Quote Originally Posted by Bart View Post
Quote Originally Posted by gssixgun View Post
I respectfully absolutly positively disagree, and I have only this as proof...

Take a 4k Norton and do 1600 laps, going on your assumtions that a 1k is 16 times faster than a 1k...
That would then equal 1000 laps on a 1K.... according to my estimate and 4000 according to yours.
nope 100 laps, you're off by 10

So, I like to do this quick 'back on the envelope' type estimates in my head as well, they work great only if you have to correct model of the process.

So, what is the correct number you ask? I believe it is 4 and that comes just from the depth of the grooves of the removed metal. the length of the groves is he same and as far as the width goes it's the same whether you have 4 times more of them when each is 4 times narrower.

Of course, this only works if the two abrasives work very similartly to each other and the difference is dominated by particle size. Which apparently is true for norton 1k and 4k. But as we all know particle size is only a small component on how a hone cuts and how fast it is.
As mparker pointed recently the various arkansas hones have the same particle sizes yet they cut in a drastically different manner.

Bottom line is the actual experiment trumps any incomplete theory, so when Glen says the comparison is such and such, I take this as the actual true answer from the experimental data.