Thread: Sanding corners of DMT

Fraserazor: It is also a DMT DC8. I use it for lapping both my norton and a finishing stone, and I don't feel the need for any other lapping stone.

Steven

Originally Posted by nerobot

Fraserazor: It is also a DMT DC8. I use it for lapping both my norton and a finishing stone, and I don't feel the need for any other lapping stone.

Steven

Thanks for your reply, I was just concerned lapping waterstones and the Shapton on my DC8 would ware it out!

Cheers Mark

Originally Posted by Fraserazor

Thanks for your reply, I was just concerned lapping waterstones and the Shapton on my DC8 would ware it out!

Cheers Mark

Well, I have lapped a Norton 8K about a dozen times or so and it DOES wear it down a little.

Still cuts like a monster on cutlery, but it did slow it down a fair amount.

Originally Posted by joke1176

Well, I have lapped a Norton 8K about a dozen times or so and it DOES wear it down a little.

Still cuts like a monster on cutlery, but it did slow it down a fair amount.

Thought it might, one corner has worn slightly on mine Looks like I'll have to get that DGLP after all!

Cheers Mark

Originally Posted by Fraserazor

Thought it might, one corner has worn slightly on mine Looks like I'll have to get that DGLP after all!

Cheers Mark

If you have access to a good precision straight edge you can check your diamond plate with that. I sent mine back and here is what the rep from DMT said regarding their specifications,"The Technical Group has measured your stone and it was found the indeed the D8C was not as flat as DMT requires. Our Spec is +- .001 and the D8C was +- .00135. I am sending you a replacement D8C. However the other stone you sent back was a D8E (not a D8F as stated in your letter) and it was well within spec at +-.00044. I have cleaned the stone and inspected it under the microscope and you have many good years of life in this D8E. I have enclosed a Free Care Kit to clean your stones and also some demo product that was used at a trade show but is still usable. Your replacement stone and return stone shipped today via UPS and you should see it within 3-4 business days. Sorry for any inconvenience this has caused you.

Good to see that DMT is standing behind their products.

Wow, so DMT responds quickly, actually measures the used hones to see if they do or do not meet their specs, keeps the customer up to date with prompt emails and then sends replacements and in spec, tested items back promptly and includes additional goodies not requested.... sounds like great customer service to me. (Cutting remarks eluding to a competitors past "customer service" deleted by myself before posting, as that info can be found in other posts and I'm trying to be a "better person" than I have in the past, though it may be selfishly motivated by my having to watch my blood pressure, right ChrisL? ).

Mark, if one corner shows some discoloration (or a spot along an edge or.....) it is most likely a slight high spot that has (wonders of wonders) begun to be lapped down by the hones you have been lapping with your DMT. This is as far as I am concerned normal and correct. The exact same thing happens with any other lap, be it diamond or a simple cast iron with lapping powder type etc., no matter who made it. If it is a large area I would be a bit worried but if it's less than the size of a quarter and it's not gone right through the plating then its probably is just fine. You can attempt to gauge it yourself with a straight edge but anything other than gross errors will be difficult to measure. The light gap beneath a quality straight edge does not tell you if a plate such as a DMT D8C is truly flat as the straight edge is resting on the tips of the diamonds, not on the surface of the plate and in fact it is the diamond field that needs to be flat in order to work properly and the substrate only needs to be stable to hold those diamonds in place in a flat surface. So there could be a maximum 0.002" low spot showing as a gap (if the hone meets specs) and yet the diamond tips could very well be touching the bottom of the straight edge as they are clear and light can pass through and around them. Low spots are also not a problem with a lap as they simply don't do any lapping and as you are moving the hone to be lapped all over the diamond lap, including flipping the hone front to back every so many strokes, the low spot becomes irrelevant to lapping something flat. High spots will wear down quite quickly and again, get distributed all over the item being lapped so in a matter of a short while it again becomes a non issue. Only LARGE flaws would be of concern and as you can see above, DMT admits it can happen and if it does, they will make it right.... promptly. As I can buy 5+ D8C's for the price of one GDLP, I'm confident I'm getting more bang for buck. Still... I do wish that DMT would pick up on this trend and make a D8C with grooves to relieve the sticktion we encounter when lapping fine hones.... The plastic version with the holes that they make doesn't do anything for me as it is costly, has a squirmy feel when used for sharpening and does not have the same surface accuracy as the solid steel ones.

Regards

Kaptain "I've turned over a new leaf in an attempt of avoiding turning stomachs" Zero

Originally Posted by kaptain_zero

Wow, so DMT responds quickly, actually measures the used hones to see if they do or do not meet their specs, keeps the customer up to date with prompt emails and then sends replacements and in spec, tested items back promptly and includes additional goodies not requested.... sounds like great customer service to me.
Regards

Kaptain "I've turned over a new leaf in an attempt of avoiding turning stomachs" Zero

+1.... I agree with the above. Kind of thought I said that but in case I didn't.

Originally Posted by JimmyH-AD

+1.... I agree with the above. Kind of thought I said that but in case I didn't.

Jimmy, you did say that, and I was just regurgitating and making a big deal out of it! Thanks for posting DMT's reply!!!!


Christian