Thread: Lapping a Dan's Arkansas

Originally Posted by J743

Update:

changed the size of the black to a 6x3. I'm really excited about it.

The Customer Service was outstanding. They really are good peeps.

I'll report back with pics.

I'll check for flatness. If it's right, I'll start burnish it with 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper, and go up to about 5000 grit sandpaper (i have an automotive store that carries it). After that, I'll grab an old chisel in my garage and run laps upon laps upon laps with some pressure.

I don't think you'll be doing yourself any favors going beyond 2000 grit. The spongy 3 and 5000 grit material is meant for soft things like Paint and plastic. The stone will be working the sanding material, not the other way around.

IF I ever felt the need to go higher than 2000 grit, I've got a worn down Norton 4/8 I use. It's pretty rare that I take it that far though.

Right - keep in mind that the more you polish/smooth the surface, the slower the stone will cut. For most guys there comes a point of diminishing return where the trade-off of smoother surface is not worth the additional decrease in cutting speed. For me this is at about 1k - 2k. I have one Ark that I took through 1500 loose grit SiC and then lapped with a slurried SG20k - that one is crazy smooth but very very slow. Like many hundreds of laps to finish all but the already finest edges.

I purchased a hard and translucent from Dan's; both 8x3's. The hard was flat and required no lapping. The translucent was not flat and I used wet/dry starting at 600 and finishing at 2000. I then used a large kitchen knife and went at it for hundreds of laps.
I had assumed that this stone was flat and had not touched it and being a total noob didn't know what I was doing. Contacting a mentor here on the forum got me straight on getting my hones right.
And some Arkansas eye candy for reading:

Originally Posted by Paulbuck

I purchased a hard and translucent from Dan's; both 8x3's. The hard was flat and required no lapping. The translucent was not flat and I used wet/dry starting at 600 and finishing at 2000. I then used a large kitchen knife and went at it for hundreds of laps.
I had assumed that this stone was flat and had not touched it and being a total noob didn't know what I was doing. Contacting a mentor here on the forum got me straight on getting my hones right.
And some Arkansas eye candy for reading:

I like those mottled black and white hones. When I bought my soft and hard stones I was really hoping they would have that sort of color blending. Ah well, I'll enjoy mine all the same, even if they are white as a ghost. They weren't purchased for color after all.

Originally Posted by Paulbuck

I purchased a hard and translucent from Dan's; both 8x3's. The hard was flat and required no lapping. The translucent was not flat and I used wet/dry starting at 600 and finishing at 2000. I then used a large kitchen knife and went at it for hundreds of laps.
I had assumed that this stone was flat and had not touched it and being a total noob didn't know what I was doing. Contacting a mentor here on the forum got me straight on getting my hones right.
And some Arkansas eye candy for reading:

Arkansas are some of the most diverse and beautiful stones we have IMO. From a lily white washita to a translucent that lets light through a 1" thick piece of stone. Reds, blues, blacks, whites, pinks, yellows, and variations of all the above. Stripes and swirls. Solid colors and spots. You don't get much prettier than these stones.

Ugh, HAD hitting so hard for some Arks...

Originally Posted by dinnermint

Ugh, HAD hitting so hard for some Arks...

LOL!

Be strong brother, resist the temptation!

...is the advice I would give if I could have followed it myself. Instead I advise you keep an eye out at flea markets and yard sales. Maybe* ebay, but some of the things I've seen there are questionable at best.

There are approximately 10-15 antique stores in my area. Going to be scouring them for some rocks this weekend.

I just realized I'm going to be on a trip to Richmond...maybe I'll do a little antiquing myself. Be nice to stumble into a coticule or similar in one of those small town shops.

That's my goal! Gotta start stocking up enough stones so I can hone on my house!