Clay, would you mind posting what grit progression you did to get to that ultra smoothness level and approximate number of passes at each level if you get time? Thanks!
Funny you should ask… I got four different samples ready yesterday and used a different route for each. With all of them, I used the 600# diamond plates to set the bevel and then cleaned them up with the Superfine Ceramics. On the last one, I went too fast and didn’t spend enough time with the Superfines and the whole process took a lot longer, so my first lesson was not to skimp on time with the Superfines. On one sample, after the Superfines, I went through the following strops: 14um>10um>5um>3.5um>1um>.5um all diamond on cow leather, then .5um>.25um diamond on kangaroo and then .125um CBN on kangaroo. On another sample, after the Superfines I went to 3um diamond lapping film (which we’ll be carrying soon) then .5um and .1um diamond films (also soon to come) and then back to the .25um diamond and .125 CBN on kangaroo. On another sample, I went from the Superfines to the 1um diamond on cow to the .5um diamond on cow, back to the 1um diamond on kangaroo to the .5um diamond on kangaroo, .25 diamond on kangaroo, .125um CBN on kangaroo, .125um CBN on nano-cloth, back to the .125um CBN on kangaroo. I don’t even remember the other sample, as I bounced around so much, playing with the different effects of each option but I do know it involved the diamond films which I found really impressive! Another lesson I learned was about applying the stropping paste: when recharging my strops, I put the usual amount and then sprayed a very small amount of rubbing alcohol on before rubbing the two sides together. It prevented the paste from coming off on the blade and got me right to where I wanted to be regarding both ‘stiction’ and abrasion. Very impressive little tweak to my process which I’ll be sure to use in the future. I have no idea of the number of passes on grit for each sample but I promise I’ll keep track on the next one I do and post about it. All four samples took me all afternoon, but I was constantly imaging them, both with the handheld 60x loupe and with the microscope and was routinely answering questions around the office, so I don’t really have an accurate sense of how long it would have taken if I’d worked straight through on one sample, but I’m guessing that 1/2 hour would have probably done it. I was only working on samples for the microscope, not on an actual knife so I wasn’t concerned with getting every last scratch out along the entire blade, just sections big enough under the scope to take the upcoming grit pictures. Doing a whole knife to that level would take longer.
For the diamond films, I need to find a source for some glass platens and then we can start listing them. They are a wonderful, fast tool to get an extremely refined edge and mirror polish.
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