Thread: What is the highest grit you have used on a stone?

The more I think about this opportunity to lap the stones on the commercial 16k lapper, the more I am thinking about just trying it out for experimentation sake.

I also realize that each hone has its own qualities and is going to react in a such a fashion. I can see that being true with lower grits especially but when you get into higher grits and naturals, how much does lapping and polishing of the stone play into its qualities?

Originally Posted by Grump

The more I think about this opportunity to lap the stones on the commercial 16k lapper, the more I am thinking about just trying it out for experimentation sake.

Give it a try and let us know how it works.....not that I'm going to go out and get a commercial lapping machine, but it would still be interesting.

Originally Posted by Grump

The more I think about this opportunity to lap the stones on the commercial 16k lapper, the more I am thinking about just trying it out for experimentation sake.

I also realize that each hone has its own qualities and is going to react in a such a fashion. I can see that being true with lower grits especially but when you get into higher grits and naturals, how much does lapping and polishing of the stone play into its qualities?

I would too Any chance to expand knowledge to our hobby should be tried if we get an opportunity....

I would love to try it on My Arkansas and my Charnley Forest

Originally Posted by Bruno

Realistically, it really doesn't matter. A 1000 grit lapped stone is not going to behave differently to a 325 grit lapped stone.
The scratches in the bonding agent don't abrade. Only the grit particles / garnets /... do. And they are fixed.
Lapping only influences the surface flatness to make sure the blade is flat on the hone. At the dimensions of a razor blade, scratch lines in the hone surface don't matter anything.

I would agree except for with arkansas stones, where the "binder" is also the abrasive.

I lap all my stones with a 220 dmt lapping plate (not the sharpening plate).

For my higher grit stones i then use sandpaper to remove the scratches left from the DMT. Depending on the stone depends on how high i go. On my Chinese 12k i got to a 400 then to an 800 to give it a glass like feel and i have even tried a 1k (i was told by a few members to get the C12k as polished as much as i can for the best results)

I have both sides of my C12k lapped and the second side i leave with the 220, Both sides feel quite different to sharpen with. The 220 side has a 'zing' sound when using it (if that makes sence) and the polished side has next to no sound when using it. I find the marks in my C12k from my 220 don't disappear but it hold a slurry well and creats a slurry a lot faster then the polished side, i can then transfer some of that slurry across when i flip it.

My shapton 8k and 16k i finish at 600
and most my other stone i finish with a 400 or the 220dmt
I will occasional finish my other 12k stones with a 600 but, at the same time, sometimes the 220 gives it a nice feel different to what the 600 gives.

I have been playing with some new jnats and i have been finishing them with a 1k and even tried 1.5k - i 'think' the 1.5k made a slight difference but not enough to make it worth while. I really should ask one of the pros whats best for lapping the jnats lol but they are supper hard and any marks or scratching takes a long time to disappear!

Still playing and still learning with all my stones. Maybe i will learn something from this thread

Edit: This jnat stone i lapped from a 40 grit lol but it was in really bad condition. I first started with the 220 DMT and when i realised that wasn't working i put in on my belt sander. That didn't do anything so i purchased some 40, 80, 160 grit and so on - Took me 6 hours to get it flat (minus a break here and there and a drive to burnings for some more sandpaper).

But if i had have started with a 40 grit in the first place i think it would have been a 2 hr lap and not a 6 hr lap lol

Originally Posted by Brighty83

Edit: This jnat stone i lapped from a 40 grit lol but it was in really bad condition. I first started with the 220 DMT and when i realised that wasn't working i put in on my belt sander. That didn't do anything so i purchased some 40, 80, 160 grit and so on - Took me 6 hours to get it flat (minus a break here and there).

I find SiC powders on float glass considerably faster. It may be there is no cushioning from the sandpaper but I can't imagine spending 6 hours, even on a hard stone.

Originally Posted by TheZ

I would agree except for with arkansas stones, where the "binder" is also the abrasive.

+1

One trick with Arkies is something like fine (8K) loose grit
or even a light spritz of 2micron diamond. Because an
Arkie is so hard it need not be lapped often... but it holds
the feel of the lap for a while without finishing. Same
is true of the Spiderco ceramic hones.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

I find SiC powders on float glass considerably faster. It may be there is no cushioning from the sandpaper but I can't imagine spending 6 hours, even on a hard stone.

Its sorta relaxing, once i started to see results. lol. Its not something i would want to do too often.

I have done a google for SiC (silicon carbide powder) powders on float glass but i cant find much. The lowest grit i could find was 120. Do you have a site you recommend of the powders and the glass?

Originally Posted by Brighty83

Its sorta relaxing, once i started to see results. lol. Its not something i would want to do too often.

I have done a google for SiC (silicon carbide powder) powders on float glass but i cant find much. The lowest grit i could find was 120. Do you have a site you recommend of the powders and the glass?

Glass -- a local glass shop.
My grit -- hunt a local astronomy club.

Originally Posted by Brighty83

I have done a google for SiC (silicon carbide powder) powders on float glass but i cant find much. The lowest grit i could find was 120. Do you have a site you recommend of the powders and the glass?

Gem polishing sites are what you want

Tumbling Grit and Abrasives

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