[hornfixer]

What brand is your favorite Lapping compound and why.

 

[shootingstar]

Clover. Readily available, Comes in a lot of different grits.

 

[slausonm]

clover...water soluable

 

[Enviroguy]

If we are talking Cummings diesel engine valves in log trucks, I say Clover is the only way to go. But I'm not sure what you music guys are using it for?

 

[griff136]

I use it for lapping valves, pistons and slides on brass instuments, and use it occasionally on saxes when fitting crook tenons

 

[Henning1]

blank

 

[GT]

Hey Paul, Not to derail, but what is lapping compound used for (for us un-techies)?

 

[Gordon (NZ)]

It is an abrasive paste. Uses were described in Griff's post, two before yours. (To improve the fit.)

 

[Gordon (NZ)]

clover...water soluable

Interesting. I would prefer to use water base if it were just as good - much easier to clean. Do you have any idea why the likes of Kraus has chosen to sell only grease-base? Pretty thick grease at that - it resembles (pure) lanoline in its greasy messiness and reluctance to be cleaned off, but it also has a solvent because it dries out easily.

Perhaps the grease is to provide better lubrication while the deed is being done in a fit that is rather tight - like a typical sax tenon use.

 

[Captain Beeflat]

I use it for lapping valves, pistons and slides on brass instuments, and use it occasionally on saxes when fitting crook tenons

Also, I use mine for flatting concave mouthpiece tables....using a sheet of glass as a surface table.
Not a clue as to the name of my carborundum paste....I have always had it, lives in the garage in it's double ended (fine & coarse) little rusty tin....very greasy.

 

[GT]

Thanks, Gordon. I saw griff's uses, but not knowing what "lapping" was I still wasn't sure what he was doing to those parts!

 

[Oric Muso]

I have some Chemico Cleaning Paste which is OK. Perhaps slightly rough for some jobs. (Not to be confused with Chemico Grinding Paste).
Not that easy to find - I got mine delivered from the factory. Had to buy four tubs. I'm still working my way through the first one.

 

[Gordon (NZ)]

I think most lapping compounds have garnet as the abrasive. AFAIK it has the property of the larger, unwanted particles fracturing along crystalline planes when under excessive load, hence becoming a more appropriate size, rather making relatively deep gouges in the material.

Chemico possibly contains pumice powder as its abrasive, which would not have that property, with the risk that larger abrasive particles, under more load than the smaller ones, embed themselves in the surface of the metal. Then they are practically impossible to get out. Yamaha had this problem with a batch of student flutes a few years ago. The tenons and sockets became seriously scoured.

Lapping compound is typically used between components that have a very close and necessarily accurate fit. Larger abrasive particles among the smaller ones are definitely not what is wanted there.

 

[Oric Muso]

I'm not sure what is in Chemico. The website says it's silica.
"Composition: An aqueous paste combining vegetable soap and fine ground silica. Sodium carbonate provides mild alkalinity for cleaning whilst benzyl chlorophenol is a skin friendly preservative, also contains a germicidal additive."
The same company do produce a lapping compound but it seems ot be the greasy type.
http://www.chemico.co.uk/lappingpaste.html
Pumice powder is sold as lapping compound by Windcraft IIRC. It seem fine enough for most valve work.

 

[Henning1]

Also, I use mine for flatting concave mouthpiece tables....using a sheet of glass as a surface table.
Not a clue as to the name of my carborundum paste....I have always had it, lives in the garage in it's double ended (fine & coarse) little rusty tin....very greasy.

That's right! Carborundum is the name of a valve lapping paste meant for the purpose of lapping of auto valves to its seat. I have a similar set but in two plastic cans. Much to coarse in its original way to use for a supposed to seal metal - metal surface in any woodwind.

 

[abadcliche]

I like the Musicmedic stuff. Choice of grits, comes in super small containers which I like since I go through it extremely slowly and it takes up less space and doesn't have time to dry out. The medium is crazy coarse, I barely ever use it. The fine works for most key fitting chores. The super fine is for when something is just baaaaarely binding and you don't want to overdo it.

http://www.musicmedic.com/catalog/products/abra-t100.html

 

[Captain Beeflat]

That's right! Carborundum is the name of a valve lapping paste meant for the purpose of lapping of auto valves to its seat. I have a similar set but in two plastic cans. Much to coarse in its original way to use for a supposed to seal metal - metal surface in any woodwind.

That is the very reason why, after about 30 years, the coarse has never been used...probably designed for lapping in ships' propeller trunnions.

 

[Gordon (NZ)]

That's right! Carborundum is the name of a valve lapping paste meant for the purpose of lapping of auto valves to its seat. I have a similar set but in two plastic cans. Much to coarse in its original way to use for a supposed to seal metal - metal surface in any woodwind.

A wee small voice of my intuition says that the ideal lapping compound for steel may not be ideal for brass. That intuition may be incorrect.

 

[DECLANOMAD]

I just got some krafft fine valve grinding paste, for key fitting. It´s emery based (aka corundum or aluminium oxide) can be thinned with water, and warns that it can cause skin sensitisation.
It´s my favourite because it´s the only one I´ve got or tried, and replaces the previous technique of picking the grinding dust off the floor with an oily finger!

 

[Henning1]

A wild idea, but could eventually tooth paste be used as an alternative in case your usual "Best Lapping Compund Ever"-can is empty at the very moment you get a strong desire to lap?