Flattening a stone

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08-11-2009, 05:12 PM
IsaacRN

Flattening a stone

I have somewhat of an issue. I have a natural stone that is lapped flat. As in when it touches the DMT it lies completely flat, yet..whoever had the stone before me..somehow managed to flatten it on a slant. When the stone is placed in a holder, the sharpening plane sits \ instead of _ Of course its not that dramatic, but its not truly flat because it was flattened on an angle. .

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to truly flatten the stone? The only main thing i could think of was putting it in a type of vice grip when i hone. I think its going to be a great deal of stone removed trying to take out the slanted property.
08-11-2009, 05:15 PM
Slartibartfast

Quote:

Originally Posted by IsaacRN

I have somewhat of an issue. I have a natural stone that is lapped flat. As in when it touches the DMT it lies completely flat, yet..whoever had the stone before me..somehow managed to flatten it on a slant. When the stone is placed in a holder, the sharpening plane sits \ instead of _ Of course its not that dramatic, but its not truly flat because it was flattened on an angle. .

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to truly flatten the stone? The only main thing i could think of was putting it in a type of vice grip when i hone. I think its going to be a great deal of stone removed trying to take out the slanted property.

220 wet/dry sandpaper and a tile from lowes.

Hone Lapping 101 - Straight Razor Place Wiki
08-11-2009, 05:19 PM
McWolf1969

Quote:

Originally Posted by IsaacRN

I have somewhat of an issue. I have a natural stone that is lapped flat. As in when it touches the DMT it lies completely flat, yet..whoever had the stone before me..somehow managed to flatten it on a slant. When the stone is placed in a holder, the sharpening plane sits \ instead of _ Of course its not that dramatic, but its not truly flat because it was flattened on an angle. .

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to truly flatten the stone? The only main thing i could think of was putting it in a type of vice grip when i hone. I think its going to be a great deal of stone removed trying to take out the slanted property.

I had a stone like that and measured each end to determine the height difference and lapped the thicker end, on a diamond plate until both ends were level...its alot of work though.

Mac
08-11-2009, 05:24 PM
IsaacRN

Quote:

Originally Posted by McWolf1969

I had a stone like that and measured each end to determine the height difference and lapped the thicker end, on a diamond plate until both ends were level...its alot of work though.

Mac

yeah...its more of its slanted downwards on the lenght of the hone, rather than on the ends.

I may just try to eyeball it.
08-11-2009, 05:26 PM
IsaacRN

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slartibartfast

220 wet/dry sandpaper and a tile from lowes.

Hone Lapping 101 - Straight Razor Place Wiki

thanks for the reference. I know how to lap it..i was more addressing the fact that its at an angle. but it sits flat on the DMT plate.
08-11-2009, 05:28 PM
McWolf1969

Are you saying that the stone, although flat, doesnt have a universal thickness throughout. As one end measures thicker than the other?

Mac
08-11-2009, 05:46 PM
Utopian

So the surface is flat but it doesn't sit level? I wouldn't bother fixing the stone, just mount it differently. If you hone on a towel, put an extra one under the low end. Alternatively, you can make a wooden base with a corrective angle. If you hand hone, then it's really easy to correct it!
08-11-2009, 05:47 PM
Pyment

If it is flat but not level, I would build it a stand that compensates for that.

To make it flat and level you would sacrifice too much of the hone and shorten its life (as much as 3 lifetimes to 1) for something that IMHO is purely an aesthetic.
08-11-2009, 05:55 PM
IsaacRN

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pyment

If it is flat but not level, I would build it a stand that compensates for that.

To make it flat and level you would sacrifice too much of the hone and shorten its life (as much as 3 lifetimes to 1) for something that IMHO is purely an aesthetic.

Thats exactly what I mean. Perhaps somehting like a vice grip would work.
08-11-2009, 05:58 PM
rayman

+1 on what Utopian said. I had a situation like this, but it was created by the surface I was placing the holder on. I just took a paper towel and folded it twice and put it under one side of the holder, and the stone was level. No big deal. I wouldn't waste any of the natural stone just to make it sit level. Next time you have to lap it, start to level it then. Eventually it will be where you want it. Just my .02.

Ray
08-11-2009, 05:59 PM
McWolf1969

What kind of stone is it?

Mac
08-11-2009, 06:01 PM
IsaacRN

Its an Escher
08-11-2009, 06:08 PM
Pyment

I suggest taking a wash cloth and fold it until, when placed beneath the thinner part of the stone, it gives you a level surface.

It will absorb excess water as well.

I wouldn't waste any of the Escher
08-12-2009, 03:52 AM
smythe

You can make or have someone make a wooden, plastic or stone… “shim” (or wedge shaped filler) for it… the shim when placed in the holder at the bottom of the stone would make the top level, you may glue the shim to the hone if you like or just place the shim under it when you ready to hone… don’t waste the grits.

Back in the old days they would make a custom wooden box with the inside cut to match the unfinished side of the hone.
08-12-2009, 06:51 AM
mrsell63

Me too...

I also have a hone that is tilted, albeit only slightly. It is a Nakayama which is mounted on a piece of wood. When I water the stone, the water slowly flows to one side of the hone. To correct the problem, I put a strip of rubberized shelf liner along the low side. "Viola"

I also think you should not waste any part of your stone if you can help it. Give it some thought and don't make any rash decisions like I usually do !!! Good luck with your stone and post your remedy..... Jerry
08-12-2009, 07:02 AM
Utopian

Quote:

Originally Posted by IsaacRN

Thats exactly what I mean. Perhaps somehting like a vice grip would work.

I grew up on a farm. Vice grips were used to a lot of things in lieu of getting around to welding. Despite this intimate and extensive knowledge of vice grips, I have no freaking clue how a vice grip would be used to solve this problem.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rayman

+1 on what Utopian said. I had a situation like this, but it was created by the surface I was placing the holder on. I just took a paper towel and folded it twice and put it under one side of the holder, and the stone was level. No big deal. I wouldn't waste any of the natural stone just to make it sit level. Next time you have to lap it, start to level it then. Eventually it will be where you want it. Just my .02.

Ray

Sorry, I disagree. If you have the surface lapped FLAT, you're done. Don't do any sort of extra lapping to make it level. That wastes perfectly good stone, and some of those suckers are expensive!
08-12-2009, 07:17 AM
mrsell63

To IssacRN

Folllow Utopian's advice. NO visegrips and NO more lapping.

As he said, you're done......... JERRY
08-12-2009, 07:33 AM
mrsell63

To IssacRN

Allow me to be the first to offer a bid of $10 for that stone with which you are having such great difficulty......
If it's a brown escher, I'll boost that bid to $12.

Let me know. jerry
08-12-2009, 09:36 AM
Joed

I'm with Utopian, when the hone is flat you are finished. It doesn't matter if one side is thicker than the other, and no vice grips. Either compensate with your honing strokes or prop something under it. I don't see where it would be an issue to hone on it the way it is. Hold it in your hand when you hone. Sometimes I thing in our search for perfection we miss the forest for the trees. Remember where the rubber meets the road. In the end that's all that matters.