and say hallo to at least 30 mins and more probably an hour or longer, depending on the severity of the fault or combination of faults.

What if the steel is rubbish - you lose out altogether here as you will never get it as shave-ready as other, better examples.

What I am saying it doesn't really matter much about the stone, providing it is suitable to the job. It is the skill of the honer that counts.

Regards,
Neil

I have used diamond plates including the dmt 325, atoma 400 and 1200 but only on razors that need more work like breadknifing and then only go until almost there and then go to the 1k so that the scratches are removed with out wasting steel and getting a more refined edge.

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

As for the 5 minute bevel set - thats all it takes on a razor in good shape where all the geometry correct. If it has knobs on the spine, a kink in the spine, etc then you can kiss 5 mins goodbye and say hallo to at least 30 mins and more probably an hour or longer, depending on the severity of the fault or combination of faults.

Bit of a necro here but I agree with Neil. Using a 1k Shapton pro took me 6 minutes to repair & set a stainless Frio 5/8 that had chips the depth of the bevel.

From my past experience using diamond plates, they just add work for later.

I too have used the Atoma 400 for repair work. I like it a lot better than DMTs for such work and use it only for blatantly visible chips. It is faster and causes less damage.

I transition to a Naniwa Chosera 400 then 600 then 800 then 1000 afterwards, so I don't worry about any residual issues from the diamond plate.

Since the topic was the Atoma 1200, I'll add that I pretty much only use it on slightly chipped razors that I find to be hard and slow to hone on the Chosera 400. In that case, I'll remove the chip with the Atoma 1200, and then proceed from the Chosera 600 on up.

Its a shame , but i confest that since i have 600 grit diamond plate i use it more frequently to sett bevells . I use also 400 600 and 800 rusian and bulgarian stones to sett bevell and the 1200 grit come 2-nd i my progresion .
I realy like setting the bevell on 400 grit hard alox or sic stone or using 600 diamond plate . 1 k stone after , 3 K after and passing on BBW or coticule and so to shave ready , Bevel setting is my favourite part - i especialy have weekness for my 600 diamond plate and 600 Sic bulgarian stone ZAI .
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