Thread: Lapping A New Norton 4k/8k

For those of you that didnt have to lap much off the 4K side of your Norton.....congratulations, you have been fortunate. My Norton needed to have about an eighth of an inch lapped off the 4K before it was smooth enough. Mine had quite a bit of porosity and texture in the outer most layer.

I guess the right answer is "keep lapping until the surface is smooth and free from roughness, and don't be surprised if you have to take off quite a bit".

BTW, the DMT 325 is a really good choice for a lapping stone. I have the Norton lapping stone, a DMT, sandpaper and a Shapton DGLP. The DMT is probably the sweet spot in the group. The Shapton is better, but there are definitely diminishing returns at its price point.

Edit: One more thing, don't forget to put a small radius on the edges of the stone after you lap it.

Originally Posted by Hirlau

1/8 of an inch ??
Sounds like a bit much to lap off of a new Norton, but I could be wrong.

It took me about 10 minutes of easy lapping with a 325 to bring mine into play.

I didn't exactly measure it and maybe exaggerated some. The point being, it seemed that I lapped away a lot more than I thought would ever be necessary with a brand new stone. I bought a Naniwai 1k at the same time and couldn't figure out why the 4k felt so much more rough than the 1k. I hadn't smoothed it out yet. My honing mentor here, Stefan, told me to get busy with the DMT and not to be afraid to strip some of the 4k off. Then things started to make sense.

Yes, I can see there being a difference from Norton to Norton, nothing is made "Exactly" alike. Just when I saw the 1/8 of an inch reference, I actually took a ruler to my Norton & said, "Holy Cow!".

I'm glad you got her up & running, though.

Originally Posted by Hirlau

Yes, I can see there being a difference from Norton to Norton, nothing is made "Exactly" alike. Just when I saw the 1/8 of an inch reference, I actually took a ruler to my Norton & said, "Holy Cow!".

I'm glad you got her up & running, though.

My reaction was the same when I was told how much to peel off of it. So much to learn. But with each discovery I know we're preserving what was almost lost knowledge. It's important that someone keeps these traditions alive. I guess that is our charge.

Some enlightenment

Norton 4k

Made in USA
Made in Mexico
Made in Italy

There are many different recommendations for lapping because these are all slightly different in smoothness

The earlier 4k's were the USA ones and required near zero lapping, then they changed to the Mexico made and the stones required near 1/8 in to get right, these improved over time, most of what you find now are Italty made and require very little lapping again... basically lap until smooth as mentioned above..

Thanks for the info, gssixgun! I actually cancelled my order for the Norton Flattening Stone and went with the DMT 325 instead, after hearing the recommendations here...glad I did! After watching your videos, I'm very excited to start my endeavour into the world of honing!

John

Originally Posted by Hirlau

1/8 of an inch ??
Sounds like a bit much to lap off of a new Norton, but I could be wrong.

It took me about 10 minutes of easy lapping with a 325 to bring mine into play.

I agree with this. You lap the 4K side until the glaze/orange peel ( if any) is off and any surface pitting is gone. This will vary from stone to stone so do whatever it takes. Just be sure to not allow the slurry to build up if your using a DMT 325 or else it will wear off the nickel plating that holds the diamonds in place.

Edit: just saw the rest of the posts.

In regards to the GD, you will probably have to modify the shoulder a little in order to get the edge on the hone. The upside to it is you get to practice your dremel skills. The GD will take a nice edge after the necessary modifications though.

How bad do you think the norton lapping stone is? I have been using the Norton Lapping Stone (and only that one) since i got the kit a few years back, but haven't tried anything else; I *think* it's been giving me good results, but don't have anything to compare it to.

Originally Posted by jamesm

How bad do you think the norton lapping stone is? I have been using the Norton Lapping Stone (and only that one) since i got the kit a few years back, but haven't tried anything else; I *think* it's been giving me good results, but don't have anything to compare it to.

It's not uncommon to lap the lapping stone.