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Lapping film, try it.

BradWorld

Dances with Wolfs
I'm fairly new to straight razor shaving and have never honed. i have a couple of good straights and have been practicing my shaving skills. I have read though this thread and bought the required supplies. Lapping film set. Plexi base. Paddle strop and pastes. USB microscope. And I have a flea market vintage from Solingen that needs a hone really badly. So I think I am good to go when everything gets here.
 
Seraphim you have convinced me to get some lapping film. Heck I don't even have a straight yet, but after buying a couple of hones and then realizing that I probably don't even have all I need, I'm immediately wanting to go the easy route to get a good edge.

As you can see I've been around the block a few times in this shaving forum and to me I just want to focus on the shave. I don't care about learning some secret art and all that nonsense. I don't have time for it. I've spent over 10 years with a DE and I'm ready to make the move. The only thing that's kept me was the initial cost of all the gear that I have to get. I wish I would have remembered about these films when I made my purchase. I remember reading about them a few years ago and thought, if I ever get into straights then this'll be my route, due to the convenience.

It sounds like film is the way to go for me. Dang and I already have a King 1k/6k, and a shapton 12k ordered up. Oh well, I'm sure I'll play around with them, but the two big sells for me to get film were price and that I don't have to lap the stones, etc.
 
Second try today, didnt get all the way through the films, but I found a flaw in my technique. I was unintentionally lifting the spine of the razor up a fraction or two. I will continue to work on it!
 
Second try today, didnt get all the way through the films, but I found a flaw in my technique. I was unintentionally lifting the spine of the razor up a fraction or two. I will continue to work on it!
I do this on hones occasionally. If you do it once, you can usually take out the mini micro bevel with about 15 good strokes on the same grit. If you do it on more than 3 times in a row, it is usually better to go down a grit. This can be frustrating for me sometimes.
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
Second try today, didnt get all the way through the films, but I found a flaw in my technique. I was unintentionally lifting the spine of the razor up a fraction or two. I will continue to work on it!

I was gonna ask if you were making sure you weren't doing just that.

Some other things that can mess you up...\

1. Honing with the plate resting on some immovable surface. You will have better results if you hold the plate loosely in your off hand. That way, blade and hone will find their own alignment and you can regulate pressure better.

2. "Bending" the blade over the edge of the hone.

3. Too much pressure.

4. Lifting the heel, which puts more pressure on the nose. There are situations where you must do this, but if the edge is straight, don't.

5. Guessing that you have "enough laps" to move up to the next grit.

6. Not making absolutely certain that the bevel is set.

7. Dirt, grit, lint, hair, etc under or on top of the film. Or bubbles or wrinkles.
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
It's sticky back film... what difference would that make? I'm completely new to this so please all help is appreciated.

A sheet of film can be cut up into three pieces. Each piece can do about a dozen razors. So, you don't just toss a piece of film after one razor. But you have to change grits, which means pulling the film off the plate or else having a separate plate for each grit. Plus the adhesive thickness and consistency is another wild card you can do without. It is not needed, either. Just water will stick film to a sufficiently smooth plate. PSA (sticky back) film costs more, too. You won't find very many folks using sticky film for honing razors unless they are just starting, and ordered sticky by mistake. Having sticky film is not the end of the world... it can be used. But the pros and cons definitely weigh in on the side of plain back film.
 
Has anyone tried the cerium oxide .5 um film? Does cerium oxide abrade metal?
I was thinking of getting a 3" roll from nanolap (if it comes in that size). That way i can roll it out onto a 3" piece of glass and cut it to the exact length I need.
If no one has used cerium oxide, I would probably buy the alox with one sheet of cerium oxide for experimentation.
Thank you
 
I read through this forum and was very interested in doing this myself. I ordered my Lapping film through Fosco and got more than what I paid for when I did. I ordered 1 sheet of of each 5 um, 1 um, and 0.3 um and received 5 sheets of 1 um and 3 sheets of 5 um and 100 sheets of 0.3 um. So I have an over abundance of 0.3 um now lol. Can't beat it for the few bucks I spent on it. I am ready to learn on this film and with all the great info everyone has shared I think I can manage this learning experience. I just need to go get me a base from home depot or lowes now and I am all set
 
I read through this forum and was very interested in doing this myself. I ordered my Lapping film through Fosco and got more than what I paid for when I did. I ordered 1 sheet of of each 5 um, 1 um, and 0.3 um and received 5 sheets of 1 um and 3 sheets of 5 um and 100 sheets of 0.3 um. So I have an over abundance of 0.3 um now lol. Can't beat it for the few bucks I spent on it. I am ready to learn on this film and with all the great info everyone has shared I think I can manage this learning experience. I just need to go get me a base from home depot or lowes now and I am all set
Somewhere up a bunch of posts I posted a link for acrylic bases that are perfect
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
Your welcome. They will also custom cut any size you want
Go for a custom size, for cutting whole sheets into thirds, longways. This gives you a better stroke length, and still gives you good width. Allow a little extra for something to hold on to. I hold mine by the near end. I never ever ever ever ever rest it on a bench or counter. Works so much better when it is held in hand and just sort of floats in space. 8" is awfully short, considering you can have any length you want up to the length of a sheet of film, which is 11" or 13" depending on source. Stones are mostly 8" or shorter, for good reasons, partly due to cost. For a few pennies worth of film, I say go for the big enchilada.
 
I couldn't find it earlier but this is what I had them cut for me and they made a link for that size.
CELL CAST ACRYLIC/PLEXIGLASS SHEET CLEAR 3/4" x 3.5" x 9.5" | eBay

Its 9.5"x3.5"x.75"




Go for a custom size, for cutting whole sheets into thirds, longways. This gives you a better stroke length, and still gives you good width. Allow a little extra for something to hold on to. I hold mine by the near end. I never ever ever ever ever rest it on a bench or counter. Works so much better when it is held in hand and just sort of floats in space. 8" is awfully short, considering you can have any length you want up to the length of a sheet of film, which is 11" or 13" depending on source. Stones are mostly 8" or shorter, for good reasons, partly due to cost. For a few pennies worth of film, I say go for the big enchilada.

Thanks again until I get mine I went and got a peice of marble tile to start on

Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk
 
Have had a straight edge for years. Used to keep it ok on a strop but too often had to send it away to be honed because I feared the cost of a good stone and then feared getting the honing wrong.(I'm pretty rubbish at doing knives)
I asked on here a few weeks back for anyone who was doing honing courses near me.
No replies, but in the honing forum, I found this thread. 2 weeks later and I have bought this
3M Flat Lapping Polishing Film Sheets Precision Finishing Aluminum Oxide Abrasive Paper Superfinishing (1.0 Micron): Amazon.co.uk: Business, Industry & Science
and used a thick glass shelf from my wifes make up box, and hey presto, a blade as sharp as if I'd sent it away and had it done by someone who knows what they are doing.
Shaved a friend this weekend and was so happy with the outcome. No drag at all. Just like cutting through butter. Perfect.
If I can do it, anyone can.
oh, after the lapping I did my fabric stropping.
Great results!!
 
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