Thread: Norton Out-of-the-Box

I picked up a new Norton 4k/8k a week ago and I haven't honed
anything with it yet, but I thought I'd give it a quick lapping with
the flattening stone today.

Wow! It didn't seem to cut that evenly when I got started on the
4k side, and took a few minutes to get rid of the grid on certain
spots on the stone. The 8k side was far better, but I'm sure it's a
good idea to take the time to ensure a good flat surface even on
a brand new stone.

What do you guys think?

Hi Sebell - welcome

Yes, it's a good idea to get the hone flat. I was lucky (I now know in retrospect) and my Norton was OK straight from the box. But it's best to assume the worst and lap a brand new stone.

Now you're ready to enjoy the wonderful world of razor honing

James.

yes it helps a lot to keep your stones flat, but remember to check and see if your flattening stone is flat at well

Well done. You've obviously been doing your reading. You might want to round of the edges just a little as well, especially if you'll be X honing as opposed to using the Rolling method.

X

I remember seeing a video that said if the Norton sticks to the wet plate glass upside down then it's flat. Is this true?

I've never tried that. But the stone definitely sucks as it gets flatter. If you try the upside down glass thing, just make sure you do it over something soft (just in case ... )

Probably better to stick with the pencil grid approach...

James.

I'm lucky to have access to a large cast iron surface plate at work.

When i got my norton perfectly flat on the 8K side it stuck to the plate so hard that i had to push it off the edge to break the seal there was no way i was going to be able to pull it off the plate by lifting it up.

Ive read in these forums about others having a similar experience... so yes, with water it will definately stick to glass and not fall off upside down.

Greg Frazer

To borrow a phrase:

"Lap that wrascal"

LOL

Originally Posted by roughrider

I remember seeing a video that said if the Norton sticks to the wet plate glass upside down then it's flat. Is this true?

Depends how much water is on the stone. It can *look* like it is fully in contact with the glass if there is a lot of water on the stone. It should stick and look flat with only a little water. That's when you know it is really flat.

E

Originally Posted by roughrider

I remember seeing a video that said if the Norton sticks to the wet plate glass upside down then it's flat. Is this true?

Yes, but maybe not enough.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Probably better to stick with the pencil grid approach....

I agree.

X