Thread: Lapping Norton 4000/8000 - Frequency?

How often do you need to lap a Norton hone? How many times do you use the 4000 side before you lap it again? Same goes for the 8000 side.

I'll also ask my question about the Chinses 12K here to prevent starting another thread.
Using sandpaper to lap the hone, would you finish with a higher grit sandpaper compared to the Norton because it's a polishing stone? What sandpaper would you finish with? How often does the Chinese 12K need to be lapped?

Here is my method.

I always tape the spine with electrical tape. The electrical tape comes off faster than steel, so play with the pressure you apply to the razor so that you are actually removing the steel and not just honing electrical tape.

When the face of the stone becomes so full of stuff that it no longer cuts then it is time to lap. I spent 3 hours honing yesterday and lapped once before and once during. This was for the 4000 stone. I wet the stone often and then will vigorously rub the stone under running water to unclog as much of the stone as possible.

Basically, when the stone is black, lap it again. Don't remove too much of the stone though, you just need to remove a little.

YMMV

I take a pencil and draw a grid. Kind of like the tic tac toe game but more lines. I lap the stone until the grid is gone. If you hone enough you will feel the difference between a flat stone and one that isn't through the razor. Seems to me like more resistance in a truly flat surface. Some guys do half a dozen razors between flattening ( I have read) I am in the camp that flattens before every honing session. It's hell being a perfectionist but that is probably why I like honing razors.

Does the Chinese 12K need lapping too?

Originally Posted by GuybrushThreepwood

Does the Chinese 12K need lapping too?

Yes sir, all of mine and all of them I've heard of.

Lapping does more than just keep the hone flat, it also cleans the hone of accumulated swarf . When we refer to lapping before each honing session
it is a light lapping.
The primary guide is your sense of touch. When the hone feels like its cutting much less than when you started or it looks dirty then lightly lap the hone. My personal preference is for a 1000 grit finish texture on the hone. I usually use a Norton 1000 to finish lapping all my hones. Nortons, TAMS,belgians, eschers, chinese 12K etc.

Just my $.02,

I would take what Randy just wrote and read it once again, because what he said works...

You really can't even count how many razor's... If yer honing wedges less time, hollows more time between lapping....

If you tape the spine on every razor like some of us do, the time between lapping will be reduced just because your only honing the edge and not the spine...

Also a little written about system of lapping is always lap the highest grit to the lowest grit... This minimizes the effect of any grit transfer...

Hone Lapping 101 - Straight Razor Place Wiki has it all. And pictures, too.

I lap all my stones after every session with them.

It keeps them clean and flat for the next session.

Lynn

Thanks for all the help guys!