Thread: Honing with a DMT

Originally Posted by JoshEarl

My 1200-grit took a little while to break in. In the mean time it beat my edges up a little.

Josh

Really?!

My new DMT helped me produce the best edge I've ever used and that was on the 2nd useage with it.

It's a continous 1200. Same as yours? I really am in love with it now.

Originally Posted by Howard

If you bent your razor, bend it back instead of grinding it down. Question: did you break in your D8EE as per DMT's instructions? If not, do so. You'll know it's broken in when the swarf changes color. Are you using a soapy solution when honing the razor? It's important to do that as well.

Are you examining the blade under magnification before you hone it? If not, do so as it will really inform your honing. If your blade is so dull that 20 passes on a DMT8EE doesn't do anything, drop back to a coarser grit like a DMT1200. Finish up on a coticule or Escher stone then strop.

Ok I did bend it back, and I do believe I broke it in according to what people on the forums have said. Though I am still getting pulling and skipping across the DMT surface when none exists on a 1200 or yellow coticule.

I did get a radio shack microscope and look at the edge under it and it appears that after the DMT there are many little (very tiny) chips out of the edge...but I don't know if that is normal (just evident under a microscope) or if it hasn't been broken in properly.

My DMT came with a little slip of paper inside that said it had already been broken in...there were no instructions in the box telling me how to do it.


Edit: I am using a soapy solutions with the hone.

This may be a long shot, but use a straight edge to make sure your DMT is flat.

Reliable sources have previously found a defective/"bent" DMT that was way over the guaranteed +/- 0.001" specification. Perhaps the diamond or nickel coating was not applied evenly? Check both sides.

Originally Posted by poona

Really?!

My new DMT helped me produce the best edge I've ever used and that was on the 2nd useage with it.

It's a continous 1200. Same as yours? I really am in love with it now.

That's the same one I have. I love mine, too. Just not for the first few razors. It put small but visible chips in the edges for a while. I finally grabbed a really junky old wedge and just ground it over the whole surface for a while. Worked like a charm, and I haven't looked back since.

Josh

Originally Posted by JoshEarl

That's the same one I have. I love mine, too. Just not for the first few razors. It put small but visible chips in the edges for a while. I finally grabbed a really junky old wedge and just ground it over the whole surface for a while. Worked like a charm, and I haven't looked back since.

Josh

I have made about 50 passes with a garden shovel and about 200 passes with the back of a kitchen knife and still feel bumpiness on the blade when honing. Is this enough? Am I breaking it in correctly?

Ray,

Do you have any other razors you could use? If not, at this point you'll probably just need to work through the bumps by honing your razor. The other stuff will help, but you'll probably still miss some spots.

Howard breaks his in with the back of a large chisel. Might be another option you could try.

Josh

How do you keep yours from sliding about. Mine has little rubber feet but it still wanders when I apply a little pressure.

I set my DMT on an 8x3" piece of granite tile. I glued some soft, foamy rubber to the bottom of the tile. That puts the whole thing at the same height as a Norton, which is comfy. I put a towel over the DMT and use it as a surface for my Belgians, too.

Try putting your DMT on different surfaces. Some are more slide-prone than others.

Josh

I've been using one of these stone holders from Woodcraft for a while.

Originally Posted by poona

How do you keep yours from sliding about. Mine has little rubber feet but it still wanders when I apply a little pressure.

Wet paper towel. I can give 'er with the back of a kitchen knife and it doesn't move.