Thread: Lapping a BB/Coticule

lol

I have two shave ready razors, a Dovo special and Dovo SS #41 and a shave ready Dubl duck special on the way.

I'll keep you guys posted on how the lapping goes!

thanks for the tips guys!

No worries. If you have a camera, post pictures of the stone after it's lapped. I LOVE seeing pictures of stones, can never get enough.

OK, well then, here are my coticules, one short of a dozen!

As long as you don't drop it, there's little to worry about your Coticule.
I have yet to lap one a second time, and some of them sure see a lot of use. Lap your slurry stone as well (if it isn't flat already), and try to cover the entire surface of the Coticule every time you raise slurry. This will keep the flatness within limits for a very long time.
There's no need for very fine sandpaper. The hone polishes itself while lapping. It your Coticule is soft, 800 grit will work, but if it's a very hard Coticule, you'll be lapping till next year. Garnets dull sandpaper extremely quickly.

Good luck,
Bart.

Originally Posted by Dups

Any risk of damaging the stone if I use 820 grit?

You won't damage the stone, but you will expend more time and more sheets of sandpaper with that fine a grit. As a reference, the DMT most people use, the Norton flattening stone and the Shapton glass/diamond plate are all in the range of 320 grit (the Norton may be slightly coarser).

Originally Posted by Utopian

OK, well then, here are my coticules, one short of a dozen!

Let's call 11 a barber's dozen!

Hey guys,

Just lapped the stones using some 220 grit sandpaper.

The stone looks great. I haven't really had a chance to test it out fully. I'm not having a problem raising a slurry but I find it tough to keep the slurry on the stone. I try to strop quite before getting to the end but it still runs off on the sides and whatnot. It's a very narrow one only 1.5" wide so.

Any tips? do you guys raise more slurry as you go on?

Originally Posted by Dups

Hey guys,

Just lapped the stones using some 220 grit sandpaper.

The stone looks great. I haven't really had a chance to test it out fully. I'm not having a problem raising a slurry but I find it tough to keep the slurry on the stone. I try to strop quite before getting to the end but it still runs off on the sides and whatnot. It's a very narrow one only 1.5" wide so.

Any tips? do you guys raise more slurry as you go on?

You don't need a lot of slurry. After all, only the very thin layer of slurry between the edge and the hone's surface does the work. Everything that runs up, or in front of, the edge is nice for monitoring your stroke, but doesn't do any cutting.
I hardly ever raise more slurry, except when I start the "diluting stage". Then I replace the dirty slurry and raise fresh one. I don't know if it makes a difference. It's just something I do.
Keep the slurry thin enough. Thick slurry is more easily wiped away than thin. I use Coticules as narrow as 0.5" (for severely warped blades) and on that one I might need to use the slurry stone every 100 laps or so. 40mm (slightly over 1.5") is the width of my most used Coticule. It works very well for me.

Maybe adding a drop of dish washing soap adds a bit of extra cohesion to the slurry. You could experiment with, and without, to see if it makes any difference.

Bart.

Originally Posted by Dups

I find it tough to keep the slurry on the stone.

I'm no expert with a coticule but I find some slurry remains on the stone even if some runs off. I'm assuming (hoping!) that the amount that remains is enough.

But I guess different technique might change that, especially on a narrow hone.

Oh - I normally hand-hold a hone, but with the coticule I keep it flat on a surface instead to reduce slurry loss. Are you doing that?

Originally Posted by Rajagra

I'm no expert with a coticule but I find some slurry remains on the stone even if some runs off. I'm assuming (hoping!) that the amount that remains is enough.

But I guess different technique might change that, especially on a narrow hone.

Oh - I normally hand-hold a hone, but with the coticule I keep it flat on a surface instead to reduce slurry loss. Are you doing that?

Yes I keep mine flat on a small hand towel.

How long do you rub the slurry stone for?

I noticed that my slurry was getting really dark when I tried to do what I believe was bevel work.

The razor was shaving decent before but it was originally honed with 1 layer of tape so I took it off to see if the coticule could set a good bevel on it. (it's a cheap Double arrow so I don't really mind messing around with it)