Thread: Shapton 15K question

Thanks korndog. I have just ordered the compact lapping system and the white powder.

OK, since we are at lapping... I received two hones from Tilly, the Lithide and Itsapeech. I went on with the lapping on 1000 sandpaper, and noticed the lapped surface is not so smooth as the non-lapped, manufactured surface... So, on the touch, it is more like between the Norton 4K and 8K sides, and the surface is matte, and not shiny at all... Is this how it's supposed to be?

And the high point of yesterday was (please don't laugh) that at the final strokes lapping the Lithide, it created so much suction on the sandaper, that, when pulling it off, it slipped from my hand, and shattered to pieces at the bathroom floor

Nenad

Nenad,
Sorry to hear about the Lithide.

I have found the same thing with barber hones. Being cast they tend to have a glaze, or smooth surface no matter the grit size. Once lapped, that surface glaze is broken and they feel more rough. This has no effect though as the actual grit size has not changed. The pores in the stone open up a bit which may help them cut a little faster as on a Norton 4K.

Tony

Yeah, real bummer... Shipping it across USA, and then across the world for couple of weeks, just to get broken in split second.

Tony, what is your experience with the barber hones? Did you find something from Tilly's selection that is finer than Norton 8K? I hoped it was gonna be the Lithide ot the Itsapeech, but they both seemed rougher (even for that couple of swipes before I start lapping the Lithide). I really like the barber hones format and size...

Nenad

Originally Posted by glrerun

Thanks korndog. I have just ordered the compact lapping system and the white powder.

Excellent! Good move.

Try lapping the 12K with your norton 8K. It will get the pretty shapton hone a little yellow but I'd bet it would work better than sand papper.

Many of you know I "trimmed" my Norton a short time ago and the best use of the spare end peice is to clean and surface the main part of the hone. I use the 8K side's on each other and likewise with the 4K sides and it seems to litterly bring the hone back to that "like new" state maybe even a little better than it was new. Of course this wont compensate for unevenness across the hone but once I have the hone nice and flat now I run the spare peice acorss a few times and she's ready to go... I've also used the end peice as sort of a Nagura stone to build up a slurry... really go a head and cut your norton, all the cool kids are doing it

I had a similiar problem with this Shapton stone. Long story short, this stone should not be lapped by anything except maybe a diamond plate. The stone is so dense that anything you lap it with will become embedded in the stone, even the Shapton white lapping powder. Trust me I know, I nearly drove myself nuts getting all of that grit out of the stone. It is an inherent flaw of the stone/lapping system. Sorry you had to find out the hard way. For those that are thinking about purchasing the stone, do not lap it new, it doesn't need it and shouldn't require it. All you need to do to clean it it wet it and wipe off the black smudges with a clean rag.

Another stone I can 100% recommend is the Naniwa 10K at japanwoodworker.com, it is just as fine as the 15K and doesn't have the lapping issues, plus it is cheaper.
Lee

Originally Posted by pikappa167

Another stone I can 100% recommend is the Naniwa 10K at japanwoodworker.com, it is just as fine as the 15K and doesn't have the lapping issues, plus it is cheaper.
Lee

I just got my Naniwa and it is amazing. The polish I was able to put on my knives is brilliant. I love the natural stone feel. Unfortunatley, I arleady took a nice sized gouge out of it.

So how do you lap the Naniwa? "Standard" 1200 grit sandpaper or lapping plate or wasabi paste?

Lap it with something coarser, say a 400-600. It's the smaller grits that seem to work their way into the binder of these polish stones. You can use a nagura on this stone to clean/lap it too. This is another no-no with the Shapton 15K in my opinion.

lol! That is the only drawback with the Naniwa, very soft and easily gouged.