Cheap Diamond Spray

gunmike1

gunmike1

Joined
Dec 9, 2005
Messages
2,402
Since I have been using my Aluminum Oxide 3M lapping films to good effect I have been putting off getting Diamonds for my super fine grits. Today and tomorrow, though, for only $60 you can get a 4 oz. bottle of 1 micron, .5 micron, and .25 micron diamond spray from Japanese Knife Sharpening dot com. That is a sick deal for 12 oz. of micron or finer diamond spray! I also got some blank lapping films to put over my glass Hand American base so I can even use the diamonds on film and finish sharpen just like I do now. It will be fun to try, and thanks to Knifenut1013 I may also have some leather to try it on, though I have some old strops with CrO on them that I can try the diamonds on as well. I want to thank Knifenut1013 for telling me how great the stuff is so that I was inspired to stumble across this great deal. I will report on how it works for me.

Mike
 
There are diamond sprays that cost less, but they have less diamonds than found in the sprays Dave sells. They're made by HandAmerican and Keith of HandAmerican apparently has a desire to outdo other people in the fields he enters.
 
thombrogan said:
There are diamond sprays that cost less, but they have less diamonds than found in the sprays Dave sells. They're made by HandAmerican and Keith of HandAmerican apparently has a desire to outdo other people in the fields he enters.
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I should have said high quality diamond spray for cheaper than normal costs. All of my other stuff from Kieth has been good quality, so it seemed worth a try, as I've spent much more on one stone and have really been thinking for a way to get diamond goodness in sub micron form. Apparently 1 spray should load up a lapping film nice, and 2-3 sprays would load up a strop good. After that you just add spray when the cutting starts getting slow.

The density of diamonds in this spray should make it a fast cutter, but we'll see. I still have my good old 3M lapping film in case this stuff doesn't work up to my expectations. Paying $60 instead of the normal $108 made me think it was worth taking the plunge.

Thom, do you use diamond paste for your finer grit diamond work? I have some 10000 or so grit diamond paste that Sodak sent me that I'll have to try once I get the CrO cleaned out of my strop or when I chop up an old set of jeans and get those mounted on a solid backing. Sodak really likes that diamond paste, so it definately is worth a try.

Mike
 
I have the 10,000 grit diamond/AlOx mix and St. Gobain's 0.5 micron paste. The Thiers Issard paste was too sticky on my strop for me to appreciate and seemed okay loaded on a felt wheel for Dremel stropping and the 0.5 micron stuff is good, but seems a little light in the diamonds at times, so a thick layer is needed for good results on paper or a strop. Frankly, stropping on a Post-It sized piece of paper with Meguiars hubcap polish has been good enough.
 
thombrogan said:
I have the 10,000 grit diamond/AlOx mix and St. Gobain's 0.5 micron paste. The Thiers Issard paste was too sticky on my strop for me to appreciate and seemed okay loaded on a felt wheel for Dremel stropping and the 0.5 micron stuff is good, but seems a little light in the diamonds at times, so a thick layer is needed for good results on paper or a strop. Frankly, stropping on a Post-It sized piece of paper with Meguiars hubcap polish has been good enough.
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I'll have to try my hubcap polish (forgot what brand it is) on some of the extra pieces of leather Kieth gave me years ago when I ordered his Corian magnetic base and the magnet backed glass and leather. Kieth is a great guy, he was just real hard to get a hold of. Japanese knife sharpening makes it a little quicker and easier to get my hands on Hand American products. I will laugh my ass off and not be surprised if my hubcap polish outdoes the 12 carat diamond spray. My wife was initially thrilled when I told her I ordered 36 carats of diamonds, but when she found out they weren't quite the quality of the 1.51 carat center stone in her engagementring she was less thrilled.

Mike
 
Yeah, that wasn't a good ploy as you'll have to make that up later.

Try the hubcap polish on paper instead of leather. Also, if it's the type that needs to be used in a ventilated area, don't try it.
 
I have been using the Meguires Mag wheel polish also, bought at Wally World. I have loaded it on belt scraps glued to paint stirring strips and also tried nickel sized dollops on cardboard. The cardboard seemed to have the best results.
 
We should start a thread to see which wheel polishes that don't require ventilation give the best sharpness and polish. I will check my polishes in the garage and try them on post it's or cardboard. It will keep me busy until my expensive ass diamond spray shows up.

Mike
 
gunmike1 said:
We should start a thread to see which wheel polishes that don't require ventilation give the best sharpness and polish. I will check my polishes in the garage and try them on post it's or cardboard. It will keep me busy until my expensive ass diamond spray shows up.

Mike
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I would certainly be interested in knowing which common polishes work the best. Those of us who are broke can't afford nice diamond sprays, but could probably afford wheel polish or automotive rubbing compound.
 
Anything that says Rubbing compound if far to coarse to make a good strop compound. Polishing compound is a little better but most are only 4000 to 8000 grit, automotive polish also works differently most of the time it is ment to be used with a high speed wheel. The high speed of the wool wheel melts the clear coat and the polish compound being used helps to take out large scratches. The melting of the clear coat is what really causes the surface to shine.

Automotive polish will work but not very well when compared to compounds ment to polish steel. If cost is the concern, chromium oxide is still cheap.
 
knifenut1013 said:
Anything that says Rubbing compound if far to coarse to make a good strop compound. Polishing compound is a little better but most are only 4000 to 8000 grit, automotive polish also works differently most of the time it is ment to be used with a high speed wheel. The high speed of the wool wheel melts the clear coat and the polish compound being used helps to take out large scratches. The melting of the clear coat is what really causes the surface to shine.

Automotive polish will work but not very well when compared to compounds ment to polish steel. If cost is the concern, chromium oxide is still cheap.
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See, that's why I love threads like this: I learn a lot. I had no idea that rubbing compound was too coarse. The thought of a paste or liquid that I could rub on a strip of leather and let dry seemed like a good solution, to me.
 
dawsonbob said:
See, that's why I love threads like this: I learn a lot. I had no idea that rubbing compound was too coarse. The thought of a paste or liquid that I could rub on a strip of leather and let dry seemed like a good solution, to me.
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I am not sure of other compounds but I used 3M perfect-it III for many years and would say its around 800-1000 grit. Other more common 3M products like the red compound found at many stores is even coarser.
 
I suppose I'll have to experiment. I'm a novice at the finer points of sharpening. For many years I just freehanded (not well) on an old stone. The results were okay, but not great. Now I want to learn some of the finer points of sharpening: "okay" is no longer good enough.

I feel a trip to the auto parts store coming on.
 
Simichrome is finer than the green buffing compound. Motorcycle shops sell it, and you can do an online search, too.
I would use it on a hardwood lap, but it works well on cardboard, paper, or leather.
 
Looks like I'll end up trying both the Simichrome and the Green compound to see which one works the best for me.
 
Use the Simichrome after the green compound. It's also great for polishing jewelry.
 
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