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

Just found similar alum oxide lapping sheets here, even cheaper and slightly larger:

Lapping sheets and plate

Comes in a pack of 10 for $13.10, so it's $1.30 per sheet.
Each sheet is 9" x 13", you can then cut each sheet into four individual 3 1/4 x 9" sheets for honing. $1.31/4 = 33 cents a honing sheet!

I'm planning to get the 9.5" x 13.5" glass plate they have as well. I can then mount three of the 3 1/4" x 9" honing sheets along three of the side of the glass plate and thus have all three grit sizes (5um, 3um, 1um) available on one plate!

I'm currently using diamond lapping sheets, and they are awesome and long lasting (been using the same sheets for close to three months, they are starting to wear out now), but they are about $5 for a 3" x 6" sheet.

How long do the alum oxide sheets last, WildTim?

Steel uses up aluminum oxide papers pretty fast. How long these will last depends on the density, type of aluminum oxide and the binder used.

But...the price is right. Give it a try and let us know how it works.

I forgot to post shave test results for the three razors I talked about a couple of weeks back. I'm glad I was reminded of this thread today so I could do so.

The second razor from my refresh session came out of that session shaving really really nicely. I have left it alone since. This razor also gave me great shaves right of the 8000 last time i sharpened it so I wasn't surprised to much. This is one of those razors that makes straight razor shaving seem easy, it shaves well, sharpens on a brick and holds that edge very well. Its ugly as sin too so you aren't afraid to mess up its looks.

The first razor from my session didn't fare quite as well. It shaved but pulled a little. I probably would have tolerated this level of sharpness when I started honing, but not now. It is markedly better than it was though.

The third razor, my problem child also improved from where it was but seems slightly overhoned. This razor often feels this war right off the hone, only to start pulling badly again a and couple of shaves later. Like I said a problem child as I never seem to get it into that sweet spot of perfection.

I kind of cheated in my tests when solving these two imperfections. I didn't want to go all the way downstairs for either the few laps it would take to fix the one or the disappointment I face in the other. So I reached into my vanity and pulled out my favorite barbers hone giving the better razor three strokes, and the worse one ten. This put the first back into my rotation shaving smoothly, so it was really close to perfect when it came off the honing paper. The last razor still wasn't there yet and it took another ten laps on the barbers hone to get it there. This is actually the first time I have been really happy with this last razors sharpness level in my last three attempts at honing it.

In conclusion: The paper system is as capable as any bench stone/hone system for touching up a edge that has gone off from use but still nothing beats a hone you can use right at the sink and store with your shaving supplies for those last final touch ups that give the most refined shave.

This a great thread!

Originally Posted by Wildtim

I don't know if you read this paragraph.

"Because of the difficulty of applying the film and the fact that it will have to be reapplied at intervals I would not recommend this system to a beginning honer.

I took this warning and kaptain_zero's advise to heart when applying the PSA sheets to a 12x12" marble tile, I got from lowe's for about two bucks. Instead of wetting the tile with water and detergent, I simply put 4" of slightly soapy water in the kitchen sink and submerged the tile in it. Sliding each sheet in so as to not trap any air bubbles underneath the film I was able squeegee out the water with a credit card, no problem. The soapy water allowed me to easily move the sheets to the proper position with fingertip pressure.

I applied four 3 3/8 x 8 1/2 sheets in just a few minutes even though I don't have any experience with decals.

I used your honing technique on an old Wester Bros and it did a fine job!

Thats great to hear. I'm glade the soapy water trick hit it, and that a credit card didn't scratch the PSA film. Those are a couple of my biggest worries the next time I have to apply the film.



I'm afraid I won't be submerging mine though, they are Glass on MDF and though the MDF is sealed with polyurethane I don't trust it to stand up to that treatment.

This method does seem to work for the occasional honer so its great to find way to make it even easier to do.

Originally Posted by Seraphim

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.

Did you ever try this? Results?

Still waiting for my new lapping films to arrive, they're backordered.

Originally Posted by shuredgefan

This a great thread!



I took this warning and kaptain_zero's advise to heart when applying the PSA sheets to a 12x12" marble tile, I got from lowe's for about two bucks. Instead of wetting the tile with water and detergent, I simply put 4" of slightly soapy water in the kitchen sink and submerged the tile in it. Sliding each sheet in so as to not trap any air bubbles underneath the film I was able squeegee out the water with a credit card, no problem. The soapy water allowed me to easily move the sheets to the proper position with fingertip pressure.

I applied four 3 3/8 x 8 1/2 sheets in just a few minutes even though I don't have any experience with decals.

I used your honing technique on an old Wester Bros and it did a fine job!

A few questions on this thread, but I'll go with this one first:

Is a piece of tile flat enough for honing purposes? If one was to use a tile for it, what type of tile should one use?

Are micro abrasive sheets available at any type of retail store that could be found in a major metro area or can they only be found online?

Both on 3M's webpage and Tools for Working Wood, several varieties of micro abrasive sheets are listed, which were you using?

Would these same sheets work for intermediate stages of rust removal and restoring a mirror finish to a blade, or would it be best to stick to high grit sandpapers and polishing discs?

Any ideas how many retouches one could expect from a single sheet?

Thanks,

Jordan

Jordan,

I'm not sure where everyone else is getting their abrasive sheets from but I bought mine from Lee Valley Tools as I have a store in our town. These are 3M mylar abrasive sheets, available with or without adhesive on the back.

Polished marble or granite tiles are generally quite flat (the process in polishing is the same as surface grinding) and can be had by the piece from Home Depot and the like. Regular terracotta and ceramic tiles are NOT flat enough.

For rust removal and sanding blades, I'd stick to the common wet/dry type papers.. cheaper and easier to handle, the mylar stuff will work but I can't imagine it being any better and it has to be cut rather than just fold and rip the usual stuff.

As for longevity, I've used it but switched to hones and haven't looked back since... I'd not hesitate to use these sheets if my hones weren't available but seeing they are I've never wore one out. If you are thinking cost vs. performance, the sheets will get you in the game cheap but if you stay with it, hones will come out on top in the end.

Regards

Christian

I just purchased some 3M Micron Finishing Paper from Progress Tool. They carry a large selection. These aren't micro-abrasives but they are advertised as the grits we'd use to sharpen. I purchased 2 sheets of each and they cost me $13.80 shipped. I'll let you know if they're good after I get them.

3M Micron Finishing Paper - 1 Micron / 8000 Grit (Lt. Green)
3M Micron Finishing Paper - 2 Micron / 6000 Grit (Mint)
3M Micron Finishing Paper - 3 Micron / 4000 Grit (Pink)
3M Micron Finishing Paper - 9 Micron / 1200 Grit (Blue)