Thread: Lapping plates

Yeah, if your DMT ain't sticking on the 4k (draw like latigo!)...then it's shot. (or your 4k is major wonky)

Yes on paper or a coarser DMT for initial lapping in of stones.

Watch Glen's videos, he's real gentle with his DMT, hardly even ever bothers with it, at all, ever.

Maybe it's just broken in? Send to dmt for an eval

One last thing about wet/dry. Make sure you work clean and rinse the stone well between grits, you don't want any stray grit getting embedded in your hone. this applies to dmts as well, the diamond can get stuck in your hone.

Diamond plates are made to sharpen knives or tools on ,and not for lapping stones, that causes a lot more abrasion on the surface.
Barber hones usually are very hard SOBs and will abrade a diamond plate a lot. There is a lot less abrasion when lapping the typical synthetic hones we use for honing razors because they are pretty soft.
In the end as mentioned above initial lapping should be done with sand paper, then a diamond plate can be used to maintain the stone flat .

Good thing I ran across this thread.....
Lucky for me all I will be doing with My DMT is maintaining now. Not sure I understand using a higher grit on the finishers though. I mean you can't change the grit of say a 12k using sandpaper. Is this just a surface finish thing? what's the benefit? Honestly, I usually use 1500 grit on my finishers as the last step, but notice no difference at the edge or with the shave by doing this, so why do it?

Originally Posted by Trimmy72

Good thing I ran across this thread.....
Lucky for me all I will be doing with My DMT is maintaining now. Not sure I understand using a higher grit on the finishers though. I mean you can't change the grit of say a 12k using sandpaper. Is this just a surface finish thing? what's the benefit? Honestly, I usually use 1500 grit on my finishers as the last step, but notice no difference at the edge or with the shave by doing this, so why do it?

Well if you are using a natural for example without diamond slurry then a smoother surface would work. If you are using a dmt 600 for slurry then 600 is a place to stop for a natural. There are different schools of thought, some believe a rougher surface may help in leaving room for particles from the slurry and others myself included like the extra feedback from the very smooth stones. If you are lapping a 1k, 600 is more than enough.

Originally Posted by rickboone

Maybe it's just broken in? Send to dmt for an eval

Didn't know anything about the DMT eval. more info please.

Originally Posted by rhensley

Didn't know anything about the DMT eval. more info please.

It's on their site you can send it in and they will check it to be sure it is okay.
What is your dmt doing or not doing.?
If I had to guess it probably feels smoother and less grainy?? If this is the case, leave it alone, it's just broken in. This is a desired effect and you don't want to change it! It just got good.

Try washing your plate; I use Barkeeper Friend and a stiff brush, a finger nail brush. Most cleansers will work to remove old slurry and swarf from clogging up the diamond grit. If using Barkeepers, sprinkle some on scrub it in with a brush and let it set for a few minutes, then scrub off with a stiff brush and running water. You may need to do it a couple of times. Barber hones are hard but your plate may just need cleaning

When using your plate a squirt of Simple green and a scotch bride sponge works well for a quick clean up. As said the key to saving the diamond grit is lots of water, use with running or under water.

I have trashed some of my plates on Arks, and they have bald spots but still cut steel and flatten a stones.

Chefs Knives to Go has a very nice 140 grit plate for 30 bucks. It is an 8X3 stone flatter and can hog off steel, great for removing chips on large knives and getting stones flat.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Try washing your plate; I use Barkeeper Friend and a stiff brush, a finger nail brush. Most cleansers will work to remove old slurry and swarf from clogging up the diamond grit. If using Barkeepers, sprinkle some on scrub it in with a brush and let it set for a few minutes, then scrub off with a stiff brush and running water. You may need to do it a couple of times. Barber hones are hard but your plate may just need cleaning

When using your plate a squirt of Simple green and a scotch bride sponge works well for a quick clean up. As said the key to saving the diamond grit is lots of water, use with running or under water.

I have trashed some of my plates on Arks, and they have bald spots but still cut steel and flatten a stones.

Chefs Knives to Go has a very nice 140 grit plate for 30 bucks. It is an 8X3 stone flatter and can hog off steel, great for removing chips on large knives and getting stones flat.

I will need to Try this cleaning method with my 220dmt