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Arkansas shaving.

hey all, im finally getting around to getting some SiC for flattening my black ark, how much of each grit should i get? half pound or pound?
 
Go this Translucente Bout some weeks before. I first wanted to trow it away or resell it....after doing the hard work
lapping this one i realized that the bout size is really good for hand honing. I polished it up with a Japanse Kanna Blade.

As you can see there are still some areas which arent prepped perfectly, but it gets better and better with each usage.
I really love those edges coming from this stone. It always gives a clean, sharp and quite smooth shave....

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hey all, im finally getting around to getting some SiC for flattening my black ark, how much of each grit should i get? half pound or pound?
I think I got a pound of maybe 200 grit and it was more than enough to flatten a 12x3 trans black, a 12x3 black, a 12x3 hard white, and a 12x3 soft. All were way out of flat. I use it on wet/dry sand paper (usually wet) and I work it until either the paper gives out, or my arms get too tired (almost always the latter). I always need a new piece of paper for the next session. For whatever reason, it just never works right a second time.
 

kelbro

Alfred Spatchcock
A half pound goes a long way. I don't use any more than a tablespoon at a time. No water. I start with 80 and then 220 or higher depending on which stone that I'm lapping or refreshing.

With different grit sizes, you can do one side of the stone in one grit and the other side either finer or coarser.
 
A half pound goes a long way. I don't use any more than a tablespoon at a time. No water. I start with 80 and then 220 or higher depending on which stone that I'm lapping or refreshing.

With different grit sizes, you can do one side of the stone in one grit and the other side either finer or coarser.

whats grit do you finish like a black ark with? it will be the finisher least until i can get a real finisher
 

kelbro

Alfred Spatchcock
Black Ark can be a fine finisher. I go through 80, 220, and 500 SiC grit to get them really flat and smooth. Then a good rubbing on 1000 and then 1500 wet/dry 3M sandpaper to finish. Burnish the stone with a honing oil like Norton and a big chisel or kitchen knife and you are ready to go.

Strop and shave off that and then decide if you need to spend more $$$ on a 'finisher'.
 
I be had good luck finishing on mine. I can do a synth 1.5k bevel set followed by some work on my hard ark to erase the 1.5k scratches. Then I've been finishing on the surgical black.
 
I am so glad that this thread got resurrected. Last night I went back to page 1 and re-read the entire thread again. A plethora of good information in here. I have four modern cut Arks from Dan's. A Soft and a Hard, both in 8X3, and I have a Trans and a Black Ark (Ultra Fine) in 10X3. I have successfully finished off of 8K synth with both the Trans and the Black, but I have been much less successful coming off of the 1K synth bevel set using the soft and the hard as intermediate stones. I tried this only one time, and the result was not very good. I'm not too sure what is going on, so this thread has re-motivated me to do some more experimentation. with the Soft and the Hard in the progression. I also think I would like to add a Washita for setting bevels and have an all Ark solution.

My sense is that my soft and hard Arks are similar. I knew that this possibility was there going into it. I think it is time to bring these back out of their boxes and work with them until I know exactly what is going on with them. [MENTION=94450]lightfoot[/MENTION] seems to be able to go from 1K bevel set to hard Ark to SB finish no problem. So there is a reference point.
 
Often compared to a coti for finishing properties (not for speed, but for smoothness/sharpness). Until you can max out the black, there is no point in progressing to a translucent black or other stone.
 
Often compared to a coti for finishing properties (not for speed, but for smoothness/sharpness). Until you can max out the black, there is no point in progressing to a translucent black or other stone.

I think that this is exactly where the problem lies. Time to repeat the experiment and apply more elbow grease on these intermediate stones. I remember that I did scope the edges after the soft Ark with my USB microscope. There did not appear to be much in the way of 1K scratches remaining that I noticed. At any rate, time to get back to work on it until I figure it out.
 
@ McVeyMac, it's my personal opinion that the trick w/the 1k-hard ark progression is to use Dan's honing oil or at least a true petrol based oil with a volatile like kerosene added. This seems to enhance what's going on @ the hard ark level. But I've had to really watch the swarf because if there are a few larger bits of metal around they will without a doubt damage the apex. Now I've switched to soap/water on the SB because of the swarf issue. Which at the last stage there shouldn't be much swarf to contend with anyway. But soap/water will greatly slow down cutting speed and mitigate the swarf risk (at least that's what's been happening to me).
 
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Thanks [MENTION=94450]lightfoot[/MENTION], I have been using un-thinned USP mineral oil on the soft and the hard. On the trans and the UF black, it is water with either glycerol or dish soap. Lately it has been dish soap though. I will try thinning the mineral oil and see what happens. I'm not sure where Dan is now with the fire, else I would just get his.
 
Thanks [MENTION=94450]lightfoot[/MENTION], I have been using un-thinned USP mineral oil on the soft and the hard. On the trans and the UF black, it is water with either glycerol or dish soap. Lately it has been dish soap though. I will try thinning the mineral oil and see what happens. I'm not sure where Dan is now with the fire, else I would just get his.
Just try some 3 in 1 oil and add some diesel or kerosene for a petroleum based cutting oil. I wonder if mineral oil could be thinned with mineral spirits? Your approach will work but it may be quite a bit slower than using oil that will burn. I'm sure additional pressure would compensate though. At least in terms of what's happening on the hard ark.
 
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