SIC Powder Supplier

The 'bay is an easy source. Look for lapidary/tumbling grit.
 
But are all Silicon Carbide powders of equal quality? I know they sell Silicon Carbide powder for air blasting as well. Is there a difference between the powder used for air blasting vs what you might want for lapping knives.
 
Not only are there different qualities but more importantly there are many different grades depending on your needs. Do you want a tough crystal that resists breaking down or do you want one that breaks down easily, ie friable? For lapping I like black sic as it is the tough vs friable variety. Even it breaks down fast so your 60 grit drops down to several hundred grit after a minute of lapping.

The Washington Mills website has a lot of info on many different sic powders.
 
Diemaker said:
Not only are there different qualities but more importantly there are many different grades depending on your needs. Do you want a tough crystal that resists breaking down or do you want one that breaks down easily, ie friable? For lapping I like black sic as it is the tough vs friable variety. Even it breaks down fast so your 60 grit drops down to several hundred grit after a minute of lapping.

The Washington Mills website has a lot of info on many different sic powders.
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Who sells it and has a wide selection of top quality grits?

Diemaker, it sounds like you have experience with the different SICs grit types, what are your uses?
 
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oceanrider said:
Who sells it and has a wide selection of top quality grits?
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I only know where to get it in 50lb boxes or bags but if you call them they may know of a company that buys from them and sells smaller amounts. Or if you can tell a good enough story they will send you samples. 15 years ago KC Abrasives sent me 6 each 2lb samples of Alox and Sic for free after calling them up. They are another good supplier but I think they buy their feedstock and have a smaller offering. Washington Mills makes their feed stock and have a much larger offering, they are also much, much bigger and you have to talk to a rep, vs someone at the company that knows what they are talking about. Whenever I have called KC Abrasives I have either talked to the owner or his son.

oceanrider said:
Diemaker, it sounds like you have experience with the different SICs grit types, what are your uses?
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Anything from resin bond polishing pads for polishing stone to lapping many different things flat or to size. It can be really handy stuff to have around.
 
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Diemaker said:
I only know where to get it in 50lb boxes or bags but if you call them they may know of a company that buys from them and sells smaller amounts. Or if you can tell a good enough story they will send you samples. 15 years ago KC Abrasives sent me 6 each 2lb samples of Alox and Sic for free after calling them up. They are another good supplier but I think they buy their feedstock and have a smaller offering. Washington Mills makes their feed stock and have a much larger offering, they are also much, much bigger and you have to talk to a rep, vs someone at the company that knows what they are talking about. Whenever I have called KC Abrasives I have either talked to the owner or his son.

Anything from resin bond polishing pads for polishing stone to lapping many different things flat or to size. It can be really handy stuff to have around.
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You posted a good link to Washington Mills that has good info. But since Washington Mills is a manufacture that sells to distributors, where are good places to purchase SIC grain for the average person?
 
I would call them and ask them. When I did they put me in touch with their regional rep, but I only wanted to know who locally sold package quantities, which are 50lbs. Someone you speak to may know of someone they sell to that resells smaller quantities. Or try Heavy Handed's suggestion in post #2. If they have what you want you can always as them where it comes from.

How many pounds of each grit are you looking for?
 
Your best bet would be to buy some from Gritomatic.

They sell a set of 9 different grits of Silicon Carbide powder in plastic bottles from F60 to F2000 grit.

More than you would probably use in a lifetime of lapping and its only 27 bucks for the whole set. Individually they are about 5 bucks each.

Full Set:
https://www.gritomatic.com/products/silicon-carbide-powder-full-set?_pos=2&_sid=831c4e548&_ss=r

Individual:
https://www.gritomatic.com/products/silicon-carbide-powder?_pos=1&_sid=831c4e548&_ss=r
 
777 Edge said:
More than you would probably use in a lifetime of lapping and its only 27 bucks for the whole set. Individually they are about 5 bucks each.
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It depends on what you are lapping, it's not just for stones.
 
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