Lapping film, try it.

[Fuzzy Chops]

I have a couple questions:
1) Why don't I have an electron microscope?
2) Is that CrOx along the edge? Was this picture taken pre-leather-stropping?
I think it's funny how you can see the very very slight rounding at the very edge. I also think it's funny how clay-like the surface looks in the 20K picture. Seeing a picture like this makes me wonder if stropping on leather is just helping to straighten out the little bent over areas and remove some of the bits that were close to falling off. Good stuff!

1) I have two, you should have at least one.
2) This is the edge after bevel setting on a DMT1200. There are bits of metal and diamonds on the edge. Stropping will straighten this out and clean off the loose bits. Everyone should try stropping and shaving after the DMT1200.

 

[Slash McCoy]

1) I have two, you should have at least one.

Can I have your extra one?

2) This is the edge after bevel setting on a DMT1200. There are bits of metal and diamonds on the edge. Stropping will straighten this out and clean off the loose bits. Everyone should try stropping and shaving after the DMT1200.

I actually honed on a medium Arkie, stropped and shaved once. Wasn't very comfortable but it did shave.

 

[PapaFish]

I actually honed on a medium Arkie, stropped and shaved once. Wasn't very comfortable but it did shave.

I've done the same with a Lily White Washita (Arkansas Stone). I actually removed a chip with it, and then stropped and shaved. Not really comfortable, but very impressive by my standards.

 

[jgkeegan]

Seeing a picture like this makes me wonder if stropping on leather is just helping to straighten out the little bent over areas and remove some of the bits that were close to falling off. Good stuff!

That's the idea of stropping, although I guess several hundred strops would remove some small amount of metal.

 

[BDF]

You should point out that you would be willing to take the lesser of the two. And you're gonna' need a supply of electrons to go with that.



Brian

Can I have your extra one?

 

[Gustav]

I shaved again this morning with the same 4/8 Heljestrand as last time, only this time I had given it the paper under 1 micron film treatment. It did feel a bit smoother but I will have to try this on a number of razors to be sure. In some ways, since I have been using the PSA lapping film, without removing the backing film, I have always had material between the abrasive film and the support.

I am still taken aback by the edges I can now achieve. I started out honing with a set of DMTs that I still use and some belgian blue whetstones (BBW). In the beginning I mostly did touch ups and after a hard slog it had some effect on the edge but nothing like that which I get from lapping film. I still want to learn how to hone on stones, mostly because I was given a huge bench top coticule which is a family heirloom but for now since my days are pretty busy, I do not have the luxury of spending vast amounts of time on honing. It is therefore very comforting to know of a fast, cheap, robust and reproducible method to touch up my razors.

 

[Slash McCoy]

I shaved again this morning with the same 4/8 Heljestrand as last time, only this time I had given it the paper under 1 micron film treatment. It did feel a bit smoother but I will have to try this on a number of razors to be sure. In some ways, since I have been using the PSA lapping film, without removing the backing film, I have always had material between the abrasive film and the support.

I am still taken aback by the edges I can now achieve. I started out honing with a set of DMTs that I still use and some belgian blue whetstones (BBW). In the beginning I mostly did touch ups and after a hard slog it had some effect on the edge but nothing like that which I get from lapping film. I still want to learn how to hone on stones, mostly because I was given a huge bench top coticule which is a family heirloom but for now since my days are pretty busy, I do not have the luxury of spending vast amounts of time on honing. It is therefore very comforting to know of a fast, cheap, robust and reproducible method to touch up my razors.

I think you would find the plain backed film better. I don't think the backing paper and adhesive are meant to be consistent enough in thickness to do this. At least get some plain backed film in your top two grits so you can finish knowing your honing surface is as flat as you can make it.

A HUGE coticule, you say? How huge? You got my attention. Coticules are nice but I like a big giant hone and to get a rock as big as the film pieces I use is like finding alligator feathers. Plus they get really expensive when you get over 70mm x 200mm. And you got a monster coti? Well, I would be doing at least some of my honing on that. But undeniably, film is faster and more consistent. When you can find the time, give the coti some attention. It takes a little longer to learn but it is a lot of fun and it is fun to compare film and coti edges.

 

[Gustav]

You can get some sort of idea about its size if you look at the thread "Coticule Love show off your rock" on page 31, post 614. It is not as big as film pieces but it is not far off lengthwise. I have had a few goes on it but not enough to say anything definite about its qualities. It does however seem a bit on the slow side.

 

[The Mick]

Who has 30u film and where did you get it?

 

[Slash McCoy]

I have a couple of sheets of 30u but I don't remember where I got it. On line, yeah, but don't remember where. But I know it is out there somewhere! Great stuff. I think I used it to set the bevel in my youtube film honing video, actually. It is great for setting a bevel. Very fast. As I recall I think I raised a burr on a GD66 in a bit over 100 half laps.

 

[The Mick]

Thanks I found some http://www.rshughes.com/p/3M-261X-L...-X-11-In-Length-50023/051144_50023/index.html
I saw this site earlier but for some reason thought it only came in packs of 50 or 200 but you can actually buy by the sheet.

 

[Seraphim]

Hughes sucks, in my opinion. Shipping costs are sky high, customer service is terrible.

That was my experience, anyhow.

 

[Seraphim]

McMaster has the low grits available (I haven't tried these)

 

[jgkeegan]

Who has 30u film and where did you get it?

You can get it here.

http://www.nanolaptech.com/contactus.php

 

[The Mick]

Thanks!!

 

[mrb7]

1) I have two, you should have at least one.

Well, I see that if you get rid of one it's spoken for. Got any pointers on finding one in the surplus market?

 

[lindyhop66]

This is where I got my 30 and 15 micron film for cheap. They are a bit slow at shipping it out. I'd give them a call to get them moving more quickly. You might not need the 30. 15 or 12 might do or even lower to set a bevel, but 30 does it pretty quickly.

http://www.precisionfiberproducts.com/Polishing-Lapping-Film/

 

[The Mick]

Thanks, I do some restorations and have a full wedge in the waiting and thought I might give the 30 a go as I really like using the films.

 

[brob76]

I bought a Chosera for setting bevels a few weeks back. Best purchase I've ever made. Think I paid $74 shipped so it's certainly not the cheapest bevel setter but not too much more than a DMT 1200 and it will last a lifetime unlike the DMT. Almost as fast as the DMT but it leaves a much smoother bevel. I've never had any luck setting a bevel with film. It's just really not film was meant to do IMO. Film really shines at the polishing stages (3um,1um). 1k stones (Norton, Naniwa, King, Chosera etc) are fairly inexpensive and a good thing to spend money on IMO. Most people spend the bulk of their honing budget on some ridiculously expensive finisher but the enlightened ones participating in this thread know better than to do that .

 

[alpster]

Who has 30u film and where did you get it?

These guys have it. http://www.fiberoptics4sale.com/c/3M-Lapping-Film-9x6-1-2-Inch-Sheet.html