lapping a hone using diamond plates - plate sizes and hone types

[Krisdavie]

hey guys,
Im kinda resurrecting an old thread and asking a few questions at the same time.

So I have just spend about 20 -30 mins lapping a C12k that i had a while ago and have never really been convinced is perfectly flat, Ive been working on it using some good quality 320 grit wet n dry and am now a lot more satisfied that its flatter than it was.

however my ocd is starting to come out a little bit and I'm convinced I can get it flatter so i started reading some threads on here regarding diamond plates and decided that I'm going to get one next month when i get paid.

In this thread http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...5-lapping.html one of the people responding to the op about plates, mentions he is using a 6" x 2" plate to lap with, is there a disadvantage to using a smaller plate apart from it needing a little more work to lap a stone?

on a final question should i need to lap a 1k naniwa super stone out of the box? I've read a few posts on here and other places suggesting that it should be lapped, but then i've also seen a few reviews and youtube videos whereby people suggest that the stone shouldn't need lapping out of the box, and on that if it needs lapping, would a 6" x 2" dmt be capable of lapping it? as the naniwa is going to be at least a half inch if not an inch wider than the plate.

any feedback is appreciated as id prefer to get the right bits to-do this correctly the first time.

kris

[Birnando]

Yes, that is the correct DMT 325.
I would strongly suggest you get the 8*3 though.
That will also do a fine job on most any other hone you might get.

Yes, the Naniwa SS will need a good lapping prior to initial use.
And on a regular basis after that.
I try to flatten all stones in the same state as I use them for honing.
In other words, soak or wet the stone prior to lapping, just as you would before honing.

[Krisdavie]

ok well thats good to know that the naniwa is going to need a lapping to begin with, and at least once I have the dmt I can finally ease my ocd by flattening all of the stones in one go

thanks for the quick reply

[onimaru55]

I'll second the use of a larger diamond plate. The lap needs to be larger or equal to the size of the stone for an even result.