Thread: Norton question ?

I've been wondering, can the Norton brand flattening stone sold over at SRD be used on the Naniwa hones also, curious ?

Sure, but you'd be miles ahead getting a diamond plate if you can.

Since it comes from the factory notoriously out of true, you're going to need something like a diamond plate or a glass plate with wet/dry sandpaper or abrasive grit to true the Norton flattener, so why not just use those instead?

Originally Posted by sachemo

I've been wondering, can the Norton brand flattening stone sold over at SRD be used on the Naniwa hones also, curious ?

The Norton flattening stone is not really a good stone. It dishes out fairly quickly. I've had one.
A DMT 325 grit stone otoh is only a couple of $ mor eexpensive, and will last forever.

Thanks guys, gives me the idea to go with probably the DMT route instead, the extra price difference isn't really a bank breaker either. I've always used the sandpaper on a flat surface routine but would like to finally move on to a different method. Thanks again guys, very helpful information.

Originally Posted by Bruno

The Norton flattening stone is not really a good stone. It dishes out fairly quickly. I've had one.
A DMT 325 grit stone otoh is only a couple of $ mor eexpensive, and will last forever.

I'll second that. Especially if you ever use it on a hard natural. I made the mistake of using mine on a couple of smaller Arkies and by the time I was done it was visibly dished - easily an 8th of an inch or better. I still have a Norton lapping hone, and still use it to justify it's existence. But I end up using the DMT on just about everything anyway. Really is the better way to go considering it stays true and doesn't wear nearly as bad.

Been using my 320 DMT diamond plate for years to lap all my stones. Works like a charm and pulls double duty for cutting bevels.

Originally Posted by cannonfodder

Been using my 320 DMT diamond plate for years to lap all my stones. Works like a charm and pulls double duty for cutting bevels.

Definitely getting ready to order the DMT, that's what I like about this forum is being steered in the right direction and getting the better choice of equipment. It really saves cost in the long run, glad I asked this question here before I ordered anything.

Yea, skip the Norton Flattening stone, they are messy and just don’t work all that well.

Almost any 300-400 diamond plate will work for lapping stones and can be bought for as little as 20-30 bucks. A 400-1000 grit combo stone from Chef’s Knives to Go, at $35 is a great buy.

The added benefit is they are faster, cleaner and can be used as slurry stones for naturals, some synthetics and for correction work.