EZY-LAP vs DMT diamond plate particle sizes
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I’ve recently replaced my 6”x2” DMT diamond plates with 8”x3” EZY-LAP diamond plates because although after 3 years of continuous use the DMT plates were still working fine, I really needed larger plates & the EZY-LAPs were cheaper. I immediately noticed that for the supposed same grit or mesh size that the EZY-LAP plates are distinctly rougher that the DMT plates. This is particularly noticeable when comparing the DMT Extra Fine (1200 mesh) with the EZY-LAP Super Fine (1200 grit). The DMT feels smooth & looks like polished steel whereas the EZY-LAP feels somewhat rougher & looks like grey sandpaper. Obviously, these two companies are using different standards to measure their particle sizes.
DMT publishes their actual particle sizes on their website but EZY-LAP doesn’t. However, in a discussion from some years ago (https://woodworkingmasterclasses.com/discussions/topic/how-fine-exactly-is-the-super-fine-eze-lap-diamond-stone/), Ed states that he asked EZY-LAP for their particle sizes & his reported results bear out my observations. In particular, DMT Extra Fine (1200 mesh) has a particle size of 9 microns whereas the EZY-LAP Super Fine (1200 grit) has a particle size of 15 to 20 microns.
This then led me to tabulate the plates in order of particle size & I came up with the following:-
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Micron order
DMT XXC..120 mesh…120 microns
EZL XC…150 grit….60 to 65 microns
DMT XC…220 mesh….60 microns
EZL C….250 grit….50 to 55 microns
EZL M….400 grit….40 to 45 microns
DMT C….325 mesh….45 microns
EZL F….600 grit….30 to 35 microns
DMT F….600 mesh….25 microns
EZL SF…1200 grit…15 to 20 microns
DMT XF…1200 mesh….9 microns
DMT MXF..4000 mesh….6 microns
DMT XXF..8000 mesh….3 micronsI don’t have the EZL XC, DMT MXF or DMT XXF but as far as I can tell from the plates I do have, both brands work as expected for their particular particle sizes.
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This topic was modified 6 years, 6 months ago by
. Reason: space the table more clearly
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This topic was modified 6 years, 6 months ago by
This got a little misplaced due to some overzealous anti-spam software, so I’d just like to give it a bit of a bump up the list.
Thanks. This is useful info and chimes with my anecdotal experience with DMT plates.
My smallest “grit” diamond plate is a DMT Coarse, and this is actually not as “coarse” as it is labelled IMO. The quality of the DMT plates are good, but it’s worth knowing that the “marketing name” may not be as intuitive as compared with the EZY-LAP offerings. Maybe DMT ran out of names due to having so many sizes!
Yes Mike, as you can see from the table below, the DMT Coarse with a grit size of 45 microns is equivalent to about a P320 sandpaper which for woodwork finishing would be regarded at least as the high end of medium. Notice that the just about equivalent in micron size EZY-LAP is in fact designated as medium.
In order to hog off significant amounts of metal such as for correcting bad bevels on 2nd hand chisels, I found it necessary to invest in the DMT Extra Extra Coarse of 120 microns & also the DMT Extra Coarse of 60 microns to step up to my normal sharpening regime of DMT C to DMT F to DMT XF to chromium dioxide impregnated leather strop.
Since I wrote the original post I have added extra columns that list the approximate correlating sandpaper grades where the P numbers are FEPA Paper grades & the A numbers are guesstimates of the corresponding ANSI grades using the http://www.washingtonmills.com/guides/grit-sizes-ansi/particle-size-conversion-chart-ansi/ table. Here in the Land of OZ we use the European FEPA P scale for sandpaper so other than looking at published tables on the net, I have no experience of the ANSI scale so some corrections might be in order there.
I’ve also now noted that the order of DMT C & EZL M rows should be swapped. My apologies for the untidiness of the look of the table but this forum doesn’t seem to be set up for the kind of table editing that I want to indulge in.
Micron order
DMT XXC…..120 mesh..120 microns……….. ~P120……….~A100
EZL XC……….150 grit…….60 to 65 microns… ~P230……….~A180
DMT XC…..…220 mesh…60 microns……….. ~P240……….~A190
EZL C…………250 grit…….50 to 55 microns… ~P280………~A220
DMT C……….325 mesh…45 microns……….. ~P320……….~A240
EZL M………..400 grit…….40 to 45 microns… ~P340………~A260
EZL F…………600 grit…….30 to 35 microns… ~P450……….~A335
DMT F……….600 mesh…25 microns………… ~P600……….~A370
EZL SF…..…1200 grit…….15 to 20 microns… ~P1000……..~A460
DMT XF…..1200 mesh……9 microns……….. ~P2400……..~A700
DMT MXF..4000 mesh……6 microns……….. ~P4000……..~A1000
DMT XXF…8000 mesh……3 microns……….. ~P8000……..~A1200There currently seems to be some sort of a problem with my ability to post certain responses to this forum which I’ve tried to do a couple of times but if I or the moderators can find a solution then I’ll publish a more extensive response to your observations Mike I. In the meantime the salient points are that the DMT Coarse with a grit size of 45 microns is equivalent to about a P320 sandpaper which for woodwork finishing would be regarded at least as the high end of medium. Notice that the just about equivalent in micron size EZY-LAP is in fact designated as medium.
I’ve also now noted that the order of DMT C & EZL M rows in my table should be swapped.
Tony here using my son’s account because for some reason I can’t currently submit posts through my own account.
Yes Mike, as you can see from the table below, the DMT Coarse with a grit size of 45 microns is equivalent to about a P320 sandpaper which for woodwork finishing would be regarded at least as the high end of medium. Notice that the just about equivalent in micron size EZY-LAP is in fact designated as medium.
In order to hog off significant amounts of metal such as for correcting bad bevels on 2nd hand chisels, I found it necessary to invest in the DMT Extra Extra Coarse of 120 microns & also the DMT Extra Coarse of 60 microns to step up to my normal sharpening regime of DMT C to DMT F to DMT XF to chromium dioxide impregnated leather strop.
Since I wrote the original post I have added extra columns that list the approximate correlating sandpaper grades where the P numbers are FEPA Paper grades & the A numbers are guesstimates of the corresponding ANSI grades using the washingtonmills.com/guides/grit-sizes-ansi/particle-size-conversion-chart-ansi/ table. (Insert http://www. before washingtonmills to view the link.) Here in the Land of OZ we use the European FEPA P scale for sandpaper so other than looking at published tables on the net, I have no experience of the ANSI scale so some corrections might be in order there.
I’ve also now noted that the order of DMT C & EZL M rows should be swapped. My apologies for the untidiness of the look of the table but this forum doesn’t seem to be set up for the kind of table editing that I want to indulge in.
Micron order
EZL XC……….150 grit…….60 to 65 microns… ~P230……….~A180
DMT XC…..…220 mesh…60 microns……….. ~P240……….~A190
EZL C…………250 grit…….50 to 55 microns… ~P280………~A220
DMT C……….325 mesh…45 microns……….. ~P320……….~A240
EZL M………..400 grit…….40 to 45 microns… ~P340………~A260
EZL F…………600 grit…….30 to 35 microns… ~P450……….~A335
DMT F……….600 mesh…25 microns………… ~P600……….~A370
EZL SF…..…1200 grit…….15 to 20 microns… ~P1000……..~A460
DMT XF…..1200 mesh……9 microns……….. ~P2400……..~A700
DMT MXF..4000 mesh……6 microns……….. ~P4000……..~A1000
DMT XXF…8000 mesh……3 microns……….. ~P8000……..~A1200
Many thanks! Very informative and helpful. I too eventually ended up with all the DMT stones, except the 4000.
Cheers
/soj -
This topic was modified 6 years, 6 months ago by
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