Thread: Translucent Arkansas on the way

Alright, the bug bit, and I ordered a few new hones. The one I'm excited about is the 8"x2" translucent Arkansas stone I know it will be slower then a water stone, but I'm hoping to get some nice edges out of it, at least for knives if not razors. Now, I know I'm going to have to lap it to make it preform properly, and that hard arkansas stones are known for being, well, hard... But how much of a bear am I going to have to wrestle with to lap it? Will my (also on the way) DMT 325 be sufficient? Should I use sand paper? Start at a lower grit? lap it to 1500 grit?


Maybe one day I'll make a road trip to Arkansas, and try to find a nice blue/black bench stone, but I'll pay extra for the color another time.

I hope yours works well for you, I have had good luck with mine as a finisher. I did not lap mine as it was already perfectly flat so I can't give you advice there, but from what I hear about lapping these, well if it's a bear it's a grizzly.

The DMT 325 is meant for steel, not stone. The DMT company states that the 325 can be used to lap only synthetic water stones. If you try to lap a natural stone with it, you run the risk of undercutting the nickel substrate that holds the diamonds, leaving you a smooth flat plate for lapping with sandpaper, which is the safer alternative for lapping your stone. Use wet dry sandpaper and start around 180 or whatever you've got near that range. Lap under running water. You can go to a little more fine after you get it flat but there is no real need to go above 600 or so.

before lapping use a square or something knowen to be flat check for flatness by put the square to the stone and look and see if you can see light inbetween the square and the stone if its not flat send it back and request another stone that is flat

Originally Posted by eleblu05

before lapping use a square or something knowen to be flat check for flatness by put the square to the stone and look and see if you can see light inbetween the square and the stone if its not flat send it back and request another stone that is flat

If you think the vendor will do it, this is the way to go. Otherwise, stock up on the sandpaper, because you're gonna need it! If you do flatten it yourself, let the paper do most of the work (don't bear down) and switch hands every 5-10 minutes.

Originally Posted by Utopian

Use wet dry sandpaper and start around 180 or whatever you've got near that range. Lap under running water. You can go to a little more fine after you get it flat but there is no real need to go above 600 or so.

For whatever it's worth, I feel like I've gotten much better performance from my PHIG, Dragon's Tongue, and Trans. Ark by taking them all the way to 2000 grit. Yours is a common sentiment, though, which makes me wonder.

i have never laped my translucents or surgical black arks but before i put a razor on them i sharpen 3 to 5 knives on them to smooth them out