Reddit reviews 7pcs 5 Gram Diamond Lapping Paste Polishing Compound for Fine to Final Polishing, Grits 0.25 to 5.0 microns

Well since I know you've got a KME I've got 2 approaches you can take with what you've already got.


1: Use the 100-1500 grit stones then use 3m wet/dry sandpapers up through 5k grit (you have to cut them to size and fold a bit over the corner of the stone to clamp them onto the stone itself) to refine the edge.


Then instead of strops you can use cardstock or characoal drawing paper with a heavy tooth to load inexpensive diamond compounds onto them.


[I honestly use these a lot and they work as well as anything]( https://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Lapping-Polishing-Compound-microns/dp/B00MALWGBI/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=diamond+lapping+paste&qid=1558986424&s=gateway&sr=8-6 )


This would give your viewers who want to invest SOME money in a great sharpening system but don't want to spend an additional 1000 bucks on gear or fancy angle correction tools. The sandpaper and paper for the strop compounds are so thin it (pretty much) doesn't matter and since the stones which come with the KME are all the same thickness (if you get the diamond ones) you'll be set using those as a backing for the sandpaper.


Now as far as fancier stones. You'll have to utilize angle correction tools but [here is a tremendous resource]( https://www.gritomatic.com/collections/kme-stones ) for stones for the KME system. Now the HARDEST natural ones "can" break down and refine vanadium carbides in steels but also can perform differently based on how much pressure is used. The Belgian coticule stones are also quite nice and less costly than some of the other natural stones.



Now on to actual sharpening stones themselves.... Wait for Vitrified Diamond Water Stones from PracticalSharpening.com or @karolis_griskevicius on IG if you want the next best thing there ever was in sharpening.


Otherwise the DMT Diasharp continuous diamond plates are a great choice for a low maintenance option. You can just splash them with some water with dawn dishsoap in it and go to town with them. Shapton glass stones are another nice option. Atoma plates are like the next step up from DMT.


For grits you really don't need a mega fine mirror edge to get an extremely fine edge. The different grit progressions and types of stones can yeild different types of edges.


For starting out I'd get a DMT/ Atoma Coarse, Fine and then go with one of [these CBN]( https://www.practicalsharpening.com/benchstones1/metallic-bonded-cbn-sharpening-bench-stones )stones to finish things off.


Keep in mind that most abrasives won't matter for even hard steels as long as they're fresh but Diamond stuff is the least PITA thing to use. Once you get to like 4000 grit or 5 ish microns you NEED to worry a bit more about carbide tearout and burnishing edges on the more crazy steels.


I'd try to go with (around, exact stuff isn't too big of a deal) something like 220-320 grit, 500-800 grit, then 3-5000 grit for stones. Then with the aforementioned strop pastes you will have 5, 3.5, 3, 2.5, 1.5, 1, .5, and .25 micron diamonds to work with.


https://www.tandyleather.com/en/ will have like half or quarter hides of vegetable tanned leather. Get some free paint stir sticks at your local hardware store for 5 gallon paint cans by lying and saying you bought some the other day (or just ask I dunno) and then wipe both the leather and sticks in alcohol. Once dry use permanent 2 side mounting tape to affix the stuff to one another in a stroppy type fashion. Then going from the finest strop compound to the least fine, rub them all into the leather strops. Wear gloves if you care to.


Save one strop with nothing on it, this will be the finishing strop.

[Kent lapping diamond compound, from amazon.] (https://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Lapping-Polishing-Compound-microns/dp/B00MALWGBI)

7pcs 5 gram Diamond Lapping Paste Polishing Compound For Fine to Final Polishing, Grits 0.25 to 5.0 microns https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MALWGBI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_XAK8BbAFSPB8T

you can try a diamond paste, you can get a set of polishing paste on amazon for cheap.

i haven't done this on a watch, but I have used it on many other things such as metal and plastics for my job. start off with maybe a coarser grit, 2.5 or so, and finish it with the 1/4 grit. Again, i haven't tried this, but from what i can see is you really have nothing to lose. you can use a cloth or your finger to start, or a dremel if you have one.

The main problem people have sharpening premium steels, including myself when I first started, is not taking the time to create an apex and de-burr before moving up, you should be able to get a good edge with a 200 grit stone that can shave arm hairs, then de-burr by pulling through wood or lightly across the Stone and move on to the next grit, getting it sharp enough to shave arm hair at the end of each grit, stropping at the end should only be to give it that last little bit to make it better, it builds on an already existing sharpness and makes it better.
When it loses that super keen sharp edge, stropping gets that edge back to a similar keenness without removing too much metal, it's the cherry on top, not the ice cream

Go for [diamond lapping pastes](7pcs 5 gram Diamond Lapping Paste Polishing Compound For Fine to Final Polishing, Grits 0.25 to 5.0 microns https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MALWGBI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_SMRAxbPCYBVVR) they work best on all types of high end steel since the diamond is harder than all the various carbides, and those particular ones have a much more consistent grit size than other compounds

Nice post. I feel like this "abrasive paste effect" is the #1 thing new riders need to learn about bike maintenance:

1> you put grease on your chain

2> you go ride and the grease picks up bits of dirt and rock

3> the grease-paste starts grinding away the chain and chainrings, and those metal shavings get into the grease paste

4> now your grease is a paste of rock, dirt, and metal and its job is to wear down the edges of your chainrings, your chain pulleys, your chain pins, and everything else you pay to replace


If you don't think grease with sharp stuff inside it is an effective cutting tool, consider that they use it to POLISH BALL BEARINGS.

It's a process called "lapping", and they call it "polishing paste" : https://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/engines-equipment/question513.htm

Guess what's in it? Oil and rock: https://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Lapping-Polishing-Compound-microns/dp/B00MALWGBI


So the #1 thing you have to do when you buy a new bike is get that polishing paste off your drivetrain before you ride it again.

It's the difference between a 500 mile cassette and a 100 mile cassette.

I've yet to use it, but wax-based products that ball up around rock and fall off your chain are supposed to stop this effect. I just got my Boeshield T-9, excited to try it out.

Here is the original ballistic advantage profile. Other manufacturers use this profile too, here's Spinta Precision. I found my 147grs were hitting the barrel face at 6oclock, there's a lip there on AR barrels that is usually a ramp in 9mm handguns. I corrected this by starting with 200 grit sandpaper cut in to a small strip and taped to a Sharpie. I spent about a half hour going through a bunch of strips to get my initial groove going, paying careful attention to work the grit on the lip and not the chamber. Afterwards, I used a dremel tool with felt polishing cones and lapping compound to smooth out the sandpaper's work. Here is my end result.

Thanks I'll try these things. I have a couple of questions:

How should I clean it with a toothbrush? The watch looks gold, some people say on the website to clean watches with white toothpaste and a toothbrush - do I have to worry about it being "gold" on the outside (maybe somehow gold can get damaged with certain chemicals)

I'm not so sure about what to do with polishing the glass. I found a paste on amazon. It seems with some googling that I'll need some sort of mechanical polisher to polish the glass.

Here's the paste I found:

https://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Lapping-Polishing-Compound-microns/dp/B00MALWGBI

I haven't been able to find out what material the lens itself is made of. But they seem to be convensional lens material such as you'd find in eyeglasses (although far thicker (14mm I believe) and convex.

You'll need something reasonably abrasive to remove those scratches. You could start with toothpaste (the whitening paste stuff, not the gel) as a cheap initial test. And lots of buffing.

I guess you could move on to more abrasive stuff. One thing to possibly consider is Diamond Paste. It comes in different levels, just as sandpaper does. You start with the thicker stuff buff it in and move down to the lowest micro thickness, Now, this might be a little bit OTT (this stuff is used by jewelers to remove scratches from incredibly scratch-resistant sapphire crystals on things like Rolex watches and the like and they'd buff out the scratches with a Dremel or a different electric polishing tool or similar) but with enough care and attention it would certainly remove the scratches. But you'd have to know what you're doing. Basically, you're removing layers of the lens so it's actively damaging the lens.

Start with the toothpaste option. See if that makes any difference.

Just bought it for myself on my wicked edge. In case anybody wants a link here it is