Thread: Diamond plate for flattening waterstones

These guys probably have what you want.
http://www.wellingtonsurplus.com.au/

Or get them from Stu in Japan;http://www.toolsfromjapan.com/store/
Great products, prices and service in my experience.

I didn't want to toot my own trumpet...

Two choices. Atoma or iWood.

iWood are a flat steel plate with electrobonded diamonds in a 'diamond' pattern over the surface. Heavy, but quite good, the diamonds are well fixed and they do a good job on stones or steel. Last for a goodly time as well. Available single or double sided in #150, #300, #800 grit, and #150/800 and #300/1000. I have the #300/1000 and it's been good.

The Atoma are a thin, steel plate with electrobonded diamonds on one surface and this 'sheet' is adhered to a 12mm thick machined aluminium plate with thin PSA adhesive tape. Contrary to how it might sound, they are VERY flat, the diamonds are deposited in a bunch of very small dots over the entire surface and the diamonds are fixed very well so they last a long time. Replacing the sheet is easy, economical and simple to do and you can always make up your own 2 sided plate by adding another sheet, since both sides of the ally plate are machined flat. These work very well with stones or steel, and considering the small increase in price but the big increase in performance, they're arguably the best value available. The only diamond plates that are superior are the Shapton diamond plates, but they are 2-3 times the price.

So, that's what I've got. Just in case you were afraid to ask.

Stu.

the tools from japan website is fascinating, and the shipping costs are a fraction of the costs from USA

Stu - would it be possible to find out if the Atoma plates are available in a 10" size for flattening stones? That's the only thing that puts me off replacing my extra coarse 10" DuoSharp with one of these - I like the flattening plate to be bigger than the surface I'm trying to flatten.

I've seen someone trying to flatten an 8" waterstone with an 8" DuoSharp, and it is easy to dish the stone doing this......just one reason I forked out for the larger DuoSharps when I bought mine.

Brush-san,

Nope. 8" (metric equivalent) is as long as they get.

I don't want to contradict you at all, but I just checked a dozen stones all flattened with the Atoma #400 with a (good) straight edge, and they're all flat. No light showing through at any point.

I'll make up a video at some point to show how I do it. Among other things...

Anyone got a few spare weeks of usable time I can have? Anyone???

Stu.

G'day Stu,

Feel free to blow your own trumpet mate!

I'll head over to your store and have a look.

Thanks for all the replies gents - this community is simply awesome!

Originally Posted by Schtoo

I didn't want to toot my own trumpet...

Two choices. Atoma or iWood.

iWood are a flat steel plate with electrobonded diamonds in a 'diamond' pattern over the surface. Heavy, but quite good, the diamonds are well fixed and they do a good job on stones or steel. Last for a goodly time as well. Available single or double sided in #150, #300, #800 grit, and #150/800 and #300/1000. I have the #300/1000 and it's been good.

The Atoma are a thin, steel plate with electrobonded diamonds on one surface and this 'sheet' is adhered to a 12mm thick machined aluminium plate with thin PSA adhesive tape. Contrary to how it might sound, they are VERY flat, the diamonds are deposited in a bunch of very small dots over the entire surface and the diamonds are fixed very well so they last a long time. Replacing the sheet is easy, economical and simple to do and you can always make up your own 2 sided plate by adding another sheet, since both sides of the ally plate are machined flat. These work very well with stones or steel, and considering the small increase in price but the big increase in performance, they're arguably the best value available. The only diamond plates that are superior are the Shapton diamond plates, but they are 2-3 times the price.

So, that's what I've got. Just in case you were afraid to ask.

Stu.

+1 on Stu's advice and service.

I just have in one of his Atoma #400's.

By eyeball with a proper straight edge it appears flatter than my now mostly worn DMTs. I've been using a coarse variety of those and found that it doesn't get my waterstones as flat as I'd like, and as I do a lot of back flattening that just means more work.

As an aside, if you dig through the interweb you'll find that DMT can vary in flatness by a thou.

Doesn't sound much but when it comes to flattening it makes a practical diff.

Good to hear it arrived in good shape Ern.

It's troubling to me to be honest. I always try to make sure I mention that if folks have a DMT, it'll work just fine but do make sure it's flat and also know the DMT don't last as long nor cut as fast on steel or stones as the Atoma, or the cheaper 'old school' iWood plates.

I really try to not be biased against DMT, because they fill a niche. But honest to gad, if you're not able to swing the few extra bucks an Atoma, save up for a little longer because they're worth it.

(If the DMT were the better choice, I'd expect to see them here. I'm the only person I know in this country who actually has one.)

Stu, anxiously awaiting my new video camera to arrive. I have a lot of video to record...

In the realm of rain wear for active sports there's a big material manufacturer with a big and clever marketing campaign. It gets the sales. There's actually a superior material out there from another crowd but without the marketing few people know about it.