DMT diamond stones for lapping

Z

Zeasor

Joined
May 29, 2007
Messages
386
I have used my DMT diamond bench stones for flattening waterstones. Are the DMTs also suitable for flattening ceramic stones and Arkansas stones? Will these stones cause excessive wear and tear on the DMTs?
 
I know Leonard Lee talks about lapping ceramic bench stones on diamond but I've not (yet) tried this. I've read of using them to good effect on Arkansas stones as well.
 
I used my DMT hones to smooth out the chips in the corners of my SharpMaker rods and take imperfections off Pro-File ceramics with no ill effects on the diamonds. It did coarsen the surface of the white ceramics a little, but I can live with that.
 
Does the coarser surface on the ceramic revert back after some usage or does it remain coarser even after extended use?
 
I don't know. I don't use those ceramics very much. I do all my PE sharpening on the DMTs, I just use the ceramics for serrations, and I don't have a lot of them.
 
Gotcha. Thanks. Not knowing how that would work out has always given me pause.
 
Don't know diddly from personal experience, but I'd extrapolate, from the fact that the UF sharpmaker rods are just F rods with different surface treatment, that the roughed up F rods would stay roughed up (also, the just ceramic is nigh-on wearproof, as I understand it.)
 
The ceramic would need to be finished with another ceramic stone of the exact same composition. If not, the surface will remain rough. I can't imagine using a ceramic stone enough to dish it!
 
for lapping your sharpening stones, use the steel lapping plate from lee valley, with an appropriate silicon grit lapping powder.
 
Bushman5 said:
for lapping your sharpening stones, use the steel lapping plate from lee valley, with an appropriate silicon grit lapping powder.
Click to expand...

If the lapping powder will abrade ceramics, wouldn't the powder also abrade the steel lapping plate?
 
Zeasor said:
If the lapping powder will abrade ceramics, wouldn't the powder also abrade the steel lapping plate?
Click to expand...
My understanding is that the steel plate is purposefully so much softer than the abrasive that the abrasive partially embeds itself in the plate. If the abrasive ain't moving, it ain't abrading.
 
Aren't the best lapping plates cast iron? It is a good substrate for holding abrasives. So well you should only use one grit with them.

I got one and still use my diamond plates for lapping - I can't imagine the tiny increase in flatness you can get with a real lapping plate will make any difference for anything less than gillette's sharpening machine. And the diamond plate is easier and faster.
 
I would think the DMTs would work on Arkansas and ceramic stones The authoritative answer is just a phone call away as DMT tech support is excellent.

The concept for lapping plates is as lucky bob states. Eventually lapping plates require lapping but this is over extended use. The spec for lapping plates is dependent on the manufacturer.

The DMT plates are in effect lapping plates with the diamond placed over it in an embedded nickel alloy matrix. The flatness spec exceeds 0.001 inch, whic IMO is more than adequate for flattening stones. If you can use these stones for grinding a ceramic knife, you should certsinly be able to grind a ceramic or AK stone, but I wouldn't want to do something the manufacturer won't back up, so I'd ask first.

---
Ken
 
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