Thread: DMT RECYCLING

Originally Posted by C23

Maybe take to machine shop or if you have a mill you can perfectly flatten it.

Still thinking of a way to tightly mount sandpaper without glue, so that it can be removed. Ive used my naniwa 220 as a lapping stone and worked great. But it still needs lapping. Glass and paper works fine...but its still a sheet of glass id rather not deal with.

If you have one of those fifteen dollar stone holders flip the plate smooth side up and it is as flat on that side, or nearly so, as on the diamond impregnated side. I haven't done it but I've read members post that wetting the back of the sandpaper lets it stick to a flat surface. So using the back of the plate ought to work fine.

I'm searching for a low-priced DMT duosharp because I seem to have ground most of the diamonds off the 220 side. How long did it take you guys to wear yours down? Mine still works but it takes much longer to remove stock.

I found a guy on eBay who can get me the new DMT's for much less than the maker charges at their own site. A new 10X4 costs $148 from the manufacturer; I got my pair for about $95 each. Look for what you want on eBay and ask the sellers for the model you need if they're not already listing it.

I'll probably keep this one for a truing stone for my Norton 4,000/8,000. It should always work well for that application.

assuming all of the grit is gone, and it's within their tolerance, the plate should make a good reference surface for checking flatness... but still not as good as a small/cheapo granite plate.

Otherwise I would put it out with the recycling since it is a steel plate with a nickel alloy coating, not solid nickel alloy throughout, and thus valueless.

I would keep 'em for felt, or balsa etc. stropping pads personally, but I am a packrat.

I can't imagine a DMT ever losing ALL its grit. Personally I gave up my granite slab because the DMT was more convenient as well as being both nicely aggressive and having a finer grit than any useful sandpaper I could rubber-cement to the slab's face. I can take my Norton in one hand and the DMT in the other and rub together.

By the way, I find the Norton gives a superior hone when it's been slightly roughened on the face of a 220 DMT.

What about sticking it with double sided tape. I use it on my lapping table and it works fine. Every so often I just strip it clean it and put new tape on with another sanding paper onto it.

Double-sided tape would work great, I'm sure. Rubber cement is easier to apply and did the job fine for me. But I still had to stand by a workbench while I rubbed the stone on the sandpaper, whereas with a big DMT in one hand I could hold the Norton in the other and use both hands to do the work.

More than anything, the sandpaper would clog on me, while with the DMT I could just stand by a tap and rinse both hones periodically. The $200 I spent on a pair of DMT's is the best money I invested for honing.

I am also very glad I got the DMTs. I got the 8" which are a few bucks cheaper. I mainly use the XX and the C. I believe that is 120 and 325. That XX will eat a barber hone for breakfast and be hungry for more. Thanks to ChrisL and Utopian for letting me know about it.

Originally Posted by C23

Maybe take to machine shop or if you have a mill you can perfectly flatten it.

Still thinking of a way to tightly mount sandpaper without glue, so that it can be removed. Ive used my naniwa 220 as a lapping stone and worked great. But it still needs lapping. Glass and paper works fine...but its still a sheet of glass id rather not deal with.

It is possible to use loose abrasive and the old DMT as a lap.
If you do it often, rinse in a plastic bucket so the drain does not
get clogged with the sand/ mud.

Years ago I worked on mineral core drilling rigs. We recycled our
bits but we only got credit for the diamonds that were left not for
the metal the diamonds were set in. The DMT plate is worth about
ten cents a pound. The diamonds and getting them set and fixed
on the plate is where the money is.

For the large DMT plates they are steel and a sheet magnet would
grab it. A felt or other surface can be glued to sheet magnet
material and off you go. Sheet magnet material is inexpensive.
Many hobby shops have it for making decorative refrigerator magnets
as does the internet.

Originally Posted by Croaker

me too. a big Translucent Arkansas killed one of my DMT's.

You should see what a Charnley Forest will do to a DMT, I watched Sham rinse his diamonds right off the DMT and down the drain, it was a terrible thing at the time but I cant help but to laugh now! Forgive me Sham!

I got it! Was going to make a hone box to store all my hones. The lid would act as a base for the hones with simple blocks on both sides of top.
The DMT could fit right in there and can fold sandpaper, its weight and pressure of using it would lock sandpaper even tighter.