Thread: DMT325 maintenance

Hi,

After reading a lot of you are using the dmt325 for lapping, I bought one myself for the shaptons and SG20.
Now I was thinking, how should I maintain the dmt? I've read to use a soap and stiff nylon brush for cleaning.
That's all you have to do? No flattening or anything else?

Thanks ,
Maichel

The DMT comes flat from the factory and stays that way. No need to lap or flatten it. The thing to watch for is diamond wear and diamond loss, so easy does it as to use. Typically, they arrive aggressive from the factory and sort of mellow with use. Most I've ever done to clean it was go over the surface with an old toothbrush and water. Normally, I just rinse it off thoroughly, making sure there isn't any lingering stone residue after lapping or swarf after sharpening.

I don't have a Gokumyo, but I recall reading that lapping it is a bit special, involving less than a DMT or something. I'd study up on the question before taking a diamond plate to it.

Thanks Bronto, good to know about the dmt
For the Gokumyo I lapped the back (without stamp) with the dmt325... Surprisingly this took quite some efford. About 4 times I've redone the pencil grid till it dissapeared in a few 8's.

Yes the G20 is a hard stone to lap and takes some effort if it's not flat. I used a lapping plate an took mine to 2K wet/dry, I think a new DMT325 would leave an aggressive surface on that stone.
As far as maintaining the DMT's I use a product called " Barkeepers Friend" It's a mildly abrasive powdered cleaning agent, that and a plastic bristled brush will wash away rusty metal swarf that gets trapped on the surface if you use it to sharpen knives and such.

when lapping with the DMT I always lap under running water I heard that it helps prevent it from wearing fast. For lapping your Goku I would use DMT to get it flat then I would use a natural hone that is flat to smooth it out.

Barkeeper's Friend is hands down the best thing to use for cleaning diamond hones. The oxalic acid in it slightly dissolves any steel particles that are stuck to the surface a tiny bit, just enough to loosen them up so they can be wiped away.

For lapping the SG20k I like to use a diamond plate of around 400 grit and then smooth the surface with a fine JNat Tomo.

My DMT11C has been around many years for lapping stones and all I have done is rinse under running water and run my fingers over it. I used mine on my G20 too, but the advice of using a smoother stone to smooth the surface is a good one...or you could touch up a kitchen knife first, rinse, then take a razor to it. Your mind must think on a "highly magnified" level. Invision the high spots that the new dmt325 would leave.

So using the dmt325 for lapping, and afterwards for example the shapton gs 1k would be ok to smoothen the gk20 again?

My g20 came with a rubbing stone, I use it to clean up my stone. The g20 will not need much lapping as it's a VERY hard stone.

When I lap my shapton gs 1,2,4,8 with the dmt325, I don't bother to "smooth" out the stones. If I were to, I guess one could make a couple figure 8's with a stone that is close to it and then rinse well. Example: 4K & 8K

Hope this answers your question

It was hard indeed!
I lapped the back yesterday and did 4 rounds. To use the rubbing stone to slooth things out is actually a good idea, didn't see much use for it but now I do.