Thread: 3M Micro Abrasive Film, A Usage Guide and Review

I don't use the self-adhesive lapping sheets, just the plain, no stickum kind.

Wet out the sheet of glass, lay down your lapping sheet, work out the excess water and air bubbles and the film stays put pretty well like that. Or if I'm feeling nervous about it, I'll tape the edges to make sure it doesn't move.

Once the sheet is down (make sure the film is right up to the edge of the glass sheet, and thet the edge of the glass plate is smooth!), you use it like any other hone. I don't feel that this is an advanced technique, as I. myself have been using this since day one as a straight razor user.

I think the adhesive sheets are harder to use.

I'll give the plain a try once I run through the stock I have.

The thing I like about the PSA sheets is that I still have the hones set up right now, several days later, if I splash a little water on them they are ready to go. All the convenience of a diamond plate none of the cost.

My experience told me that the method I used isn't one I would recommend to a razor newbie. Even if someone had experience working with decal application or laminating things I would hesitate to recommend what I did as there are just to many variables to juggle for someone with no experience, and for the person who will have to help them through it via e-mail or here on the boards.

Perhaps the method can be refined over time bringing the startup cost of our hobby down in the process and making it just that much less intimidating to the uninitiated.

really informative post great read thank you and you can do touch ups with a pasted strop

Excellent thread! I really enjoyed reading about this technique...

Originally Posted by Wildtim

I think the adhesive sheets are harder to use.

I'll give the plain a try once I run through the stock I have.


My experience told me that the method I used isn't one I would recommend to a razor newbie. Even if someone had experience working with decal application or laminating things I would hesitate to recommend what I did as there are just to many variables to juggle for someone with no experience, and for the person who will have to help them through it via e-mail or here on the boards.

Perhaps the method can be refined over time bringing the startup cost of our hobby down in the process and making it just that much less intimidating to the uninitiated.

Tim, I was just reading your comments and I happened to look at my shelf above the computer monitor where I saw a jar of SuperGrip from Hand American that I had forgotten about. This is the stuff they suggest for attaching non PSA film to glass. To me it feels like a medium hard waxy kind of substance, not sticky but slightly tacky. A smear spreads quite easy onto a piece of glass and the 3M 0.5 micron film I have seems to adhere well enough. Keeping the area scrupulously clean is imperative to avoid bumps in the film but bubbles seem to be a non issue using the SuperGrip paste. Frankly, I don't care for the feel of honing film on glass and have ditched it all in favor of natural hones, blue and yellow coticules to be exact. I have made a "scrubbed" leather bench hone for myself and use that with chromium oxide but I find the waxy stick type used by polishers for loading buffing wheels seems to work better for me than the powder/liquid from HA but I'm still experimenting with that so my opinion might change down the road.

I'd have to agree with Tim that while the honing film works, I'd not recommend it if you can afford a hone or two... Between the ongoing cost of replacing the film as it wears and the hassle in applying it to the glass properly, there's really not much good to be said about the scary sharp system except for it's fairly low entry fee. If you have to go out and buy a few pieces of cut glass and mail order the PSA films, you might even be getting close to the cost of some hones!

Regards

Kaptain "Kaptain like rock..... rock good." Zero

I've seen that stuff on his site. Yet another option to try. If the bubble problem is solved and there is an easier way to get the film applied to the glass this really does make sense for someone who wants to try honing with little outlay.

I'm really having fun with this given all the options you guys have given me in this thread I think I can keep my HAD in check for a couple of years while spending less than twenty bucks

I have a feeling this is going to be my honing method of choice for some time to come.

I was thinking about this the last couple of days.

Back when I was into mountain biking, what we used to slip on the rubber handlebar grips was Aquanet hairspray. When wet, it was nice and slippery, but it dried like glue. Perhaps this would be a good way to apply the lapping films to the plates?

I'm going to give this methed a try when I re-do my setup.

Very good thread guys! Thanks a bunch.

Quick update.

Touched up three razors with the system last night. Took less than twenty minutes from beginning to end. Its really nice to just grab the hones spill a little water on them and go to work. This is partly the fault of having separate hones rather than a combination hone and partly the no soaking and no slurry action of this system.

The razors were:

A 5/8 Griffon that was shaving well but felt a little tugging during the shave, last sharpened.... I have no idea sometime last year and touched up on a barbers hone since.

A 6/8 Griffon also shaving well but tugging slightly, last sharpened in early December, I've been shaving with this one right off the 8000 since then and now its ready for a refresh.

A 5/8 "Michigan Farmer" made in Germany. This has been a bugaboo razor for me, it gets nice and sharp but dulls faster than any other razor I have and is the most likely to become over honed fast. Not being able to keep this razor shaving well is a driving force behind me trying different methods of sharpening. When this was expertly honed it was a great shaver, so I know its potential, but I just can't meet the standard with this shaver.

For the first razor I did a short progression of:
1/3
1/5
1/5
1/7
Then checked and called it good, I felt significant improvement in the TPT, enough to move on to a shave test.

The second got a progression of:
1/3
1/5
1/5
1/7
Then check, better but...
10 strokes on the 1 micron
TPT say its as good as the other.

The last razor got a longer treatment as it was barely shaving when I brought it down to the shop.
3/3
3/5
1/3
1/5
1/5
1/7
check and find it better but not there yet.
5 strokes on the 1 micron.
Its good enough for a shave test.

I then blotted the excess water off the hones and put them up, the feet on the bottom allow air circulation so they will dry without being left sitting out. Again it was nice to be in and out of the shop after taking only about five minutes with each razor. I know there are other honing systems that give you this kind of convenience, but this is a first for me, and I really enjoy it. The only thing I hate about honing is the set-up and clean-up time it takes to use traditional water stones or in the case of my Arkansas, oil stones.

Wildtim,

Have you tried the decal appliers' technique of wetting the surface and/or the applique with water mixed with a tiny bit of dishwashing detergent before sticking the two surface together? I spoke with someone who puts the decals on our Highway Patrol cars, asking how they got them on so smoothly and he said water, soap and a squeegee. Wet everything, soak the decal, hold it up and apply it to the car door, and squeegee out the bubbles (or roll out with your plastic laminate roller). Once the water is worked out of the joint between the substrate and applique, the adhesive can make a smooth semi-permanent or permanent bond depending on the type of glue. This should work as well for different materials such as your abrasive films.