Hi folks.
About a week ago I posted a thread asking about flattening stones for my Shapton Glass sharpening stones. LINK As always, there was a lot of great input. Thanks again!
I ended up deciding to buy the Double Time Flattening Stone from Sharpening Supplies.com. I caught it on sale for $50. LINK This is a 2 sided stone: 120 grit and 320 grit. The stone measures 4" x 10", which proved to work just fine. (I debated buying a larger stone.)
Before I ordered it, I called them and confirmed it was safe for my Shapton 6000 and lower grit Shaptons. Their Tech assured me it was. He also made sure I knew that flattening stones can themselves get out of flat. (That's a big advantage of diamond or CBN plates - they stay flat.) Then he described to me how to use the entire surface of flattening stone in a way that helps keep it flat.
So today I opened the box and tried it out. It was packaged well and securely. The stone was in perfect condition.
Here's the 320 grit side after its first soak.
20220226_171312.jpg
And there's the 120 grit side.
20220226_171338.jpg
As you can see, my Shapton 6000 was in desperate need of some cleaning. I got lazy and didnt scrub my it or 500 grit stone after the last use and it really shows. (Yes, this is embarassing.) 20220226_171445.jpg
But I went to work using the 320 side and after about 10 strokes only the dished area still needs work.
20220226_171545.jpg
About another 20 strokes and she was clean and flat again.
20220226_171912.jpg
As you'd expect, the flattening stone worked best when I wiped off excess swarf in between passes. But the the Double Time cut just fine on that 6000 grit stone. I didnt start to get stiction until it was nearly flat (as you'd expect), and the stiction was greatly reduced by the grooved surface of the flattening stone. I was pleased, because reduced stiction was a big reason for buying the grooved stone, rather than a diamond (or CBN) plate.
Next I went to work on my Shapton 500, using the 120 grit side. That took noticeably more time and effort. That stone was dished out more than I realized. And the Double Time needed a good rinsing in the middle of flattening to clear excess swarf before I could finish the job. I think this was my fault though - I'd let the stones get way out of shape. (Long story about why. I'll spare you.)
Last, I did my Shapton 1000 using the 120 grit side. It was easier than the 500 grit stone because it wasn`t dished out.
So after flattening 3 stones, I'd say the Double Time was a good buy for me. We'll see how well the flattening stone itself stays flat, and I'll make a point of cleaning/flattening my Shaptons regularly now that I have it
Anyway, that's all for now.
Fred
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