Thread: Hone lapping 101 discussion

Well done!

Make this a Sticky In the newbies forum, the hone basics forum, and any FAQ that are developed.

Admins!, you listening?

I just nominated hone lapping 101 at this location. Go second it somebody! Very nice tutorial, well illustrated.

Originally Posted by JoshEarl

I don't, actually. I find the 325-grit lapping leaves a very nice surface. I also liked the surface on the Norton that I get with a DMT 325.

Josh

May I cast a dissenting voice to this? Nothing less than a 1000 grit finish for me and my razors. But... to each their own!

Of course, Randy. I meant to mention in the tutorial thread that you can also use a Norton 1K, which I think is what you use.

The Norton lapping stone is 220 grit, I think. To each his own.

Josh

I mentioned this last night in the worng thread I think .. but excellent work Josh . The photos are an excellent idea , clear and to the point ..
I look forward to seeing further guidance like that .. My g/f's brother is just starting out so this info is going to be a big help to him ( he also has me for first hand 1 on 1 but this is great ref material )

Garry

Good tutorial. Really cleared up a lot.
Would you use this same method to lap a
Norton flattening stone?

John

John,

I haven't tried flattening a flattening stone. I imagine you'd need to do much the same thing, but with coarser sandpaper. If the flattening stone is aluminum oxide or something similar, it might take a while. The "flattening the flattening stone" thing is why I prefer DMTs. It just removes all doubt.

Josh

Josh,
I'd love to see your video. Where can I find it?

Howard,

It's actually a photo tutorial, and it's here.

Before you bust my chops about the pencil grid, I'll quickly state that I normally just look at the color of the hone to see when it's flat. I think the pencil grid is good for newbies.

Josh

Thanks Josh, very nice. By the way, I think you should add a link to the photo thread in the first post of this thread.


And I've noticed you're not kidding about barber hones. I have the coarse DMT and a small barber hone I thought I'd try lapping. I'm sure I spent half an hour or more and still not quite done (I really needed a break).