Thread: Hone lapping on a glass plate with silicon carbide powder - pictures

With hard varieties, lapping is a hopeless chore. Especially Rozsutec, Charnley Forest and Arkansas are very hard hones. Lapping them takes considerable time, not to mention muscle ache. Perseverance in this case may result in lasting damage to both health and hones…

Given the considerable amount of hones yet waiting to be flattened, I had to come up with something to spare my not-quite-so-young back and muscles. After some thinking, I came up with an old bicycle wheel mounted in a steel frame.

The wheel is used with silicon carbide of grit K220 - K600. As it dusts easily, the latter can only be used whet, and that's why I made the outer rim. It keeps the water on the plate and thus prevents any messiness. The upper fork is hinged and fitted with a leaning rake to rest the stone unto. Therefore, little force is required during grinding. Dry the plate after use with a cloth to prevent oxidation.

See for more details Grinding and Honing part 2 Index website Henk en Ge Bos page 40

Margeja

Great site, too bad I don't speak and can't read the language, just lurk

Grinding and Honing 1 and 2 are translated in English to. Henk

I once had an antique 4’ marble dresser top refinished. They had a setup just like yours except it was about 10’ in diameter. It was a wet process and made a mess.

The top was a beautiful grey & black figured piece. Turned out when I got it back it was milk white with grey & black figuring, dramatic. I had them cut a hole in it for a hammered brass sink, and re-enforce the edges with steel rods.

It was interesting to watch them polish large slabs. Very ingenious setup, you must be an interesting fellow. Is the plate glass?