Thread: just got paste

ok i have my diamond compound now what do i do??

psoted in newbie and xman kinda laid it down for me but can anyone elese offer any pther insight as to how to apply it with what and how long i should wait until i can begin stropping


do i strop like on a stone or like on leather??

please help

want to hurry up with this and if i jack this up i will definitely never mess with honing and just purchase a honed razor

oh i got the diamond from ted pella

http://www.tedpella.com/polish.htm#895-20

part 895-6

do i use this whole thing??

RaZor,

I think what Xman told you in the other thread is good advice. As to how much to use I can't say - I've never had experience with diamond before. I think I read a post from Puffah regarding this issue here. It's in relation to hanging strops, but the idea would be the same on a paddle or whatever, I'm guessing.

Use the pasted strop like it's a strop - don't go edge first or you'll cut the strop.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

James.

thanks jimbo

i guess the only reference point i have of putting things on leather would be when i put kiwi on my jump boots

i put a lil on a nice cotton cloth dip some water and go in circles on the leather until i get a nice shine

is it the same or similar with the diamond paste on leather strop???

Sure, why not?

The whole idea, I think (and this is the premise I work from when pasting my hanging strop), is to get an even, thin, total covering of the paste on the strop.

You want total coverage for obvious reasons - don't want any areas without paste as you may then systematically miss areas on your razor's edge.

Even and thin coverage for similar reasons, but also you want to get your money's worth from this stuff - no point putting on such a thick coat that it snowplows on the spine and edge - and I think with diamond paste there's issues with making sure it's dry (if I've read other posts correctly) - too thick and perhaps it won't dry (at least not as quickly, or perhaps not evenly).

But in any event, just think thin, even and total coverage when applying the paste - I use my finger (clean). A cloth might leave lint or other rubbish embedded. (I tried using toilet paper once: )

James.

lol thanks james

Go easy on the water!!!
Apply it neat first and rub in well with your finger then let it dry. It will still feel tacky some time after which is normal. After a day or so you rub it again with your finger but this time include water. I just keep dipping my finger in a cup of water. You should get a thick slurry that you have to rub in and smooth out evenly. Let this dry again for a good day or so. You will find that it may need another light application to even the film up so repeat as before. With the paste being water soluable you have to unbind it from the paste as much as you can with water or the problem of sticking will arrise when you strop. If it feels sticky after this just do the water thing again and let dry. Smooth hide is harder to get right that the flesh side but it can be done, just requires more patience.

PuFF

<<<< With the paste being water soluable you have to unbind it from the paste as much as you can with water or the problem of sticking will arrise when you strop. >>>>

And hence the invention of abrasive sprays <g>.


On pastes I use a slightly different approach. I take a damp/slightly wet sponge and make a quick pass across the strop surface to wet it. I then take a dab of paste on my finger and quickly take a swipe to cover as much surface as possible. I then rub it out until I get a slightly transparant coating over the leather then more further down the strop and continue this method until it is fully covered, end to end. Some areas may be a bit hevaier than others but it has worked well for me.

I do wonder if Amplex has slightly changed their formulation as I find the pastes do not dry as quickly as they once did and are more likely to pick up moisture again on humid days. I don't recall this ever being an issue before as it dried quickly into a chalky paste in the past. Very little of the paste is actually diamond, most is some type of inert carrier for the diamond powder itself.

For sprays in pump bottles I stand the strop up at a 45deg angle and starting at the top give maybe 4 or 5 pumps as I travel down the length of an 8" to 10" strop. I let it dry a short while and repeat 3 to 4 times. When done it will look like a slight fog has covered the leather surface. I usually roll mine in with a metal roller to be sure it is embedded into the leathers surface. Every month of so I give it another 4 to 5 pump "pass" once or twice to refresh the surface.

Tony

I have found that pastes apply more uniformly and adhere better if the leather has been sanded with 1000 grit paper.

Has anyone else found this to be true??

Are there cons to sanding??

Ok Tony, I will buy some spray from you...don't go on so!

PuFF

Originally Posted by gratewhitehuntr

I have found that pastes apply more uniformly and adhere better if the leather has been sanded with 1000 grit paper.

Has anyone else found this to be true??

Are there cons to sanding??

Sanding is fine and it will help pastes adhere better to the strop surface.

PuFF