Thread: Do I need a lapping plate?

I've never heard of all this violent knocking off of diamonds stuff. What I've read, and what I would do, is get a long screwdriver, as above mentioned, and lay the shaft of said screwdriver on on end of the DMT. After it's been placed there, I'd glide it back and forth over the surface of the DMT plate about thirty times, paying attention for the moment when everthing feels a little less skippy. But perhaps you do need to bash the DMT with the screwdriver. I'm not an expert. The big DMT mentioned isn't new. It's been for sale at least 5 months, as it was the one I found the first time I went looking for lapping plates. I chose the weekly expense of sandpaper over the one time outlay of 150 bucks. Ofc, time's have changed....I'd have it paid off by now I think.

There are numerous ways to clean off the bits, including the screwdriver option. If I didn't have this otherwise-useless Norton plate, I'd simply find an inconspicuous area of sidewalk and do figure-eights on it with the DMT for a couple of minutes. It doesn't take much. Some plates don't even need any of this treatment, but both of my big ones and one of my little ones had rough spots on the outer edges and one or two persistent little devils right in the center.

And the $200 dia-flat plate is massive overkill. The $47 D8C is sufficient for all but the most fanatical hone lapper. The coarser D8X is good for harder hones, but it'll eat a Naniwa in no time.

+1 DMT 325. In my limited experience, the DMT 325 has been way easier to work with than sandpaper on glass which was the only other lapping method I tried. I ended up with a 4"x10" but the 3"x8" is super too. I'm glad I got the 4"x10" but that is entirely personal preference. With a Norton, Naniwa or other brand of lapping plate, I've read that you need to lap it right out of the box to ensure it's nice and flat to begin with. Then if I am not mistaken, it needs to be lapped regularly as you use it, although I am unclear at what intervals this needs to be done.

Originally Posted by Cove5440

I've heard that the shaft of a screwdriver will work to knock off the larger diamond bits. Someone more knowledgeable will be able to verify this.

Here is one of the threads where gssixgun gave us his input on this topic: http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...ost942686Enjoy!

If you do decide to use the screwdriver method consider consistency. When I did mine, it didn't take much as I had only one high spot, I laid the round shank of the screwdriver across the whole plate and ran it along lengthwise about 4 times so it got broken in evenly and not just in one spot. Maybe I'm just too meticulous :P

Originally Posted by AndrewK

+1 DMT 325. In my limited experience, the DMT 325 has been way easier to work with than sandpaper on glass which was the only other lapping method I tried. I ended up with a 4"x10" but the 3"x8" is super too. I'm glad I got the 4"x10" but that is entirely personal preference. With a Norton, Naniwa or other brand of lapping plate, I've read that you need to lap it right out of the box to ensure it's nice and flat to begin with. Then if I am not mistaken, it needs to be lapped regularly as you use it, although I am unclear at what intervals this needs to be done.

Here is one of the threads where gssixgun gave us his input on this topic: http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...ost942686Enjoy!

If you do decide to use the screwdriver method consider consistency. When I did mine, it didn't take much as I had only one high spot, I laid the round shank of the screwdriver across the whole plate and ran it along lengthwise about 4 times so it got broken in evenly and not just in one spot. Maybe I'm just too meticulous :P

Thanks Andrew. I thought it was gssixgun, but I couldn't remember, so I left that part out.