Thread: How to use sandpaper for lapping?

Hello, and sorry if this has been answered in the past. I have searched the threads, but not found a thread explaining a newbie honer how to use sandpaper for lapping.

I have bought myself a Norton 4000/8000 and a Naniwa 12000 for Christmas, and hope to hone myself in the future. I also bought some 240 and 320 sandpaper. I have read about sandpaper and a glassplate, but what do you actually do?

And is it necessary to lap a new stone? Again, sorry if this is answered before, I can delete this post if so.

Thank`s

Arild

You'll definitely want to lap your new hones. If you are using wet/dry sandpaper, Just wet it and put in on a flat counter-top. Place the surface you want to lap face down onto the sandpaper and move it in circles. Just make sure that you let the weight of the stone do the work, and don;t bear down on it at all. It sometimes takes a little while, but it works. You may want to get some higher grit sandpaper for your 8k and 12k, however, since lower grit will leave a rougher surface.

Good luck

I use a peice of 3/4 x 12 x 18 inch tempered glass that has rounded edges. I place the sand paper on the glass, place it under the faucet and let the water run. I then make figure 8's on the paper with the stone. Oh, I mark the stone with pencil as a guide.

Hope that helps.

Try this......

Hone Lapping 101 - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Instead of glassplate you may find something like melamine shelf/plate very handy.

ama015,

You might also want to arrange something to keep the carbide paper flat during the lapping process.

Wetting the back of the paper is supposed to keep it flat against the substrate, but if your paper is anything like mine it starts to curl up pretty quickly !

I suppose plastic backed 'paper' would be less prone to this

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

Originally Posted by randydance062449

Try this......

Hone Lapping 101 - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Thank you all for your help. This explains it perfectly, I think even I can do it!

Great reply's, just the info I was needing

I have now successfully lapped my Norton 4/8 and Naniwa 12 using a 600 grit sandpaper and the method showed in this thread. Especially the Norton was not plain at all. I now understand why that stone has given me problems honing in the past, lol. The Naniwa was easily lapped within two minutes.

I took a Thiers-Issard Historic 6/8 that was quite nice to shave with already and gave it a few laps on the Naniwa 12. It certainly got sharper. Honing is actually quite fun when it works So now I have to practice and be able to set a bevel on a bad razor. I think I need a Naniwa 1000, then I should have the stones I need?

Thank you all for the help, much appreciated

Congrats on your success!

A 1000 grit hone should be all you need to restore the edge on old razors.

But please remember that restoring an edge is where the bulk of the work is done. You will be removing old oxidized steel, nicks and possibly "shaping" the edge. The Wiki should have info on that process.

Hope this helps,