Thread: Looking for DMT D8C and possibly D6EF

Originally Posted by AxelH

So my Norton lapping stone is bad. Looking around here I see a D8C (8"x3" coarse) DMT tablet will do the trick for lapping the Nortons. I sacrificed a flawed 6"x2" extra-fine DMT tablet while working on some razors, sharpening my honing skills while making humble progress on a razor or two. My 4k/8k combination Norton is also quite flawed, the 4k Mexican side is basically evil. Micro pores allow for disasterous swarf that kills the edge with impactions/chips. I have the Spyderco medium, fine and ultra-fine sapphire hones and have been using the medium as the intermediate between the uncursed Norton 1k progression to the final 8k. It's slower work, missing the whole grit plan of those Nortons but I'm making do. The Spyderco ultra-fine, which is my finishing hone, was imperfectly machined but now that I've been working on it for many hours

If I could re-edit I would. The whole:

Originally Posted by AxelH

I have the Spyderco medium, fine and ultra-fine sapphire hones and have been using the medium as the intermediate between the uncursed Norton 1k progression to the final 8k.

Should read "accursed". Proper (very proper!) use of the word.

I just ordered a coarse grit 8"x3" DMT tablet from our most reputable SRD vender. I didn't even try to get a 4,000 Norton from another vendor (apparently our reputable seller doesn't deal in many Nortons...). And I'm leaving off the 1,200 grit (extra-fine) DMT because I've already got a great Norton at 1k and I'm not in the professional honing biz.. (though I'm sure I've done stuff for some people and locals in the area who might make use of a local pow-wow... you know how it goes).

So I guess I'm taken care of. I wish I had a suitable intermediate from off the 1k Norton to the glorious 8,000 Norton, though... darn it. I've got just over a handful (Mary's count ends at five..) of self-honed/fixed/refreshed razors so I should feel just fine...

Ahhhhh. Feel tired but good. I received the D8C and rubber pad day before yesterday and done the 1k Norton up properly. Though the graphite (pencil) grid was made more a grayish blur and then haze rather quickly, I found the cloudiness of the stubborn spots (sunken areas, of course) to be a good enough diagnostic for understanding when the lapping was finally completed. Delighted to notice that their wasn't much slow down when nearing the end of the final stages of the flattening.

I think I may not have brought the Norton 8k to true flatness, given how I chewed up the sandpaper on it. I did initially use the convex/concave flawed Norton lapper in creative ways (perpendicularly across the length, lengthwise, both sides (as if I could tell the difference in convex/concave to perfection), but that was what the sacrificial extra-fine six inch DMT was for.. sigh. What a struggle.

Anyone know how to lap the Norton 220 side? Because I don't know if I can actually see the graphite residue as a visual clue, given the color of the 220. Or maybe I should stick to the D8C for initial bevel setting?

I've marked the 8k, gonna have a lot of healing to do. Now that I see how imperfect the Nortons still were (8k must be the same situation as the 1k) it's interesting to note that I did manage to make real, workable, good shaving razors with them in the honing progression. I used the concave side of the Norton flattener less, preferring to err on the side of a slightly convex hone, which I understand was reflected in tonight's 1k lapping. A REAL lapping!

I feel so relieved. I would have purchased some quality shave soaps from SRD, too, but I'm really watching my financial situation and I have multiple years worth of good stuff (hardly touched them, using up the inferior eBay stuff first). Those soaps look nice. Thanks, SRD.

IME the best way to lap those stones is with the pencil grid under lightly running water in the kitchen sink. If the swarf is allowed to build it may defeat the purpose. For the 220 I would go to 120 grit sandpaper on a flat surface. Lapping a 220 grit stone with a 325 grit plate may not be advisable for the longevity of the plate.

Also , just IMO, no need for the 220 on razors unless you have a serious frown or chip to remove and now that you've got the 325 plate use that instead of the 220 stone. Set your bevels on the 1k Norton.