Edge pro apex 220 stone question

A

alwyn

Joined
Aug 7, 2010
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29
My edge pro apex 220 stone cut like a demon when it was new, now after four months it just isnt the same. Have tried a scouring powder but still no luck.

Anyone got any ideas?

Al
 
Do you see any buildup in the stone? If so you might soak in soap and water over night then try a tooth brush to clean. Hope you are using soapy water as a lubricant when using the stones. I find that most new stones are a bit more aggressive when new.
 
Yes, it has been lapped with the advantage of a little difference but not near as good as it had been. Would give an arm and a leg to get it back to the same cut.
 
alwyn said:
Yes, it has been lapped with the advantage of a little difference but not near as good as it had been. Would give an arm and a leg to get it back to the same cut.
Click to expand...

If you didn't use the SiC and glass that comes with the stone leveling kit then you didn't really lap your stones. I thought I was lapping mine too until I got the actual stone leveling kit - wow what a difference.


Anyway, my 220 did the exact same thing after about 4 months. What cured the problem was lapping it on the SiC powder, then cleaning the stone very well to unplug all the pores in the stone. It now cuts like new. For some reason the 220 seems to plug up a lot faster than the other stones, so keeping it clean helps a lot too.
 
The 220 is an open grained stone that can clog easily. Lapping with SiC will help, as has already been said. Bar Keepers Friend and a nylon brush will also help to clean it out. The stuff is great for cleaning just about any ceramic. It also will corrode and loosen steel that may be fused/rusted into the stone. If this is the scouring powder you already tried, try it again and let it set for a few minutes wet on the stone.
 
Get yourself a DMT Diasharp 8" x 3" extra extra coarse plate. I use it to flatten my flattening stones..and it also quickly flattens my E.P. water stones to like new. Unless something better comes along I'm not going back to the alternatives. Here's my order of events:

0. Using a mechanical pencil, draw Xes down the stone making sure some marks go off the edge at both ends.
1. Use the SiC Norton Flattening Stone to quickly flatten heavily dished stones (especially including 120 grit extra course E.P. stone)
2. Move to DMT Diasharp XXC with medium pressure, making sure to move in circles, rotating the stone 180 degrees occasionally for consistency.
3. DMT Diasharp XXC again but with light pressure, moving in circles, and rotating 180. Should produce a nice fine mud on the stone

Even with the XXC DMT, I found that using light pressure and a circular motion produces a surface finish that is very smooth on even my 1000 grit E.P. stone. If I want a better finish, I give it a few passes on my medium/fine DMTs
 
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