help! How do you flatten this flattening stone

I bought this stone to lapp my naniwas a few weeks back when I bought them and have tried sandpaper/wet and dry without any success down to grit 80. It wears down the sandpaper completely and unevenly.

NANIWA Flattening Stone Grain Size 220
recommended for stones with grain size 1000 - 12000

NANIWA Flattening Stone (Truing Stone)

I cannot even draw a grid on it given its colour, no ideas of what to use to get a visible grid.

I know the stone isn't flat as I lap a naniwa on a plate of glass with grit 600 and the grid I draw quickly disappears evenly after a few rubs. I know it's flat.
I redraw the grid and try it on the flattening stone and the grid wears off unevenly.

I bought this flattening stone to lap my stones over the sink as taking the coffee table to lap my stones is messy.

I'm going to be abroad for 3.5 weeks on work and really want to bring this stone with me so I can continue to hone in the evenings(I'm determined to get this), I lap the stones before I start so need a flattening stone with me...I don't think the coffee table plate of glass will fit in my luggage :rofl2:

any ideas?

Perhaps I should just write off the eur60 and buy another one that is flat from the begining - like one of the DMTs?

You would probably be better off just writing it off or reselling it. That stone looks like corborundum (sp?) and that stuff is HARD. I'm not much of a "lap-happy" person and think folks are really shortening the life of their stones. You can easily lap your stones by the sandpaper on ___________ (countertop, granite piece, tempered glass piece, and so on). You could also order a true lapping plate. I've heard that one of the best is the Shapton, closely followed by the DMT. That's a lot of $$$ when my countertop works just fine...

Shooter is probably right! You could try lapidary grit on a stout piece of plate glass (or a thinner sheet on a bed of sand) - it works quicker than DMTs as the surface area is as big as the plate of glass you use. It will wreck the glass, so don't use your coffee table top!

You would have to get a plate of glass and grit though, which adds to the expense. You can get the grit from hobbyist shops and even Ebay a lot cheaper than from Naniwa.

Regards,
Neil

To flatten the plate I'd suggest finding a nice flat piece of concrete and have at it.

Most people use DMT 320 for lapping their honing stones.

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Originally Posted by mainaman

To flatten the plate I'd suggest finding a nice flat piece of concrete and have at it.

Most people use DMT 320 for lapping their honing stones.

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Another old way is a paving slab and wet coarse sand. The slabs with the glittery granite flakes in are good, but hard to find nowadays. Plus you'd probably be arrested!

In one of the pics I saw of the Tam O'Shanter honeworks the flattening was done on a big revolving steel plate with wet sand on it - worked well for all those old stones!

Regards,
Neil

You have me thinking, there is a granite works about 55-60 miles away from me who has a huge hard of slabs. I hear that they have a lot of pieces that they just throw away...could be used with our "sport" couldn't it...

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Originally Posted by shooter74743

You have me thinking, there is a granite works about 55-60 miles away from me who has a huge hard of slabs. I hear that they have a lot of pieces that they just throw away...could be used with our "sport" couldn't it...

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Some of the dead-flat reference plates they use in engineering are made from trued granite. Costly, though.

BTW, I used to lay granite kerb stones and paving for a living once upon a time - it weighs a ton! I'd like to see how much your suspension goes down when you load your vehicle up with those off-cuts!

Regards,
Neil

You need a lapping lapper:gl:

But what do you do if the lapping lapper is not lapped flat?

I guess if I do go there and pick up some peices I should carry a straight edge...

Sachiya,

I am not sure if the Naniwa flattening stone is the composition same as the Norton flattening stone.

If it is then 160/220 grit silicon carbide paper, used with soapy water on a peice of flat glass worked very well for me :)

As you have pointed out, the hard part is figuring when to stop !

I no longer use the Norton flattener, as I got a DMT 325 which Ihave found to be a much cleaner & easier way to lap hones.

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

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Originally Posted by shooter74743

You have me thinking, there is a granite works about 55-60 miles away from me who has a huge hard of slabs. I hear that they have a lot of pieces that they just throw away...could be used with our "sport" couldn't it...

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Yes go and grab some.... around here they sometimes call
the extra bits 'drops' as they drop on the floor after cutting
out a sink hole or the edges. Because of the equipment
size and methods they are more than flat enough.

A 'drop' that fits in the oven makes good pizza as long
as it is a stone that can take the heat.

A 'drop' makes a fine work surface in the kitchen for pie and candy.

A 'drop' that has been trimmed to almost match your hones
can make a great base. Use the no slip shelf liner stuff
or router bench no slip stuff.

A 'drop' makes a nice heat proof trivet in the kitchen.

If you are lucky they may have a dense black, green or blue
slate that could be sliced into hones. Depending on the slate they
might be nice finishing hones or nice paperweights.

Couldn't you have someone with an extra coarse DMT flatten it for you or would that ruin the DMT?

It may not "ruin" one, but would really put some serious wear on it. I doubt you could find someone to do it for you, but if you owned a few you could work on your own. I'll check into that place on "drops" and see what the scoop is on them. If they offer free stuff, I'll pass it on...

Many thanks to all of you for your replies.

I will try Russ's suggestion (to avoid throwing 60 euro down the drain) and failing that look to acquire a DMT as suggested.

I should have done more research before buying a flattening stone rather than buying one from the same place I got the naniwas for convenience.

THANKS FOR THE HELPFUL COMMENTS! :rock:

All the best,
Paul

Don't beat yourself up, we all make those "convenience" mistakes...Lord knows I have made a plenty!

Lynn sells the Naniwa lapping hones.
Ask him.
If he doesn't know the answer he can ask Naniwa. He has special red phones in his basement connected to Naniwa, Dovo, and Maestro Livi.
Oh, and apparently Alex Jacques is being fitted with an ankle monitor.

The lapping stone does not have to be flat. If you lapped any stone on the sidewalk or any hard surface only the high spots will come in contact with the high spots on the stone and abrade the high spots on the stone. Which is the goal.

Perfect flatness of stones is overrated. Someone had a tag line here wondering about “How much our ancestors worried if their stones were flat.” It’s not about flat as much as smooth, so a divot does not catch the edge of the razor, especially the edges of the stone.

The razor is softer that the stone and rides on the tops of the high spots of the stone. Yea, you do want it some what flat, but perfectly flat, why?

I have the Norton equivalent and do not like it. It is super messy and you get grit in soft stones, like Naniwas. If you do use it, make sure to wash your stone with a Scotch Brite pad and soapy water before you put a razor on it. I run a Kitchen knife on it slowly to feel if it catches any grit before I subject a razor and possibly nick it.

I now use Wet & Dry and a marble 18X18 tile from Home Depot or a Harbor Freight Diamond 3 Hone set for around 12 bucks. They are rough, the grit is irregular, but will hog of material quickly and if you do trash them your not out much. They are great for beveling a stone. Do not put a razor to them, just stones or garden tools. Before using them I ran them on an ax to knock of any big grit.

I finish the stone with wet & dry or just the wet & dry, if it’s not too bad, test with the pencil grid. To refresh a stone, I use wet & dry or a DMT 325 credit card Diamond Hone. The 325 also works great for a quick slurry when you want the slurry to be the same grit as the stone.

Most of my naturals are not dead flat, it’s too much work, you are wasting good stone and you don’t need it. They are smooth though... and great finishers.

Marty

I still think the DMT 325 is one of the best lapping plates out there. It also doubles up as a major edge repairer if you need one, which comes in handy surprisingly often!

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Originally Posted by Neil Miller

But what do you do if the lapping lapper is not lapped flat?

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Thus begins the never-ending hunt for ABSOLUTE FLAT!



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