Lapping film, try it.

[Seraphim]

Would glass be the ideal surface for using as a base? Better than scrap granite or marble counter top?

Also, what woul be ideal dimensions for the base?

I am going to order the 9x13 sheets from ThorLabs, so I would assume cutting them into three 3" strips s the way to go. So maybe a 5x15 piece of glass?

I found a website that will make a custom 5x15 and 1/2" thick tempered piece of glass for like $37 shipped. Thinking that would be perfect

Woodcraft granite is cheaper than that:
http://m.woodcraft.com/Catalog/Family.aspx?id=2004864&

[rickboone1]

I got these for a try

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...00_i01_details

I can't find a description where it says what it includes.

We want aluminum, not diamond, correct?

Looking around at the 3M six pack at stewmac.com it seems this 6 piece set includes a 30 micron/ 400 grit and 15 micron/ 600 grit. These are a little too much, no? The highest grit it has is 1 micron/ 8k. Where then to get the .3?

[Seraphim]

Or, since you're ordering from Thorlabs anyhow, you could get their glass plate:

http://www.thorlabs.com/thorProduct....tNumber=CTG913


I prefer the granite, just because it's massive and awesome (comes with certificate of flatness, comes in a mini crate, etc)

[honed]

OK, some 0.3µ just landed in my mailbox.
I'll see what it can do following the 15K Shapton Pro.

As for backing, I have only limited experience w/ lapping films, but glass is an awesome background, since float glass is probably one of the dead-on most perfected even level surfaces created by man.
I have used the back of a Shapton glass stone before & that works swell.

[Seraphim]

And don't forget the sheet of wet paper under the film for your final finisher!

[honed]

And don't forget the sheet of wet paper under the film for your final finisher!

How could I ever!

[Cochese2323]

Woodcraft granite is cheaper than that:
http://m.woodcraft.com/Catalog/Family.aspx?id=2004864&

I guess my question is am I better off with glass or granite/marble? There are at least 20 different granite/stone places in my city that I could get scrap for super cheap or probably free. If that will get the job done, I will just go that route.

[mycarver]

I've been using a piece of 24" X 3" tempered float glass from a med. cab.where I can line up my 1 and my 5 at the same time. I also just snagged a 25 pack ( 6X9 ) of both 5 and 1 micron for $11.25 a pack. Seemed reasonable enough at .50 a sheet,, and I get two out of each.

[Bluebriz]

And don't forget the sheet of wet paper under the film for your final finisher!

Newspaper? Just plain old A4 printer paper?

[JZH]

I guess my question is am I better off with glass or granite/marble?

Don't think it matters. Just needs to be flat.

[paco664]

Newspaper? Just plain old A4 printer paper?

Either will do just fine....

[Cochese2323]

Don't think it matters. Just needs to be flat.

Sounds good, free is always better. I just called a granite place like 1/2 mile from my house. Said they have a dumpster full of scrap, can have whatever I need.

[mycarver]

Just playing with numbers here. A 25 pack, cut into 3 X 9 strips, used only 5 times, will do at least 250 razors. Not bad for $11.25. Or $22.50 for two grits.
Using the $300 number for one stone and getting the 2 films instead would do nearly 3400 razors. To me, that's a lot of MOJO.
Match them up with the 4 cotton belts I just picked up for $5.00 with pastes and I'm good to go. Not counting the paste you decide on,, you can be into it for nearly what? $30.00 bucks?


Thanks Seraphim!

Now I can buy more razors!

[Kentos]

Someone needs to try rubbing a nagura over some film to see if a slurry forms...

[mycarver]

Or, since you're ordering from Thorlabs anyhow, you could get their glass plate:

http://www.thorlabs.com/thorProduct....tNumber=CTG913


I prefer the granite, just because it's massive and awesome (comes with certificate of flatness, comes in a mini crate, etc)

Tempered glass cutting boards also work. Some 12 X 16 run around $13.00 at Amazon.. Got one for 5 bucks at TJMaxx.

[bbarton713]

Newspaper? Just plain old A4 printer paper?

I used plain old A4 printer paper. I honed a razor of unknown origin and shaved with it today and had a great shave. I honed it again this morning and did the paper under the final film to see what it is like tomorrow.

[Cochese2323]

I saw in the Synthetic Progression thread that you go right from a DMT1200 to 3um film. Would I be ok with a 1000 King and the 3um? Or would it be better to spend a couple extra bucks for a DMT? I don't plan on doing any really heavy restores yet, so I think the 600 would be a little overkill for me.

[Seraphim]

Just playing with numbers here. A 25 pack, cut into 3 X 9 strips, used only 5 times, will do at least 250 razors. Not bad for $11.25. Or $22.50 for two grits. Using the $300 number for one stone and getting the 2 films instead would do nearly 3400 razors. To me, that's a lot of MOJO. Match them up with the 4 cotton belts I just picked up for $5.00 with pastes and I'm good to go. Not counting the paste you decide on,, you can be into it for nearly what? $30.00 bucks?Thanks Seraphim!Now I can buy more razors!

Yeah, and we know you only buy those cheap $4 Chineeze razers, you're pretty much a cheapskate all round, ain'tcha?

The Thorlabs sheets are 13"x9" @ $13.40 a 10 pack. You cut each sheet up into 4 parts 3.25" x 9", so you have 40 3.25"x9" sheets at 33.5 cents each.

If we go with you extremely conservative number of 5 razors per sheet (the real number is probably north of 15, but let's not be hasty here...), you get 6.7 cents per razor.

Again, with your estimate of a $300, hewn from the belly of Mount Fuji JNat, or an unearthed from beneath the bowels of Belgium Coticle, you would have to hone 4,477 razors ($300 divided by 6.7cents per razor) on that $300 to get the same cost per honing as you get on films.

I'm not sure if even ProfessorChaos has that many razors!

And if you use the real-world usage on films of 10 razors per film...forgeddaboudit! You'll be dead and long gone before you'll be able to hone enough razors to match the per honing pricepoint of films.

Sure, the films may lack soul. But if you get a precision granite plate, you get to have some of that NatRock beauty all yourself too!Here's mine, dry and wet. Notice the fine gaijingowari patterning (I swear, half the reason why guys love JNats is all the lingo that comes with it...)

[Seraphim]

Someone needs to try rubbing a nagura over some film to see if a slurry forms...

I have played with spritzing the films with 0.5um diamond/chromox blend. Results were inconclusive.

[Seraphim]

I saw in the Synthetic Progression thread that you go right from a DMT1200 to 3um film. Would I be ok with a 1000 King and the 3um? Or would it be better to spend a couple extra bucks for a DMT? I don't plan on doing any really heavy restores yet, so I think the 600 would be a little overkill for me.

My DMT1200 is extremely well broken in on the guts of many a blade, and as such is it no longer as aggressive and toothy a beast as when it first arrived on the scene. It now leaves a finish very similar to the 3um film. I could likely skip the 3um, but old habits die hard. Your 1000 King will always cut like a 1000 King.

But maybe...The films cut so aggressively that you probably could go right from the 1000 to the 3um film, you just may have to do a few more laps.

I'm not a fan of the 5um Alox film, as the grit is not very well bonded to the sheet, and it creates its' own kind of slurry. If that's your thing, then great, but from what I've seen under the scope it leaves things rather messy. I love the 3um and 1um. The 0.3um I again do not like. I prefer finishing on a pasted strop to what I get off the 0.3um films.