Thread: Emery boards and lapping

Dumb question: im fresh out of sandpaper to lap my 4/8. An emery board (like the ones you use to clean your nails up, but this one is absurdly aggressive haha) was sitting on the counter.

Could I have used it to lap the stone? It really wouldn't be fully lapping it, more like a refreshing between lappings. Haha

If I'm an idiot say it! :-)

You're an...haha. Just joking. I'm guessing an emery board isn't rough enough to do much and isn't firm enough. Nail material is pretty soft.

An emery board would be too small to have any hope of lapping a full size hone flat. It would also not survive getting wet. It could have perhaps raised a slurry, but it would likely shed abrasives into the slurry resulting in damage to a razor honed on it.

In other words, don't do it!

As for dumb questions, someone once told me, I could either feel foolish for a few minutes for asking, or remain an idiot forever by not asking, it was my choice.

Regards

Christian

Yes, they can be used. Depends on the grit size, which is listed on the front of most. Also if it's a "washable" one, it will say on the front, then it will last a while. Most are too course in grit to be used. If this is a finishing stone, then don't use the board.

"Back in the day" they used emery powder to lap some off the hardest stones out there-Arkansas. This was also used to keep them refreshed from time to time in a more industrial setting.

It is actually pretty abrasive. But yeah I figured not that wise. What else could I use to remove top layer of the stone in absence of sand paper or a bona fide lapping stone? I have a cheap Chinese AlOx, you know, the 'coarse/fine' combo one. Could I use that?

For lapping, the lapping stone or plate, should be larger than the stone or the “lapping stone” will follow any deviation in the stone.

Now if you are just re surfacing, removing swarf or glazing, or raising a slurry, it may work but investing in a diamond plate will make your life much easier. If raising slurry, make sure none of the grit from the file are not released in the slurry.

You can buy a nice diamond plate for as little as $30.

Or just buy a new sheet of 320 wet and dry.

As usual I should just use the right tool for the job. Curse my inherent cheapness!