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Which stones should be lapped each time?
What makes good lappers? I use a DMT 325. Should this not be used on things say above 12000? Or on my coticule? Safe for my 16K shapton?
Are there stones that should never be lapped?
I plan to get an 8k soon, probably Naniwa. Will the 325 be okay for this?
Depends on usage & how soft the stone is. Drawing a light pencil grid on the surface & lapping it off will tell you everything you need to know about a particular stones flatness.
You will get an idea on how often it needs doing by doing it regularly at first.
Harder stones like some J-nat finishers rarely need lapping especially if you use a diamond plate for slurry making as they get a pseudo lap each use.
I can't really advise about DMT C's for lapping as I use Atoma plates but the few times I've used a DMT C on a stone I was impressed at how smooth the surface was.
I will let Utopian touch this one !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!HeHeHeQuote:
Originally Posted by rickboone
How often you lap depends on how much you use the stone and also how fast the stone will dish. Some stones dish slower and therefore will require less frequent lapping, but even those stones might require often lapping if you use them a lot.
As far as what you lap with, an accepted norm here is the 325 DMT.
I personally use 1.2k Atoma for all my synthetics from 3k and up.
For my Jnats I go past the Atoma as I prefer a surface that is as smooth as possible.
I truly ish i could help with this one but all i have is a barbers hone and i dont lap it since i have only used it 2 times since i got it.(do you even lap barber hones?)
rickboone,
I use the DMT 325 continuous diamond plate to lap all my Naniwas (1, 3, 5, 8, 10 & 12K) with excellent results.
The 325 is also great for raising slurry on these stones.
Have fun !
Best regards
Russ
Let's distinguish between lapping and refreshing. The former is flattening the hone while the latter is clearing swarf off the hone to provide a fresh cutting surface. Some hones like the Naniwa Superstones and the Shapton Glass Stones benefit from refreshing before each use. The Nortons don't seem to need refreshing as often so they are more on an as needed basis. When refreshing is done frequently, they is less of a need to do full blown lapping because each refreshing session serves as a mini lapping session.Quote:
Originally Posted by rickboone
A good lapper is one that is flat and able to uniformly cut the hone surface. Your DMTC is just fine for lapping. The company says that it can only be used for synthetic water stones and that probably is the best advice, but you can get away with using it for naturals if you use a light touch and lots of water. You can use it on hones above 12k. It is fine for the coticule and the Shapton 16k.Quote:
Originally Posted by rickboone
Two come to mind, and for the same reasons. Barber hones and Spydercos don't dish with use because they are very hard and they both have surfaces that can be diminished with lapping. The only exception for barber hones is if you need to correct damage to the hone.Quote:
Originally Posted by rickboone
The 325 is just fine for the Naniwa 8k.Quote:
Originally Posted by rickboone
I use the Lapping stone about every 10-12 sessions of honing. Everyone is different, but that frequency works for me.
Pabster
Is the DMT 325 ok to use to lap (flatten) a Naniwa 220?
For some reason it's difficult for me to grasp that concept. Help me comprehend this.
Thanks in advance.
Freehand
Utopian,
Do then you recommend lapping Naniwa Super Stones or refreshing them.
The reason I ask is that I haven't been able to figure out conclusively if these Super Stones are non-wearing ceramics or made to be worn similar to a true waterstone.
(I have read for 'refreshing' ceramic stones a non-scratch kitchen pad like a Dobie works great for this purpose.)
Should the Shaptons (16K) be lapped before each use or just refreshed? What mainly is the difference between the two?
I just bought an old Boss Barber hone. Used the "pencil test". I wore out two sheets of 400-grit paper before it was flat.Quote:
The only exception for barber hones is if you need to correct damage to the hone.
I don't expect to do that again for a long, long time.
Charles
dlosborne,
The Naniwas are not homogenous ceramic stones; IIRC they have an abrasive dispersed in a softish matrix (resin ?) and therefore wear similarly to conventional waterstones.
WRT my Naniwas, they needed a good lap intially to flatten, and then on subsequent occasions much less was needed; after a year of using them, it is more of a 'refresh' (like ca 8 - 12 figure of eights with a DMT 325 as demonstrated by GSSixgun in his videos).
Have fun !
Best regards
Russ
PhatMan,
Now that makes sense and explains the strange range of treatments I have read. The professionals who lay blades on their stones in tens per day notice wear much faster than others who may sharpen all bladed household items in the numbers of 5-10 every few months. (Assuming three to four kitchen knives, a pocket knife or few, and a razor or few.)
So when it comes to Naniwa Super Stones for less frequent users:
1) Perform a careful initial lapping using the sandpaper on glass method (cheaper and just as effective, though a bit more cumbersome)
2) Apply just enough water to keep the top wet and the small amount of slurry these stones make/use uniformly workable
3) Air dry stones on edge before storing them
4) Check for plane every 15-50 knives based on the pressure you use and the grade (rougher stones more often).
Does that sound right?
Now, so I try to pull this post back from the high-jacked zone and to attempt to address rickboones original question:
All non-homogeneous stones from natural waterstones to wearing man-made stones, like the Naniwa Super Stone series, should be lapped if they are not already plane out of the box. Finally, they stones do wear in time; although some very hard resin stones like the Super Stones take more use/abuse to show it. The rougher stones tend to show it more since some folks inadvertently use more pressure on these than finer hones due to what stage in the edging process they are in (i.e., grinding a bevel versus refining and polishing).
Could the experts out there give me a quick sanity check? Many thanks in advance.
-Dallas