Thread: What to do with my new C12k?

I have a new 8x2 C12K from woodcraft and some 220, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 grit wet/dry sand paper. Give me your recommendations on lapping my stone flat. It looks flat as is, but looks can be deceiving. How do I go about lapping it?

What are the lapping motions? Figure 8's? Up and Downs?

All you want to know about lapping :
http://straightrazorpalace.com/srpwi...ne_Lapping_101

They make fabulous doorstops

Seriously, they're a lot of bang for the buck, but all caveates apply to any natural stone. You may get/have one that's awesome. Mine (and reports from other members) gives a keen edge, but quite harsh. For a budget-minded, maybe get a small diamond plate ($45 or so for DMT, $15 or so for a harbor freight version). Use slurry to help the painfully slow speed. SAVE the slurry and use to paste the canvas component of the last strop you destroyed while learning to strop (don't ask how I think of it this way). The slurry on canvas helps tone down the harshness quite well.

A good "C12K" isn't the least bit harsh, mine sure delivers keen and smooth edges. They seem to be all over the place, many have to go through a few to find a good one.

I pretty much followed the link above except that I used a piece of glass on a cutting board over the sink as my work surface. Mark the surface of the stone lightly, If you bear down you can get lead into the surface of the stone instead of on it. I did both sides of my 12K and went through the grits to 500 on one side and 1000 on the other, marking them of course. So far I haven't decided if there is a significant difference between the edges produced by the two sides of the stone.

It took me over an hour to flatten my stone. You will probably try different pattern such as up and down , circles of both directions, and figure 8s just to keep from getting bored.

Mine is a solid grey with no striping, does this mean I have a lemon?

Originally Posted by RustyBlades

I pretty much followed the link above except that I used a piece of glass on a cutting board over the sink as my work surface. Mark the surface of the stone lightly, If you bear down you can get lead into the surface of the stone instead of on it. I did both sides of my 12K and went through the grits to 500 on one side and 1000 on the other, marking them of course. So far I haven't decided if there is a significant difference between the edges produced by the two sides of the stone.

It took me over an hour to flatten my stone. You will probably try different pattern such as up and down , circles of both directions, and figure 8s just to keep from getting bored.

Colour doesn't tell you everything. It's like saying red Ferraris go faster than yellow ones.
Try the stone then decide.