A Discovery on lapping Shapton Pros and Naniwa Superstones YMMV
First of all I am rather anal about flattening my hones. I hone at the kitchen sink and start out with a DMTXX in a stone holder in the sink to support my Shapton GDLP. I'm too cheap to buy the Shapton stone holder and the XX supports the GDLP and raises it up a bit. If the grid shows the stone needs a lot of lapping I move the GDLP out of the way and get down on the XX until I'm almost there and than go back onto the GDLP.
I always draw a pencil grid on each of my Shapton pros, Nortons or Naniwas before beginning a honing session. I have found, for me, that my pros or superstones always need lapping before a session. The Nortons not always. This has to do with the polymer binder in the Shaptons and naniwas (maybe resin in the latter) changing from one day to another. This was revealed to me by forum member Blaireau who is a scientist in the field of polymers and the pencil grid proves to me that he is correct.
So what I used to do was lap each stone before I began honing. Sometimes this was a PITA and took awhile other times it went more quickly. What I've discovered is that if I spray the hone with water and let it sit for five or ten minutes the lapping time is considerably shorter. This is true of both the Naniwa SS and the Shapton pro IME.
I came up with this idea based on what I read here at this website. I don't know where they got their info because Shapton USA and Naniwa say don't soak the hones but it gave me the idea to let the water sit (I'm not soaking them) on the surface for a few minutes and I'm telling you now ..... the lapping is way easier. Give it a shot and see what you think. :tu