Thread: help to find effective lapping supplies or equipment.

i got a granite rectangular stone about 16"x 4"x 2" and i was thinking that it could work as a lapping plate. now lets say that it is lapping worthy; what type or grit of lapping compund should i use?
now i want to consider the dmt plate too and i just found this which is 50% the price
Veritas® Steel Honing Plate - Lee Valley Tools
so it is granite & lapping compound vs dmt probably 325 vs the veritas steel honing plate.

The granite lapping stone I have no idea about. I have dmts and they work great. The veritas plate seems flat enough to lap with. I have never used a veritas so I dont know the difference if any. IMO i would get the dmt. You cant go wrong and you wont buy it again, but thats me.

Shapton made, probably still does, a 'diamond reference lapping plate' designed to be used with compounds. I've never used it. It seems to me that you could use the granite with sandpaper on top but if you used it with compound it could wear the granite. I may be in error about that but I don't see how it wouldn't wear both the surface of the hone and the granite.

A DMT D8C is a proven entity around here. I've used one for years and many other members have. The Atoma plates are the new 'big thing' in lapping plates. More expensive than the DMTs but they really deliver the goods.

i was trying to avoid using sand paper. one other thing did i mention that i got the stone for free and i could get more, so the wearing down should not be a concern. i think that a slate of granite would give me quite a few lapping sessions. on top of it i think the shapton is out of the questions as i do not want to spend that kind of money on something that is going to be almost exclusively personal use.

I use glass & SiC grits for only the coarsest of flattening needs. 80grit up to 600 grit The glass wears as would granite.
I always use diamond plates for any precise or daily lapping work.
If you are lapping new stones a diamond plate eg ATOMA or DMT is a cheap investment.

That plate btw has to be charged with diamond paste. The recommended pastes are 1,3 and 6 micron which is too high a grit for efficient lapping IMO. 6 micron is about 4k. Dmt 325 is 45 micron size. Sounds like a pita, and you are saving only12 bucks (plate is 25 plus 12.5 for paste)not counting the extra time to load it up and the paste you will use and how long will a 4k pasted plate take to lap a hone? Sounds like it would take a long time. Dmt is tried and true. Obviously its your call.

another consideration is what stones are you lapping... for some stones granite/glass and lapping powder works much better.. if you are lapping water stones like nortons or naniwas then the dmt8c is the way to go..

Yup I am doing Norton's and I just noticed the veritas need a compound. So I guess it will be the dmt.

Once you got a DMT or Atoma you will never look back!

I enjoy flatting stuff with just rocks but it does takes ages littetry.