Lapping a (cheap) hone, a pictoral first attempt

[LegionPrime]

Well if there's anyone here who is most assuredly NOT an expert that would be me. However I noticed there isn't a thread that I could find that really went into how to level a hone so I figured why not? I'll learn something and leave behind what (hopefully) might help someone else in the future who really does need this spelled out monosyllabicly with accompanying pictures . . . like me.
So I first figured this out trying to take a chip out of a Rolls Razor wedge blade when I noticed the corners of the blade receding. Now admittedly this is a cheap tri-hone but when I started researching I found that it should actually be done with pretty much any non-synthetic hone. So I figure a cheap hone is as good a hone as any to learn with, and hopefully I didn't ruin my Rolls blade. My first picture is of the coarse stone which was cupped (concave) after I drew out a grid on it with a pencil both to confirm where the high spots were when I started lapping it and as a guide so I'd know when it was flat.

I grabbed a chunk of marble tile trim and some 400 grit sandpaper. Yeah, the 400 was going to take forever so I switched to a dollar store pack of sandpaper (NOT wet/dry as I was about to find out) and this sped things up a bit. This picture is after lapping it a bit and as you can see it is nowhere NEAR level as evidenced by the lack of witness marks on the top right and lower left edges. I am making progress though and hopefully I have enough sandpaper to get the job done.

I plan to add to this and hopefully finish tonight so as to document my progress from start to finish. If anyone has any tips/pointers please speak up, hopefully I will not be the only one you are helping. If I'm doing anything wrong or even if I could just do something better, SPEAK UP! This is not meant to be a definitive guide but in the hopes that this will help not just me but others who choose to take a dip in the wide wild world of honing. Thank you

 

[LegionPrime]

Ok folks, what have we learned tonight? If you don't have wet/dry sandpaper don't even bother, this is slow going and EATING sandpaper. Seriously, get some wet dry sandpaper so you can at least do it under running water. No REALLY, I'm actually price checking DMT hones this is going so slowly Hahaha

As you can see I am making progress, not much but a little bit. This shot also shows the bit of marble I snagged tonight. I'm putting this on the back burner until tomorrow so I can get some wet/dry sandpaper after work and then we'll see how that goes before I drop the hammer on a DMT. Speaking of which, what does one recommend? Should I grab an extra coarse to get this thing leveled (as a learning experience if nothing else) and if so would it or the coarse be preferable for double duty setting bevels and leveling this hone?

 

[buca3152]

I have lapping plates, but I use wet/dry to do the grunt work. 60 grit would work faster. I typically use the 120 dmt after then 400(usually sufficient although 220 isn't a bad idea in between) then 1200 on a finisher. You can use the equivalent in wet dry. Im not sure of the grit stone you have, but if its 1000 you don't need a 1200 to finish it.

 

[global_dev]

I have lapping plates, but I use wet/dry to do the grunt work. 60 grit would work faster. I typically use the 120 dmt after then 400(usually sufficient although 220 isn't a bad idea in between) then 1200 on a finisher. You can use the equivalent in wet dry. Im not sure of the grit stone you have, but if its 1000 you don't need a 1200 to finish it.

Yes ^

 

[Gamma]

1200 DMT were not made for lapping - using them for that will kill it.

 

[buca3152]

1200 atoma for light resurfacing. Plate on top and weight of the plate only and plenty of water. Or use 1200 wet dry.

 

[blackhhawk]

I wouldn't recommend a DMT at all for lapping. Not that they can't do it (except for what Gamma pointed out) but you're just better off using wet dry paper, in my opinion. Get a plate and some paper and have at it. I've been starting at 220 lately and jumping to 400 and finishing on 600.

Something I've also learned is to not trust pencil lines. I've used them before just to find out my stone wasn't flat. Get a good straight edge and hold it against the stone and see if you can see any light passing between. I usually check it a few different ways, diagonally, parallel and perpendicular.

If you do want a "lapping plate" I would recommend atoma plates. Those are designed for lapping, DMTs are not. They are pricey but from what I hear, they're pretty awesome.

 

[LegionPrime]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I gotta be honest, the Atomas look pretty awesome, but for a $20 hone? Not gonna happen, just being honest. I'm sorry I didn't get back to this sooner but life intrudes Hahaha
I stopped off today and grabbed an assortment pack of sheets of emery cloth and running that under water really made things happen quick. Unfortunately when I came back to it a bit later the emery cloth was fully saturated with water and the abrasive rubbed off in seconds. I think I'm gonna give the second sheet a try to get what I can before saturation as it REALLY sped things up. the coarsest w/d paper I could find was 220 grit so I guess I'll switch to that once the emery cloth bites it again. I will keep this updated and get some more pics.
I think I may snag a DMT F/C just to have around for a general use bevel setter/chip remover and my knives. For now my exposure to honing will consist of this and some lapping film. Any further adventures will have to either wait or be spaced out due to finances. However I've got a Kropp, Genco and GD66 I do want to try my hand at. Doc226, if these end up in your hands at a later date I apologize in advance LoL

 

[LegionPrime]

Well I am progressing, I got what I could with the other piece of coarse emery cloth and then switched over to the 220 w/d. Progress has since slowed, but it is still progressing. A straight edge shows that there is still some cupping but it's more down one end than the other and getting smaller. The w/d sandpaper really does make a difference, that stupid coarse stone eats down the grit pretty quick but keeping it under running water does make quite the difference.

The medium hone is only slightly convex and the fine is mostly true and will probably only require minor lapping. If I ever get into buying stones I'm buying one of those Atomas for sure before I start my shopping. LOL

 

[buca3152]

IMO if you are going to use synthetics stones only, the dmt 325 would work very well and if you wore one out, you could buy another for the price of an atoma 400. (that would take a very long time IMO, unless you are lapping very often or using on very hard naturals)The dmt 325 can also be used for chip removal(there are rare occasions where you may need it and not recommended unless there is major edge restoration needed) whereas the atoma 400 I cant see using it on steel at all. I ran a junker blade on it to see and the steel looked like it went through a wood chipper. Mine is a bit worn although after much more use it may be possible.

 

[LegionPrime]

So the Atoma 400 is really only suitable for bevel setting Gold Dollars? LOL
Yeah, I think for now I'm probably going to give films a try and maybe pick up a DMT as finances allow in the new year. This lapping is for the birds. Maybe sometime in the future better stones won't need nearly so much lapping but this cheap synthetic is a dog. If there were some half decent concrete nearby I'd take it out there with a hose. Well I'll get back to it later in the week, hope everyone enjoys their Christmas. I'll get back to this afterwards.