Thread: New black ark prep

I have a new black ark from Dans . How do I get it ready for honing . I have a dmt 325 plate . I know I'll need to lap it ,but I've read I need to rub it with metal?

Stones from Dans are usually lapped flat when you receive them. Probably no need to use the dmt plate which the black arkie would chew up pretty good anyway. I keep one side of my ark treated with 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper (laid flat on a granite surfacing plate or tile). This is the 'fast' side. The other side I take up to 2000 grit wet/dry, then burnish (rubbing metal on it). You could use an axe, a chisel.. You're trying to smooth the surface as much as possible. This will be your 'slow' side for final honing. I also had some luck with diamond spray and a putty knife in between the wet/dry and the axe. Puts a nice mirror surface on the stone.

Thanks I have plenty of sand paper and diamond spray so I will try it . What is your pre black ark progression ?

Washita -> Soft Ark -> Hard Ark -> Black Ark..

Its a progression that requires patience.

Sometimes i cheat and set the bevel on a 1k Chosera.

So after sanding should I spray it with diamond spray and rub with a putty knife ?

That's what I did with mine. After a few minutes the surface started to have a mirror finish. Try reflecting a bare light bulb on the surface as you go. You'll be able to see the reflection become clearer. Then I took a camping hatchet and bore down on it for a while.

Dan's stones are well lapped. Consider following.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...true-hard.html

http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...hetstones.html

Originally Posted by Longhaultanker

Dan's stones are well lapped. Consider following.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...true-hard.html

http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...hetstones.html

thanks that's a good right up

When I lapped the fine side of my surgical black, I finished putting a mirror-surface burnish on it with a 2000 grit belt on my 2x72 grinder sprayed with .5 micron spray, doing light figure-8's with the hone on the flat platen to keep it flat. Not everyone has such a setup, but it certainly speeds up these things. But yeah, I also used the wide putty knife, a cleaver and other heavier steel edges to really break it in before putting the first razor to it.

I final finish just about every razor now on a fine Arkie progression after a Naniwa 12k because I love the smooth, crisp edges it leaves.

If you are intending this as a finisher I wouldn't lap it. The diamond plate will make it a very aggressive stone.

Dan's are usually pretty flat anyway.

You want to burnish it to make it a finisher. Keep using it over and over. Never lap it with diamonds. When you use a diamond play the ark will act like a low grit stone.