Lap the Face of the Blade
Since a sharp edge is the
intersection of two smooth
surfaces, the face or
bottom of the blade must
be perfectly smooth in the
area near the cutting edge
before you attempt to hone
the bevel.
Most manufacturers ship
blades with grinding marks
on the face or bottom that,
if not removed, would leave
a series of fi ne saw teeth on
the tool edge. To avoid these
saw teeth, the face of the
blade must be lapped fl at.
The easiest way to lap a new blade is on the 15 micron sheet until
the entire width of the leading edge has a consistent lapping pattern
with the manufacturer’s grinding marks removed at least
1
/
16
"
back
from the leading edge of the blade.
Figure 2: Grinding marks on new blades.
Figure 3: Properly lapped face.
Leading edge
lapped flat
Original
grinding marks
1
/
16
"
Min.
Bevel
Bottom
or Face
Figure 1: Parts of a blade.
2