Thread: DMT NEW PROBLEM.

THE only reason i am posting this message to let other's to learn from my mistake and hopefully no one else after reading this will not do what i have done.
I bought 3 DMT's after seen how they perform on Mr JOKE1176 home.They were DMT 325 grit,DMT 1200 GRIT AND DMT 8000 OR rDMT8EE.
After getting them i did brake in and start using them.i used mostly for lapping purposes dmt 325 and for razor's rest 2.Recently i think i got a little lazy and decide why not to use all my DMT'S for lapping in order 325,1200 and 8000 or 3 micron one.I thought this will be a lot easier and fast.Turned out the first hone i wanted lap was my Charnley forest stone.
1 st i used 325 and get very good surface
2 nd used 1200 and stone is getting better and slurry comes out of the stone is milky color i am very happy job is going pretty smooth
3 rd and last i try my 8000 stone .
After 5 minuts work on 8000 DMT color of the slurry start to changing black???
what is it?i get confused this isn't slurry i used to have.
checked DMT SURFACE IT very shiny hmmmmmmmmm.then i switch back to 1200 dmt slurry changed to milky color then i relise i have done some damage to 8000 dmt.Unfortunately this is the most expensive one and i just ruined it?
i did Call DMT CUSTOMER SURVICE AND very nice Person by name STAN Watson return my call.We Talk and he did promice me help to check the stone.
I don't think dmt could be defective i think 8000 was too fine for lapping.Now i have send dmt to them and wanted to wait result first then wright about this accident but decide will better let it go now this may save someones stone.
good luck and enjoy with honing experience.

That's odd. I would have thought there is no way to ruin a diamond stone. Too fine and maybe it would be not be effective or take forever but I don't know why it would ruin it?

Get a glass bottle from somewhere. Rub the DMT against the bottle. As long as it still scratches the glass (makes it milky looking), the diamonds are still abrasive and the hone is ok.

They are good people at DMT. I sent a hone back to them and they replaced it. I don't know if the 8000 is suitable for lapping but thanks for the heads up.

Jimmy,

Having opinions on nearly everything, let me share one with you. I think it's completely unnecessary to go as fine as an 8K grit when lapping a hone. The 1.2K grit should polish things up just fine after your getting the hone flat with a coarser lapping medium.

$0.02

Originally Posted by Bruce

Jimmy,

Having opinions on nearly everything, let me share one with you. I think it's completely unnecessary to go as fine as an 8K grit when lapping a hone. The 1.2K grit should polish things up just fine after your getting the hone flat with a coarser lapping medium.

$0.02

+1 I agree with you 100% Bruce. I have never gone over the DMT 325 with the DMTs. I don't know what the Shapton plate is but I use one or the other.

I'd be interested in the resolution to this as well. I've used DMTs to lap Charnley Forest stones but never got a milky slurry so much as a gray/green slurry. I use the DMT 325 to lap stones and don't go finer as they load up too quickly and the surface left by the 325 is velvety and fine for honing my razors. I doubt you've hurt your DMT8EE (their 8000 grit waterstone) as a Charnley is just not that hard. If you'd said Arkansas black translucent or Arkansas White, I'd say there was a possibility. Interesting! Thank you for sharing.

This really sucks! Luckely I haven't ordered my D8E yet.I have sent an email to Howard and asked him if he would recomend that use of the D8E, I know he recomends using the D8C as a lapper.If this turns out to be a general problem, I'm getting the shapton 1k instead! Is there anyone out there who has used the D8E as a beve lsetter/lapper over a longer period of time? I just don't find the surface left by my D8C smooth enough at the higher grit hones, and I'm sick of using sandpaper!

Thanks Kristoffer

Although personal preference does rule in basically all things shaving, I have to say that if Howard laps everything with a D8C and says it works fine, I pretty much take that as fact. Now obviously if you prefer the stone to feel smoother - maybe it helps you get a more consistent stroke or somesuch - that's perfectly fine. I just wouldn't worry that the D8C will leave too rough of a hone surface to get the ultimate sharpness. Howard's business isn't called the Perfect Edge by mistake!

Originally Posted by KingOfMalkier

Although personal preference does rule in basically all things shaving, I have to say that if Howard laps everything with a D8C and says it works fine, I pretty much take that as fact. Now obviously if you prefer the stone to feel smoother - maybe it helps you get a more consistent stroke or somesuch - that's perfectly fine. I just wouldn't worry that the D8C will leave too rough of a hone surface to get the ultimate sharpness. Howard's business isn't called the Perfect Edge by mistake!

Good point sir, but there are very experienced honers out there ( like Randy ) that recomends using at least a 1000 grit to finish a hone.I have myself noticed a large differense.Also shapton doesn't recomend using anything less than 400 grit on their glass hones.But I will admit that I'm a bit confused

Kristoffer