DMT diamond stones

[Gerry S. Wojtowicz]

Hi.

Does anyone have any experience with DMT diamond stones for sharpening plane blades. They have a stone with 8000g (also 1200 g and lower). Since they advertise them as being virtually indistructible, what would be the reason NOT to use them?

Thanks in advance for your input.

[glenn bradley]

I have used the 2" x 11-1/2" in 220, 600 and 1200 with much success. I am not a purist but, go for what works for me. The only "real" stones I have anymore are slips. I use a combination of the DMT stones, Scary Sharp and a Worksharp 3000 for most of my sharpening. I cannot speak to their 8000g offering but, the ones I have work very well and have for years. Very consistent and predictable results.

[Gerry S. Wojtowicz]

Thanks for your input Glenn. I'm just getting started on using bench planes, so I will obviously need to do some sharpening. The DMT diamond stones seem to be a way to start.

What is a slip" as in "The only "real" stones I have anymore are slips."

[Stephen Cherry]

I do about what Glenn said, but I top it off with a spyderco ceramic stone, and then sometimes rouge on a board. I've tried some of the others, and these stones, with an el cheapo 15 dollar jig, can get you going in a hurry. I'm not a purist, "sharp enough" for me is shaving arm hair, and this setup can produce results in a hurry without a big mess. Mine have been around a while, and still work OK. Plus the diamond can flatten the ceramic.

[Tom Scott]

Gerry,
The DMT's are not a bad way to start, but the diamonds do wear (sometimes quickly) depending on what you are sharpening. There are other diamond stone options that may be better and cheaper. When you have about a week to kill, start searching the "Neanderthal" section for sharpening. You may want to limit your search to diamond stones, or else you may be reading for several weeks. And a warning, there are lots of different, and passionate, views and opinions on sharpening over there. My recommendation is to keep it simple and find something that works for you. I started with diamond stones; they are simple and worked fine for me for a lot of years.

[glenn bradley]

What is a slip" as in "The only "real" stones I have anymore are slips."

I use them for fluted cutters like gouges (of which I have only two for detail work).

271342

I should probably have mentioned that, like Tom, I final hone with compound on a leather strop/wheel on the Worksharp. I'll also comment that I tried some Trend diamond products as the price was attractive; I wore them right out. The DMT's are still going strong but, I do use them as steps in a sequence of grits so, they aren't being asked to remove much. If a half dozen strokes doesn't do it, I've skipped a step somewhere ;-)

[Ralph Boumenot]

I've been using DMT stones for all my sharpening for over a year now. All plane irons, chisels, and scrapers, etc. Both O-1 and A-2 steel. No problems, no regrets, they get everything I use sharp enough for what I do. DMT coarse, fine, extra fine stones follwed by stropping.

[Jim Neeley]

One hint for using diamond stones is to go light on your pressure when honing with them or they will "wear out quickly" from the diamonds becoming dislodged from the nickel-blend or other bonding agent holding them to the plate.

Diamond stones work well with a light touch but you can ruin them if you push them.

The "downside" of diamonds is that, unlike water or ceramic stones, they do not form a slurry. This slurry on the other stones, effectively makes the grin perform as if it were finer after some amount of use (and prior to rinsing). Thus you may see a higher polish (and arguably better edge) on steel that was finished on a water or ceramic stone.

I'm stating the argument here, not arguing the merit or value of the point.

By point of observation, I have had diamonds for quite some time and added Shaptons (1k to 30k) about 1.5 years ago. I find myself using the diamonds for work <1,000 grit, moving to the Shaptons either at 1,000 or when I move to the next stone; it seems to work best for me.

YMMV...

Jim in Alaska

[Judson Green]

I've have had EZE LAP (i think 3 x 8) for a few months now and am very pleased. You might want to check them out a bit less expensive than the DMT ones. One thing I notice (and I was sort of expecting this) the stones cut really fast out of the gate and leave kind of big scratches on the irons. But they do settle down after maybe half a dozen or so sharping sessions. EZE LAP does not make a stone finer than 1200 at first I thought this was matter but as time as gone on it doesn't seem so. I do finish with a strop.

[Ruperto Mendiones]

Centers of my finer dmt stones wore out (lost diamonds) fairly quickly. Now I use diamond stones for coarse work <1000 and then shapton 1, 4 and 8K stones.