What will give me a greater polish?

[Leotheo]

What has a lower micron amount?

The 6000 grit EdgePro polish tape?

Or a leather strop loaded with green polishing compound?

Thanks
-Leotheo

 

[pvicenzi]

An 8000 grit DMT stone is rated at 5 micron, and the green past is 0.5 micron.

 

[grybsh7]

LT the 6000 EP tape is .25 micron and as pvicenzi said the green paste is .5 mic.

 

[dsmegst]

nevermind

 

[Leotheo]

Thanks guys. So I can pretty much go to the strop rather than use the 3,000 tape, right?

 

[xmtgx]

Stropping is gonna give you a slight convex edge, if your going to the 6000 grit tapes it would probably be better to use the 2000 grit tapes rather then skipping over it and stropping. Just so you keep it at the exact edge angle. But either way would work

 

[grybsh7]

Theo I've just had my EP for about a month and am still learning about the whole process. I have a leather strop mounted on oak and charged with .25 micron diamond paste that I still like to finish on. Here are some pics of my Sebenza which I reprofiled to about 16 per side and my FM-1 that I took to 17 or so per side. I am pleased with the results I have been getting.

 

[changeofseasons]

I've seen that grit chart several times. I respect the author. But I just don't believe that the 6000 tape is .25 micron. The finest 3M microfinishing film I have in the shop is .3 micron and it leaves a better polish. I could be mistaken though.

But all of this is neither here nor there. There is not a 1 to 1 correspondence between grit rating and polish. Chromium Oxide gives the best polish at the same grit rating, then Aluminum Oxide is second. Silicon Carbide leaves a great edge, but the finish is cloudy. Diamond is a whole other thing. The abrasive carrier or binder also affects finish.

If you choose to use the tapes, stropping first (w/ no compound) with almost no pressure will remove any micro-burr that might tear the tape.

If you just strop with chrom-ox compound... it will take longer to get a good polish. The wax bar chrom-ox is slower than the plain paste.

 

[grybsh7]

Thanks COS. I've got the Jende DMT xcoarse. The 100,120,180,220,360,600,800,1000 EP stones. The 3000, 5000, 10,000 Chosera stones and the 2000,3000,4000,6000 EP tapes. Plus some 1 mic and .3 mic tapes. A bunch of different grits. I'm still trying to figure it all out.