How to break-in a DMT extra extra fine plate?

[JPO]

Stepped up to the EEF. It feels like garbage. Fair enough, that‘s apparently par for the course. With light pressure, start with 5 laps and a scope. Not looking good already.

The striation at the bevel after the eef 8k looks terrible. However, if you use light pressure, and only do edge leading strokes it can set the edge up nicely for a suitable finisher.
You actually need a high magnification level to see what is happening.
I would also skip the 1200 to rule out this plate. You don't need it. The 8k cuts really fast.

I have now honed multiple razor, and the results are consistently good.

8k EEF edge

After two minutes on a jnat with tomo slurry

Part of the edge that was subjected to some larger diamonds. This will not effect the shave.

 

[Christian1212]

Would be interested in a couple things but could probably take a while to test.

1. Edge longtevity - would think the larger diamond scratches would have the edge weaker in those locations. Could be interesting looking at that spot after 10-15 shaves.

2. How much faster is this plate than an 8k synthetic with slurry. I think a good test would be coming off a freshly set bevel. Not sure how I would set it up but maybe simple strokes until I thought diamond plate was done then repeat that stroke count on the 8k synthetic with the same pressure. (Could finish with jnat finish as well ).

3. If final finishing on jnat - would be curious what a 4k synthetic stone to jnat looks like compared to the diamond plate.

Did not read everything, but is the goal a 1 stone base work set up. Then that followed by natural finish from the user?

 

[JPO]

Did not read everything, but is the goal a 1 stone base work set up. Then that followed by natural finish from the user?

I just thought it was interesting to be able to hone a razor from bevel set to finish in less then 5 minutes only using two stones.
I only spent roughly 2-3 minutes on the jnat with tomo slurry.
The shave was also nice.
If I had added one more step or spent more time on the tomo slurry I think all the deeper striations would be removed.
I have also used a 10k shapton after the EEF diamond plate previously. I needed roughly 25 strokes to remove all the striations left by the diamonds.

I will still prefer to use a incremental honing progression using different synthetic or natural stones.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Second to last picture is the EE? Interrupted plate?

Good god that looks like trash. I'd try to return it if it were me. I hope their QC hasn't gotten that bad. Ill get pics of the surface of mine if I can. Its continuous, but there's nothing anywhere near that scale and never was.

Quick pics; had to move the camera mount to the good (metallurgist) scope because there wasn't clearance for it on my easier scope.

6x focal, 15x optical (no grid), 20x optical (with grid). FN = 14mm

I don't know exact FOV for these mags (never use this focal lense) offhand, (Did the math: no grid FOV is ~156micron, grid FOV is ~117 microns. Each grid ~4 micron if I'm not mistaken.

This is my 13? Year old DMT EE continuous.


Image is ~same spot (bifocal scope, I just moved the camera)... big gouge should help orient.


Dark patches are, I assume, spots where the diamonds/plating has worn off (or never properly applied? Never scoped the thing when it was new) and allowed oxidation. For scale, the plate is as shiny as new on the surface to the naked eye.


With images expanded these are about 350x and 450x on my (27") monitor.

 

[SliceOfLife]

And as an example... these (red squared) are the largest things I THINK are diamonds I can see... Well under the 3 micron spec.


Even that biggest gouge... if we assume was made by a freed diamond... would mean that diamond was only around 3 microns.. and that's the biggest one I can find.

So my plate doesn't seem to have had any oversized diamonds.

Loose diamonds? Maybe.


I do know they USED to claim they broke in the plates at the factory. Maybe they stopped doing that and all my oxidized spots are where the big diamonds were before they did it?

But yeah; for sure my plate never had anything like yours does in the time I have owned it (and I bought it new).



edit: Current website FAQ seems to indicate they don't break in @ factory anymore:

"Extra-Extra Fine – Provides the finest grade micronized bonded diamond abrasive available anywhere for the ultimate edge refinement, achieving quick stock removal with millions of diamond cutting edges. Prior to break-in, using the extra-extra fine diamond will result in a matte to shiney finish (scratch pattern evident) on your edge or bevel; once fully broken in, you will achieve a lusterous finished edge."

All that taken in... I'd check with others who bought these recently if yours is typical (those diamonds look darn near visible to the naked eye to me... which is mind-blowing). If it ISN'T, I'd return.

If it IS... I'd get a chisel out and just go absolutely ham on the plate and then see if those big boys are still there.


If you still want to get rid of it, but not return it, send it my way and I can test it a bit, then try and break it in, and if I get good results I can send it back.

 

[Mr Kooby Shemayrew]

I decided that flattening stones was creating some friction against just getting down and doing the foundation work so I could get to a nice finisher. Picked up the EF (1.2k) and EEF (8k).

I lightly lightly ran each over a soft ark for a minute just to knock down some high spots. Washed them off. Honed a kiridashi to get a sense of the scratch pattern, and further get the really harsh edges rounded over. The ‘settled in’ feeling happened pretty quickly.

Took my stainless razor as a first try since it’s a bear to sharpen, and I don’t really even like it that much.

The EF was really pleasant to use. Quick, dead flat bevel resetter. Probably leaves some deeper scratches, but nothing a 2k can’t deal with easily, and it’ll keep me from having to re-flatten my 1.5k shapton all the dang time.

Stepped up to the EEF. It feels like garbage. Fair enough, that‘s apparently par for the course. With light pressure, start with 5 laps and a scope. Not looking good already. Apparently technique is a bigger factor with this stone, and I’m ready to put the time in. I reset back to the 1.2k. Takes a surprisingly long time, longer than the first reset. Weird.

Go again, turning the torque up one or two degrees since apparently too-light pressure can be as bad as too much. Same story as before. Reset to 1.2k.

Turn the torque up one more degree. On the first lap my razor STOPS 2/3 of the way up the stone. OK, that’s fun. Try one more time. Same thing. Feel around with a fingernail. I can pick an individual diamond with my nail. Wonderful.

Pics from USB scope, 200x (insert the legalese that absolves me of all responsibility for my bad photos). The Top-down shot shows Mt Olympus, the elevation shot gives a bit of perspective.

It’s entirely possible I have a long way to go before really learning how to use this stone properly. It‘s more than possible, it’s likely. But I do know I don’t want this plate anywhere near my razors.

For contrast, the surface of the 1.2k at a similar magnification. I hunted for bad spots, this is about the worst I found.

In entirely unrelated news, I have a DMT EEF plate that’s free to a good home.





View attachment 1843444View attachment 1843446View attachment 1843447

I decided that flattening stones was creating some friction against just getting down and doing the foundation work so I could get to a nice finisher. Picked up the EF (1.2k) and EEF (8k).

I lightly lightly ran each over a soft ark for a minute just to knock down some high spots. Washed them off. Honed a kiridashi to get a sense of the scratch pattern, and further get the really harsh edges rounded over. The ‘settled in’ feeling happened pretty quickly.

Took my stainless razor as a first try since it’s a bear to sharpen, and I don’t really even like it that much.

The EF was really pleasant to use. Quick, dead flat bevel resetter. Probably leaves some deeper scratches, but nothing a 2k can’t deal with easily, and it’ll keep me from having to re-flatten my 1.5k shapton all the dang time.

Stepped up to the EEF. It feels like garbage. Fair enough, that‘s apparently par for the course. With light pressure, start with 5 laps and a scope. Not looking good already. Apparently technique is a bigger factor with this stone, and I’m ready to put the time in. I reset back to the 1.2k. Takes a surprisingly long time, longer than the first reset. Weird.

Go again, turning the torque up one or two degrees since apparently too-light pressure can be as bad as too much. Same story as before. Reset to 1.2k.

Turn the torque up one more degree. On the first lap my razor STOPS 2/3 of the way up the stone. OK, that’s fun. Try one more time. Same thing. Feel around with a fingernail. I can pick an individual diamond with my nail. Wonderful.

Pics from USB scope, 200x (insert the legalese that absolves me of all responsibility for my bad photos). The Top-down shot shows Mt Olympus, the elevation shot gives a bit of perspective.

It’s entirely possible I have a long way to go before really learning how to use this stone properly. It‘s more than possible, it’s likely. But I do know I don’t want this plate anywhere near my razors.

For contrast, the surface of the 1.2k at a similar magnification. I hunted for bad spots, this is about the worst I found.

In entirely unrelated news, I have a DMT EEF plate that’s free to a good home.

View attachment 1843443View attachment 1843444View attachment 1843446View attachment 1843447

Where is it at? I don’t see it.

Just kidding. I really wish DMT could get this plate right.

 

[captaincaed]

Just a little bigger and I could use it for a proposal...

 

[JPO]

I had no intentions of using this EE-fine plate for razors. However, after spending a considerable amount of time breaking in the plate, and honing allot of different razors and knifes, I am impressed with the results.
I have used the end of an Arkansas stone, and some hard santoku knifes to even out the plate.
I did not use use the Arkansas stone flat on the plate. This will jus suck the plate to the stone and strip off the diamonds.
The plate is also not flat. So, to be able to avoid riding on high spots I needed a smaller surface area to ensure I was able to cover everything.
This is another Gold Dollar that was brutally "killed" before it was braugt back with the diamond plate.
I then spent 1-2 minutes on a jnat with tomo slurry.
I shaved with the edge this morning. The result was as good as what a get with a full progression of stones.

EEF 8K DMT

Jnat ede after a minimum amount of work.