Thread: Honing w Lappijng Film: Question on technique

A few quesitons actually:

1) I am honing a razor using lapping film. On a honing vide i saw, I notuiced that the blade was flipped so that the edge was honed once or maybe 10 times in each direction. this is difficult with lapping film as the film is not raised off the surface of the table like a stone. can I lap each sidce like 50 or 100 times and them flip it over ? I have what I beleive to be a nice bevel, but omewhat scratchy... so I think i need to hone it at 3 microns and below. A few hundred laps each is what I am told. Can I do each side say 50-100 times and then flip the razor ?

2) Is the spine going to dictate the proper angle for the edge or do I need to run the shank on the film as well ? I see that there is a wedge carved into my shank and I run the razor on the lapping film/hone at an angle this wedge in the shank seems to force the angle or re-enforce the angle that the snine kind of dictates as well. the film i have is about 3 inches wide. my entire razor fits but not the shank. if I want to run the shankk across as well, then i need to push the razor at an angle. what do I do ? Confused.

3) while I hone running against the edge of the blade.... can I use the lapping film as a stropping surface as well every so oftem and run in the same direction i normally do when I strop ?

Finally I have 3 micron film and .3 micron film. still waiting on 1 micron film (but i do have 1 micron abrasive on balsa wood), can i go from 3 micron to .3 micron ? How many lpas would you recommend ?

thanks,
Allen

I've never used film to hone so I cannot help but ..... here is a zombie thread with over 100 replies on the stuff

http://straightrazorpalace.com/advan...highlight=film

Typing 'film' into advanced search with 'search thread titles only' yielded some results.

I have not used lapping film but do have a lot of experience with paste. From my understanding lapping film should be used with stropping stroke (like paste) not a honing stroke. You should be laying the blade completely flat on the film and flipping the razor each time you reach the end of one stroke. So you are doing a stroke away from your body flipping the razor and then doing a stroke towards your body.

If I was using lapping film I would by a 3x3 block of wood sand it smooth and attach the film to the block. That way it is easier to do your strokes

Originally Posted by aseidman62

2) Is the spine going to dictate the proper angle for the edge or do I need to run the shank on the film as well ? I see that there is a wedge carved into my shank and I run the razor on the lapping film/hone at an angle this wedge in the shank seems to force the angle or re-enforce the angle that the snine kind of dictates as well. the film i have is about 3 inches wide. my entire razor fits but not the shank. if I want to run the shankk across as well, then i need to push the razor at an angle. what do I do ? Confused.

By "shank" do you mean tang ? In any case neither the tang nor the stabilisers should make contact, only the spine & edge.

I have used lapping film and you do use honing strokes with edge leading, not stropping strokes.

Get a smooth flat slab of marble-like flooring (or some thick glass)from Home Depot or Lowes that is totally flat and smooth. Place on your table. Add some water to the slab and then a piece of printing paper. Smooth it down. Add water to the top of the paper and then the lapping film. Smooth that down and add water on top of the film. Use honing strokes on the film and water.

Hone maybe 8 to 10 passes or less per film grade. I set a bevel on a extra hollow and full hollow razor starting with 12 then 9, 5, 3,1, .3 microns. If you really have a bevel already (cutting arm hair), you could skip to 5, 3, 1 and finish with CrOx on balsa or linen. I saw the video that just used 3, 1 micron. That didn't work for me. Maybe it works to touch up a honed razor that is getting a little rough.

Whatever grades you use, difinitely use the honing stroke with edge leading. I would say you need at least 5, 3 and 1 microns to do any good. Also, with any honing only the cutting blade edge is on the surface of the hone, not the shank. The shank would keep the blade from lying flat on the surface of the hone and you'd get an uneven dangerous edge.

One more thing. Make sure you have the honing side up for the film. The non-honing side is slick feeling.

Originally Posted by lindyhop66

I have used lapping film and you do use honing strokes with edge leading, not stropping strokes.

Get a smooth flat slab of marble-like flooring (or some thick glass)from Home Depot or Lowes that is totally flat and smooth. Place on your table. Add some water to the slab and then a piece of printing paper. Smooth it down. Add water to the top of the paper and then the lapping film. Smooth that down and add water on top of the film. Use honing strokes on the film and water.

Hone maybe 8 to 10 passes or less per film grade. I set a bevel on a extra hollow and full hollow razor starting with 12 then 9, 5, 3,1, .3 microns. If you really have a bevel already (cutting arm hair), you could skip to 5, 3, 1 and finish with CrOx on balsa or linen. I saw the video that just used 3, 1 micron. That didn't work for me. Maybe it works to touch up a honed razor that is getting a little rough.

Whatever grades you use, difinitely use the honing stroke with edge leading. I would say you need at least 5, 3 and 1 microns to do any good. Also, with any honing only the cutting blade edge is on the surface of the hone, not the shank. The shank would keep the blade from lying flat on the surface of the hone and you'd get an uneven dangerous edge.

One more thing. Make sure you have the honing side up for the film. The non-honing side is slick feeling.

What he said,,, or +1

I never had any Bl*&%dy luck with the paper under the lapping film procedure.
My film always curls up even when I soal it for a good while in water.
My way is to use a very very light coating of spray on adhisive, let it get very tacky then press the film down on the peice of glass I had made for this method. When I"m done with that grit I peel off the film and put it on some wax paper to hold it there until the next razor comes up for honing.
remember, only coat one surface[the back as the film] and let it get tacky before applying to what ever your flat surface is that your using with the lapping film/abrasive paper.
That's my story and I"m a' stickin' to it!

YMMV, tinkersd

Lindyhop66: did youreally mean only 8-10 passes per micron grade of film ? Other have suggested hundres of passes on each grade !

thanks to all for the insight... i am trying. re-honed the blase on just the 3 micron & .3 micron then followed up with basa strop. di about 200 strokes on each side of the blade. the first blade shaved much better last night my face is still sensitive due to the rough save the other night but it seems way better. a true mirror edge .

I know I didn't use hundreds of passes. Do a few passes and test on arm hair and do more if needed. It doesn't need a lot of passes.

On the other hand, I picked up two no name brand razors yesterday with awfully damaged edges and couldn't get a bevel no matter how many lapping film passes or synthetic hones passes I tried.

Originally Posted by aseidman62

Lindyhop66: did youreally mean only 8-10 passes per micron grade of film ? Other have suggested hundres of passes on each grade !

thanks to all for the insight... i am trying. re-honed the blase on just the 3 micron & .3 micron then followed up with basa strop. di about 200 strokes on each side of the blade. the first blade shaved much better last night my face is still sensitive due to the rough save the other night but it seems way better. a true mirror edge .

Way way way too many... to give you an idea I do less then 10 laps on any paste if I use them at all

You are either using the paste to finish the honing, or tearing the edge to pieces or perhaps both ...

BTW a mirror bevel doesn't mean a good job honing or stropping