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Thread: New Spyderco bench stones, far from flat ?

  1. #1
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    New Spyderco bench stones, far from flat ?

    I just recieved a medium and fine benchstone from Spyderco.

    Holding the white one (the fine) up against a lightbulp I could see just with my eyes that it was bend. Holding it against my veritas straight edge I was able to freely push a 0,25mm feeler gauage between the straight edge and the stone.

    The Medium was not so bad, it was bend about 0.09 mm which is still too much to my liking.

    Are these stones so much out of flat that they should be returned, or is it just a matter of working them against my DMT flattening plate ?
    Best regards

    Lasse Hilbrandt

  2. #2
    This is a well known thing. Spydercos are made for sharpening knives, so the factory doesn't seem very concerned about flatness.

    Use a diamond lapping plate if possible. Otherwise use a diamond sharpening stone, but make very light passes, as the diamonds in lesser stones can get loosened, or something like that.

  3. #3
    I use xxcoarse plastic honeycomb dmt to initially flatten them, followed by the 600 grit red one. It can take a while if there is a lot to remove.
    I still have 3x8 spyderco that had a concavity , once in a while I lap it, one day it will be flat It is better than having a bump though.

  4. #4
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    I have not yet tested my fine spyderco, and I am not looking forward to flattening it; hopefully it will not need it... but I expect that it will based on experiences form others here.

  5. #5
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    My Medium and Ultra Fine Spydercos each took 15 minutes on 250- and 600 grit Eze-lap diamond stones.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  6. #6
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    I just checked both my medium and SF Spyderco stones with my small square. Either I was just lucky or I am less concerned with "dead" flat. I figure if I do not see a gap under my square I am good to go. Maybe my aging eyes are not as good as some peoples. I don't own feeler gauges and have never felt the need for them at least for hand tools. Maybe I wore mine flat with PM-V11 plane blades?

    Admittedly I am not generally concerned with extreme accuracy. I wonder if that level of accuracy is necessary for making furniture, cabinets...? Most of my plane blades have at least some camber. I seldom check chisel blades for dead flat, unless one looks "off". My question becomes what are we "sharpening" that needs to be that perfectly flat or straight? I think there have been a number of posts over the years that have suggested that there is no need for a chisel or plane blade to be dead 90 and perfectly straight.
    Last edited by Mike Holbrook; 04-18-2016 at 1:33 PM.

  7. #7
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    I too just got a Spyderco 3 x 8 finest grit stone.right out of the box I wasn't able to get a sharp edge until I checked the flatness. My stone also needed about 30 minutes with an Atoma plate. it's still not completely flat, but I am able to get a good edge. I'll keep working on and eventually hope to get it 100% flat.


    Previously I had the three stone set from Stu, I think Sigma power stones? I really like these stones, except the finest grit (I think 13,000) was softer than I prefer (during free hand honing I was prone to gauge the stone), and I finally used it up. I'm very happy to say the Spyderco seems to be much harder and I no longer have this problem.I also have a two Shapton Pro stones comming (1000 and 5000 grit). Any suggestions about how often I should flatten the Shapton's?

    With the Sigma power stones I flatten them pretty much before every use, I think that is what Stu recommended. The Shapton's seem a bit harder and I would like them to last as long as possible, so should I flatten before every use, once a day, etc.?

    Thanks in advance for any advice and suggestions.

    All the best,

    Mike

  8. #8
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    Mike, I always gave the shapton a a touch up with a flattening stone before using them. You mentioned you had a 1k and a 5k coming, I have an 8k shapton I don't use anymore. Maybe we can plan another get together and I'll bring it down to let you try it out.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Holbrook View Post
    I just checked both my medium and SF Spyderco stones with my small square. Either I was just lucky or I am less concerned with "dead" flat. I figure if I do not see a gap under my square I am good to go. Maybe my aging eyes are not as good as some peoples. I don't own feeler gauges and have never felt the need for them at least for hand tools. Maybe I wore mine flat with PM-V11 plane blades? ....
    I do not check for flat with feeler gauges. Instead, I squiggle pencil lines over the stone, and then lap this using a known diamond stone. This will tell me what I need to know.

    Most, if not all, Spyderco stones have a hollow on one side. Turn the stone to this. It is easier to flatten than a side with a high point in the centre.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  10. #10
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    But how much out of flat will you guys consider too much and return it?

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Lasse Hilbrandt View Post
    But how much out of flat will you guys consider too much and return it?

    Ask the retailer you bought it from. Theirs is the only answer that matters.

    Maybe they can check their stock for a better one?

  12. #12
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    Even if the stones were flat out of the box they will change pretty quickly in use. Keeping your sharpening stones flat is a fact of life if you use edge tools. Get what you need to do it, flatten the stones and get on with your work.

    Ron

  13. #13
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    Hi Ron

    The Spyderco stones move less than oilstones, I believe. Certainly, I have not seen any movement in the Medium and only the most minute amount (not nearly enough to consider out-of-flat) in the Ultra Fine over a period of about 12 months. I would, nevertheless, recommend running a 600 grit diamond stone over them every month just to remove any imbedded gunk and freshen the surface.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  14. #14
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    I am really glad to see this posting. A couple of years ago I posted about Spydercos not being flat and was sort of laughed at, and told they were flat from the factory. I'm glad to be proven right,and don't feel so badly, now. Thanks guys!
    You never get the answer if you don't ask the question.

    Joe

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Joe Tilson View Post
    I am really glad to see this posting. A couple of years ago I posted about Spydercos not being flat and was sort of laughed at, and told they were flat from the factory. I'm glad to be proven right,and don't feel so badly, now. Thanks guys!
    How did you flatten it then ?
    Best regards

    Lasse Hilbrandt

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