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Should I Lap a Storm?

Budwise

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Dec 7, 2004
Messages
1,834
I should be getting my Apex Extreme kit in this week and I dont want to cut any corners on this project. Would it be a good idea to lap the Storm block or do they usually come with a good enough surface that lapping would be pointless? Has anyone actually lapped a Storm and did it help at all?

As for how to lap, let me get this straight:

1) use a hard flat surface to put behind the sand paper like glass. Or would it be better to lay the sand paper on a flat hard surface, and rub the block over the sand paper?

2) wet the sand paper, and start from 400grit or so and go up until you are happy

3) rub back and forth, or in a figure 8, not sure on this one...

Thanks in advance
 
check it when you get it, but unless the bottom is noticeably domed, don't bother lapping it.

unless you happen to get a bad block, it is already lapped to a degree of flatness that you can't improve by hand, and will probably make less flat. the finish isn't mirrored, but sanding it to a finer grit than it already is will produce negligable benifits, and will reduce performance if you mess up the flatness while you are working on it.

so, in summary, don't try to "fix" it unless it is broken.
 
I believe Cathar (the designer of the Storm) says not to lap the block, as you will only mess it up. It should be just fine when you get it.
 
Erasmus354 said:
I believe Cathar (the designer of the Storm) says not to lap the block, as you will only mess it up. It should be just fine when you get it.
I can see how Cathar could make recommendations about the blocks he actually built, but don't know how he feels about the build quality of Swiftech's Storm.

Mine seemed flat enough.
 
sprocket said:
I can see how Cathar could make recommendations about the blocks he actually built, but don't know how he feels about the build quality of Swiftech's Storm.

Mine seemed flat enough.
there was a thread on the subject some time ago. i believe that he made the same statement regarding swiftech's storm.

even the blocks that he sold himself were machined by a hired shop, and built to his spec. the situation with swiftech is similar: the block is machined and lapped to several zeros of absolutely flatness and 1200 grit. unless you happen to get a bad one that slipped through QC, it doesn't need lapping.
 
i pictured one of those huge storm fronts coming in on the horizon and me trying to run around it...

ahem. anyways, you should only have to lap the storm if you scratch/gouge the bottom :)
 
well, due to crappy voyeurmods i will be getting an Apex Ultra from Jab Tech. No Storm for me :( Its worth it not to give Voyeurmods my business though as im steering clear of them for a long time...
 
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