Not everything in life is so simple it can be put in one-liners.
I tried to make my point is the clearest way I could.
I also said that I agree with the big picture, only that I think that the speed difference between 1K and 4K is bigger than you seem to think.
Nope. I try to offer an explanation for something I experience in real life. (more about that in a minute) From what I understand of your first post, it was you that were saying that 4K is 4 times slower than 1K. That sounds pretty much like going by the figures. If I'm allowed to translate to 4/8K, than 2 laps on the 8K removes the same amount of steel than 1K lap on the 4K. To calculate even further: 4X 16k= 2X8K = 1X4K. This opens interesting perspectives for saving money spend on hones. If it were true.
That is correct. I don't own any Norton hones. I own the DMTs 325, 600 and 1200 grit. I also own the Chosera 5K and 10K. As far as hones with numbers, that's all real life experience I have to offer. Having used them, I always had the distinct impression that the speeds differences are considerably bigger than what a simple division of the numbers would suggest. The Norton hones might behave differently. I'll take your word for it.
I don't really get that. Your 20 laps are always 20 laps.
I can't put words in Tom's mouth, but that's not what I made from his post.
That is completely mutual, Glen. Somehow I have the feeling that you read what I said in my first post as a public encouragement to do more laps. But it's the reverse actually. I am not shy of doing many laps myself. Sometimes I'm just too lazy to stand up and get a coarser hone. But there are tasks that simply cannot be done without the proper hone, that offers the required abrasive speed and power. I think we agree on that one.
+1
I stand corrected. It was running late yesterday.
At first sight, a sound theory. Basically, an army of spikes plows through the steel. 1K spikes in theory being 4 times larger in diameter than 4K spikes would make 4 laps on 4K remove the same amount of steel as 1 lap on 1K. That was my reasoning a few years back, but it doesn't hold up in reality.
When I woke up today, I took my DMT 325 - 600 combination stone. I placed a small piece of aluminum T-bar upside down on the 325 and honed till the entire top surface of the T had 325 scratches in one direction. Next I changed the honing direction 90 degrees. It took 2 full length strokes on the 325 to completely replace the previous scratch pattern with one running in the new direction. Then I flipped the hone over to the 600 side. (Note that my 325 doubles as a lapping plate for Coticules and that is has considerably more wear than the 600) Still, it took me 20 full length laps to replace the 325 grit scratches with 600 grit scratches. (I made the new scratches perpendicular to the 325 ones) To finish this humble experiment, I replaced the 600 grit scratch pattern with a new one running in perpendicular direction. That took 4 laps.
I could run the same experiment on my Choseras 5K and 10K, but do I really need to? I already know that the two 10K-laps don't equal one 5K laps. Not even close.
Best regards and no disrespect intended,
Bart.