Of the 325 (D8C) and 600 (D8F) which one is more ideal for lapping coticules? I'm on a budget.
Printable View
Of the 325 (D8C) and 600 (D8F) which one is more ideal for lapping coticules? I'm on a budget.
If cost is an issue, 600 W/D sandpaper on a very flat surface (like glass or a scrap marble countertop chunk) works as well as anything
The 325. The DMT hone series never was intended for lapping but the more coarse grits survive better. The 325, as long as you do not abuse it will serve as a workhorse for a long time.
And it's fine for lapping coticules?Quote:
Originally Posted by Utopian
Yes, but like any other lapping with it, do it under running water, just use the weight of the hone, and frequently remove the hone to rinse out more of the accumulated swarf.
If you only want it for coticules though, I second the sandpaper suggestion. Coticules don't need to be refreshed, and I highly doubt even with frequent use you would need to lap it more than once a year, so the slight inconvenience of the sandpaper is highly offset by the huge price savings. A lapping/refreshing plate is a convenience but not a necessity for natural hones in my opinion.
Coticules and Eschers are about the only natural stones I would consider lapping with a DMT as they are fairly soft.
I 3rd the use of sandpaper, it's cheap and it works
I have both a dmt 325 and a granite lapping plate for using sandpaper, and I use the dmt much more often because it is far easier. I use it for stones all the way to 10k grit.
Not sure what they have on their site now, but Dia-Sharp (DMT) used to have a FAQ that said any plate above 325 grit was NOT suitable for lapping waterstones. Doing so will take the nickel plate that holds the diamonds off. The 325 is alright if used with running water. They really recommend the 120 grit for lapping, but I've used the 325 for years and it is still going strong. Also doubles as a sharpener for my kitchen knives.
Try the 400/1000 combo plate from Chef Knives to Go, $35. It is a full 8X2.75 plate in a diamond pattern to prevent stiction.
400 will easily lap naturals and synthetic stone. The 1k is great for restoration work.
I have been abusing one for about a year now, with no problems.
Attachment 232256
Is it flat like a DMT?Quote:
Originally Posted by Euclid440
Yes, it is adequately flat.
I got a combo Trent from SRD 300/1,000. I have used the 300 on my Escher, Jnat and even my Ark black. The 300 does the heavy lifting and maybe 5-10 extremely light weight of the Trent with the 1,000 really gives a beautiful surface on the stones. It worked wonders on the Ark which I was really reluctant to try. It needed much less burnishing after the 1,000.
After my last experience with my PHIG I'm not entirely sure I agree with this statement. It took an hour with the DMT to get the surface flat. By contrast, my Norton lapping stone barely scratched it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Utopian
The Norton lapping hone never should be used on a natural hone.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marshal
The reason that I said that the lapping plate is a convenience and not a necessity for a natural hone such as a Chinese hone is because they are so hard, it is unlikely that you will ever need to lap it again in your lifetime. Some sandpaper or SiC grit is perfectly adequate for that one time operation.
I have a lot of DMT plates but I have recently started using the $10 3-pack of diamond plates from Harbor Freight for lapping. Works great and no risk of destroying my good stones.
The only reason I tried it was Don at SRD said it would work without damaging the plate. He was right, saved me a lot of time on the Jnat, Escher and the Ark. The Ark was Dan's so it was flat to begin with but it cut down the burnishing time considerably and really smoothed out the surface.
On the Norton plate - agreed, I was experimenting because the side I was lapping at the time was in the rough - as found in nature. So everything that norton plate touched got lapped away.Quote:
Originally Posted by Utopian
I guess you're right, that thing is so God forsaken hard I doubt seriously I'll ever manage to wear a dish in it such that it will need to be re-lapped.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jkatzman
sorry to derail the thread—jkatz, I'm picking up a black arkansas soon—the "trend 300/1000" was all you used to lap the black ark!? I'm all in. WHERE can i find it?
I got my black ark from Dan's and it was flat. I used the 300/1000 to do the preliminary burnishing. I was told by Don at SRD the Trent can be used to lap the black ark but I didn't need to do it. I don't know how it will work if the stone needs some serious flattening. It is well worth the extra money you pay for a Dan's to get it flattened. Even with the Trent, I had to do about 200 laps with an old razor to really burnish the stone. I will say however it is smooth as glass and really does make a difference on finishing a razor. Just takes a lot more time then my Escher or Jnat. I also found WD-40 works wonders on the stone when honing.
FYI Chef Knives To Go has a 400/1000 diamond plate. Much cheaper, and looks like it's actually a pretty decent quality plate. I might pick one up myself, I'm interested in a 1000 grit to save a little bit of green on sand paper. But the Trend can be found at Straight Razor Designs.Quote:
Originally Posted by J743
Nice find! I'm interested in the trend because I hear Black Arks eat DMTs for breakfast. Of course theres always SiC in 60, 90, 400 to seal the deal.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marshal
But a dan's black ark (sold relatively flat) lapped on a bulletproof diamond plate that goes up to a 1000, 200 laps afterwhich you take a beater razor too... cost is high but you have a better time lapping. Sounds like a good deal.
I got HAD hard today. I got so excited about arks my humble law-student budget just opened up (gee, wonder how that happened?)
Well, if you've got a straight edge I would definitely hold it up to the light and check before burning any time trying to lap them. I got a pair of Best brand Soft and Hard Arkansas and I'm happy to report no actual lapping was necessary - which is good because after the PHIG my DMT 325 wasn't having any of that Arkansas stone nonsense lol. It's become MUCH smoother than it was when I first got it, I'm not sure how much more of this abuse the poor guy can handle - and I think* I have a translucent inbound in a lot I found on Ebay.
nice score! hopefully you got yourself a nice tranny you can take into the bathroom :rofl2:
I should have mentioned: I would take a decent beater razor, not a haggard one to smooth out the black ark. I'll prob start a thread when I get one to doc the whole process. I have a soft ark coming in, I'm excited to partcipate in the "coticule slurry on ark" experiment, but I welcome my first ark regardless.
I'm in the market for a lapping plate. I'm such a lazy bum who uses sandpaper. It works like a charm on cotis, but I know I gotta pony up and grab a lapping plate soon. I can't make a decision, but the Trend sounds like what I'm looking for after a black ark comes in the mail.
Cheers.
I've got a nice sized throwing knife made of carbon steel from Cold Steel that needs some chips ground out. It may or may not have missed the target (squirrel), dug into the ground, and found a stone on it's way in. When the stone arrives and I have it prepped, I'll probably burnish it with that as the last phase of sharpening that knife.
That chef's plate is quite a deal, I am going to get one and have several diamond hones now.
Over the years I have watched sandpaper go UP^ in price and Diamond plates/hones go Down~
So much so it is shocking. If you look carefully at the price of sand paper retail from body and paint supplier's or hardware stores, you are NOt getting a deal, the diamond plates ARE THE Deal, they simply outlast the sandpaper by a wide margin. YMMV.:hmmm:
Yeah, it wasn't that long ago I could buy sand paper packets for a dollar and change. Now if I have to restock it'll run 15 to 20 bucks for 3 to 4 packs. Not worth it at all considering how fast it gets worn through.Quote:
Originally Posted by FAL
EGGZACTLY!!!! Heck, even the harbor freight abrasives, for their quality(lower) are no deal either.
So, that leaves us with SIC, not a bad deal if you make or get yourself a lapping wheel, OR, you can get well made Chinese discs with center hole or not for say an 24" 320grit for a 100-125$, I built my turning motor up from a scrapyard grain mill motor with reduction drive, works like a champ and built Very stout, cost me $5 and time cleaning (1hr) it up as it went thru a flood.
I wanted to expand on the scrapyard building materials for a lapping plate: Treadmills, they get used very little and end up at the dump or scrapyard, the better ones have variable speed clutch and belt assemblies, they lend themselves to be decent donors for occasional use lapping and grinding equipment.
Going to start a study on the new digital motors, like come in washing machines, now those babies are powerful, FullOTorque and variable speed too if you are handy with electronics.
The Japanese Sk-11 400/1000 on Amazon is the same plate and a little cheaper. I use one for lapping and it has held up well. Quite a bit stouter than the Harbor Freight diamond plates.
