Flattening norton 1000/4000 water dtones

[jim mills]

Ive tried the SC Sandpaper on glass method, but looking for something easier and faster. Can you recomend a diamond plate? Thanks!

[Pat Barry]

Yes, a diamond plate would be an improvement

[Paul McGaha]

Personally, I'd recommend an Atoma #400 from Stu at Tools from Japan:

http://www.toolsfromjapan.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=335_462_464&products_id=1194

PHM

[Edwin Santos]

Being pathologically thrifty, I haven't spent the $$ on a diamond plate (yet). My poor man's solution is using a $10 or free piece of 1/4 float glass with some water and 90x silicon carbide lapping grit from Lee Valley. I purchased the glass from a glass shop and they polished the edges so I won't cut myself handling it. Sprinkle on some water and grit and lap for 10-15 seconds and your stone will be as flat as the glass. I think it was 5 or 6 bucks for the lapping grit, so all in you're looking at $16.00. I think the lapping grit comes in higher grits, I'm not necessarily recommending 90x lapping grit but it was what I had on hand when I started doing this. It does cut very fast indeed.

By the way, in lieu of float glass, a granite countertop offcut would work well also. If you stop by a countertop fabricator shop, they'll probably give you all the small pieces of granite you can carry.

I am flattening Shapton traditional (not glass) stones. I think they would be similar in nature to the Norton water stones for flattening purposes. Hope this is helpful,

[Mike Brady]

How do you keep the silicon carbide grit particles from embedding in the surface of the water stones?

[Edwin Santos]

How do you keep the silicon carbide grit particles from embedding in the surface of the water stones?
I've never noticed that happening. It always seems to me that the grit rinses off under the faucet when I'm done. I've been doing it this way for years. You raise a good question though so I'll take a closer look. I haven't noticed larger scratches in the pattern when sharpening after lapping either.

[Sam Murdoch]

Personally, I'd recommend an Atoma #400 from Stu at Tools from Japan:

http://www.toolsfromjapan.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=335_462_464&products_id=1194

PHM

Works perfectly on water stones AND I used it to flatten an old Arkansas oil stone and it worked great for that too.

[Derek Cohen]

Being pathologically thrifty, I haven't spent the $$ on a diamond plate (yet). My poor man's solution is using a $10 or free piece of 1/4 float glass with some water and 90x silicon carbide lapping grit from Lee Valley. I purchased the glass from a glass shop and they polished the edges so I won't cut myself handling it. Sprinkle on some water and grit and lap for 10-15 seconds and your stone will be as flat as the glass. I think it was 5 or 6 bucks for the lapping grit, so all in you're looking at $16.00. I think the lapping grit comes in higher grits, I'm not necessarily recommending 90x lapping grit but it was what I had on hand when I started doing this. It does cut very fast indeed....

I believe this works. However, a extra coarse diamond stone is just so much more convenient - less to store and easier to use. I bought a Extra Coarse DMT about 15 years ago and used it for about 6 or 7 years before switching to a Shapton diamond stone. The DMT was then used for steel, but it still works decently, so it has proved durable and offered good longevity.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[lowell holmes]

I have water stones that I don't use since diamond plates came on the scene.
However, the set of water stones I have includes a flattening stone.

I keep a fine diamond stone out on the bench. If an edge needs touching up,
I stop what I am doing and touch the edge up. A minute or so and I'm back to
making shavings. There is a small board with stropping leather glued on. Stropping
the edges is part of the sequence.

I learned to sharpen in a Paul Sellers class 15 years ago. The method I just described
is what he taught us. It works.

[Jim Belair]

I used the loose grit on glass for a few years, then broke down and bought a coarse diamond plate (DiaSharp). The grit will wear away at the glass and render it useless for flattening stones so it needs to be changed periodically. Never had a problem with grit embedding in the stone.

[Patrick Chase]

Ive tried the SC Sandpaper on glass method, but looking for something easier and faster. Can you recomend a diamond plate? Thanks!

Loose SiC grit on glass is a lot faster than SiC sandpaper, but maybe not easier.

It's hard to go wrong with the Atoma plates.

[Robin Frierson]

The 10 x 4 double-sided course/extra course DMT diamond stone is what I have used for years. I find it convenient to use it under running water if that's available.

[jim mills]

Thanks. If i get the 400 atoma, can i use it to reestablish primary bevels, or should i reserve it strictly for flatening stones?

[David Eisenhauer]

I believe it has been recommended to use it only to flatten stones and that using it to work on your tools will wear it down excessively. Others may chime in to refute this and I may have not come across later info on the Atoma 400.

[Patrick Chase]

I believe it has been recommended to use it only to flatten stones and that using it to work on your tools will wear it down excessively. Others may chime in to refute this and I may have not come across later info on the Atoma 400.

The concern there is that the Atoma loses its (extremely good) flatness accuracy if you use it on tools. Even selective wear of the diamonds due to honing would probably be enough to cause that...

[jim mills]

Thanks! I see Amazon carries the Atoma 400, but see a link to toolsfromjapan.com up thread. Is this someone that supports the creek? If so, Ill order it from them. If not, Amazon can have it here Monday.

[Tom Vanzant]

Quite a few, me included, buy from tools from Japan.com, but there is usually quite a wait between order and receive, like 2-3 weeks.

[Patrick Chase]

Thanks! I see Amazon carries the Atoma 400, but see a link to toolsfromjapan.com up thread. Is this someone that supports the creek? If so, Ill order it from them. If not, Amazon can have it here Monday.

Stuart Tierney (TfJ owner) used to be a very active participant here. (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/member.php?65576-Stuart-Tierney) I think he disengaged around the same time as David Weaver. I've bought plenty of stuff from him and he's always been a pleasure to deal with. As others have noted you'll have to wait a few weeks, but he has stuff others don't carry and his prices are hard to beat.

EDIT: He actually disengaged a bit before David.