Lapping films effectiveness

[Mark76]

In the past there was some discussion about the lapping films. I’m not sure anymore, but I thought it was about the 1 micron and 0.5 micron films (but it could be the 0.1 micron films, too). Some people thought they were too coarse.

That was not my experience, but I thought I’d try some lapping film from Jende Industries, too (which I got for free). And to be honest, I cannot see any difference. Now my microscope (I need a new one, because 60x enlargement is not enough…) cannot see the difference anyway, but I don’t experience any difference in practice either. I usually end up at HHT-2 or HHT-3 with both the 1 micron and the 0.5 micron sheets from both brands.

What are your experiences?

Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge

[tcmeyer]

I see that there have been no replies, so I’ll jump in here, although I don’t think I really understand your question.

For what it’s worth, I’ve been reducing my array of stones, just to reduce the clutter and to simplify things.  I purchased some some of the new blank handles and moved stones and platens from my homemade blocks.  I reassigned the stones, dropping the 100-grit from the set, so I now have 200/400, 600/800, and 1000/1500.  If I need the 100-grit blocks, they’re available for me, but not taking up space on my rack.  I also have two sets I made up with brass platens, on which I’ve mounted 6/3 micron film and 1.5/1.0 micron film.  I almost never go below 1 micron, although I still have a set of 0.5/0.1 home-made handles w/ brass platens.  In case you weren’t counting, this leaves me with a total of five pairs of handles to cover 99% of my sharpening needs.

Besides the obvious convenience, part of the reasoning here has to do with using the Gen 3 Pro rig.  My home-made handles require adjustment from one side of the handles to the other, as I wasn’t always able to keep the bores exactly parallel to the faces.  Since the Gen 3 Pro doesn’t have SWAT (VSTA) capabilities, I had to double check angles with my DXL360 with every grit change.  The new handles solve that for me and it’s been an overall positive change.

When the discussion on the 0.5 micron film causing scratches was going on, I tested film from multiple vendors and concluded that the scratches were possibly just inherent to that size film.  Maybe a manufacturer problem.  In any case, it discouraged me a bit and I decided that I really didn’t need to go below 1.0 micron anyway, so I set them aside.  Again, I can always pull them from their storage box if needed.

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sksharp, Alan, SalisburySam, Mark76, Organic, Marc H

[Mark76]

Tom, thanks for your reply. My questions were, simply put:

• Do more people experience scratches or a coarser pattern than expected with the WE 1.0 micron and 0.5 micron lapping films? As far as I can judge with my limited means I don’t.
• If you have used other types of lapping film, do they produce different results than the WE ones? Again, I could not distinguish any significant difference between the WE ones and the Jende ones.
• If you have used the WE 0.1 micron lapping films, what were your experiences?

Do I understand it correctly that you experienced scratches or a more coarse pattern with 0.5 micron films from multiple manufacturers? And not with the 1.0 micron films? Do you perhaps have a link to that discussion? I cannot find it back.

Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge

[tcmeyer]

Hi Mark:

• This thread is the one you’re looking for.  I did some testing on the 1.0 and 0.5 micron films and did, in fact, find that the 0.5 film produced scratches which were inconsistent with the grit – even when using new film.  I could go back to the 1.0 film and erase those scratches.  I don’t think anybody has offered a reason.
• From what I can tell, there’s very little difference, if any, between vendors’ PSA films.  There might be some slight differences in color, but otherwise could be made by the same manufacturer; probably 3M.  I also use film from Nanolap, but I’m not sure they make their own film.
• I don’t have any firm recollections of the 0.1 micron film being other than expected.  I haven’t used it much.

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Mark76

[Marc H]

I don’t know who makes the films but the DLF I purchased from Jende were shipped directly to me from Taiwan.  The films were not in a perforated sheet form, like the brand Wicked Edge sells, but were individual films hand labeled and placed in a stack in plastic envelope all together.

The Jende films felt as though they were on stiffer plastic backing.  They also adhered more securely and, IMO, were not intended to be removed and reattached to the glass platens.

Both film brands worked well.  Wicked Edge offers the lowest grit available, 0.1µ which I found to behave unpredictably.

Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)

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sksharp, Mark76

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