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New DMT Diamond Shapening Stones

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Rabbie

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Mar 18, 2002, 1:19:45 PM3/18/02
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I have a similar question. After using Arkansas medium, Norton
Course/Medium, and a Silicon Casrbide Coarse/Medium, I am seriously looking
into diamond stones for speed. I would consider a grinding type setup but I
also want portability.

I am trying to choose between:

DMT Duosharp
DMT Diasharp
EZE-Lap (whatever the continuous diamond surface is called)

I have read Lee and Botteroff on the subject of diamond sharpening tools
(both incredibly helpful books). I understand the polycrystaline diamonds
of EZE-Lap wear quicker. What I don't understand is do they sharpern as
well as DMT's mono before being worn? I also would like know what is the
expected life of a poly v. mono.

Even if I become convinced to buy mono, I do not know which is better -
continuous or perforated (DMT's Duo v. Dia). If I am not one to be troubled
by periodic cleaning of the continuous type, do I have an issue with them?
Price-wise it seems the Duo are the better buy since you always get two
grits in one purchase. Duo's also have more grit sizes available than Dia
and EZE-Lap.

I would want to sharpen kitchen knives, pocket knives, plane blades, and
chisels.

- DD

mario <deba...@taconic.net> wrote in message
news:3C962607...@taconic.net...
>
>
> Glen & Evelyn wrote:
> >
> > Has anybody used the new diamond sharpening stones instead of the water
> > stones or the "scary sharp method"? It seems like such a much more
> > simpler method for only a little more money than the water stones.
I'd
> > like to hear from anybody that has used them and whether they would buy
them
> > again.
> >
> > --
> > Glen
>
> Has anyone tried the DMT Dia-Sharp stone. This one is solid plate with
> continuous diamond coating.
>
> mario
>
>
> -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
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Cliff Stamp

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Mar 19, 2002, 8:57:14 AM3/19/02
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On Mon, 18 Mar 2002, Rabbie wrote:

> I understand the polycrystaline diamonds of EZE-Lap wear quicker. What I
> don't understand is do they sharpern as well as DMT's mono before being
> worn?

Pretty much yes.

> I also would like know what is the expected life of a poly v. mono.

I have not done any controlled testing of the two, but did wear out a couple
of Ez-Lap hones and all my DMT's are still running fine (two 8" benchstones,
3 diafolds and two rods). As for the hole issue, I thought DMT only made
them with holes. If I had the choice I'd get them without the holes for a
faster cut (more surface), they clean really easy so I would not be
concerned about loading.

However back to your question of speed of metal removal, a x-coarse Japanese
waterstone with some lapping SiC compound will easily out cut an x-coarse
DMT hone many times to one. That is what I use for any shaping and just use
the DMT's for finishing work.

--
Cliff Stamp
sst...@physics.mun.ca http://www.physics.mun.ca:80/~sstamp/

The one unforgivable sin, the offence against one's own integrity,
is to accept anything at all simply on authority -- Maureen Johnson Long

Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm. -- Publilius Syrus


Rabbie

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Mar 19, 2002, 9:50:27 AM3/19/02
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Here is a link for continuous DMT diamond stones:

http://store.knife.com:8080/Catalog/WebCatalog.acgi$search?template=DetailNe
w.htm&cart=-1195590009&eqskudata=NT-DMT-D6C

You might check DMT's web site. I believe these guys are available in 10 x
3 in.

After all that has been said by Steve Knight, yourself, and others, I will
pursue the waterstones next.

-R

Cliff Stamp <sst...@kelvin.physics.mun.ca> wrote in message
news:Pine.OSF.4.05.102031...@kelvin.physics.mun.ca...

mps

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Mar 19, 2002, 11:25:14 PM3/19/02
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I've tried a good deal of what's available in terms of sharpening
abrasives from ceramics and diamonds to sandpaper and carborundum, and
I think it pays to keep the strengths and weaknesses of each abrasive
in mind. Personally, my experience with diamond hones is somewhat
contrary to Cliff Stamp's. The first diamond hone that I ever had was
a DMT 6" coarse bench hone with the holes in the plate. (Which I'm
convinced are purely a marketing tactic having no actual value.) It
very quickly wore down to approximately the equivalent of a medium
corborundum stone. It's quite possible that I used too much pressure
initially, but what seemed to happen to me was that some of the
abravive came off the matrix. I don't know that the problem was the
diamonds breaking or simply coming off the metal plate. Either way,
it's cutting ability was roughly halved within the first six months of
heavy usage. I compare the performance of that $30 diamond hone to
that of an $8 Carborundum hone that lasts for years and feel that the
diamond looses for coarse or re-profile work. Let's face it, I've got
power tools for that anyway.

Where I feel the diamond hones really come into their own is in the
small pocket sized touchup hones that are just some diamond dust on a
metal plate. There's very little else that fits into a wallet and
lasts as long as some of the fine and medium diamond hone plates. I
don't get very excited over the overly thick DMT so-called pocket
hones. A better pocket hone, IMO, are the really cheap ones such as
those offered by Ragnar at:

http://www.ragweedsforge.com (might be:

http://www.ragweedforge.com (if the other didn't work).

The bottomline is this; the diamond hones will eventually lose some
portion of their abrasiveness, but then, so will all abrasives.
Abrasives, like blades, are made to wear away. The trick is to pick
ones that are shaped, and priced for your need. Personally, I think
diamond bench hones are pretty much a waste, when compared to other
available bench hones. I also don't much see the need for them in
very fine critical honing. For that I like ceramics. But for having
something in your pocket to do touch ups on, there is definitely a
niche for something that works and lasts on such a thin plate as a bit
of diamond dust on a metal plate.

Some of the best fine edges I've ever gotten on woodworking tools have
been off fine sandpaper and crocus cloth taped to glass and metal
plates. But that arrangement is seldom practical, and is often fairly
expensive given the cost of totally disposable abrasives. That's an
approach suitable for something rarely sharpened like a plane, but
probably not the best approach for everyday pocket and kitchen knives.
For kitchen knives, a simple ceramic vee hone is hard to beat for
weekly touchups. For pocketknives the pocket diamond hone is hard to
beat for routine touchups. None of these is a "whole systems" approach
to sharpening, and all will have to be augmented by other means for
blade reprofiling, etc. But each have their merits and niches.

Mike Swaim

MAF

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Mar 20, 2002, 1:40:17 AM3/20/02
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"mps" <mi...@mebtel.net> wrote in message
news:3c9808f6...@news.mebtel.net...

> The first diamond hone that I ever had was
> a DMT 6" coarse bench hone with the holes in the plate. (Which I'm
> convinced are purely a marketing tactic having no actual value.)

Me too. After a hefty grinding, the metal dust is all over the stone. I
don't notice it gathering in the holes at all.

But it still does a better job of grinding than a lot of stones I have. A
little water and a couple towel wipes makes it nice and clean too.


Eric

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Mar 20, 2002, 10:58:15 AM3/20/02
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Cliff wrote:
[snip]> However back to your question of speed of metal removal, a x-coarse Japanese

> waterstone with some lapping SiC compound will easily out cut an x-coarse
> DMT hone many times to one.[snip]...

What grit lapping compound do you use on the coarse waterstone?
Eric

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