Thread: Well Honed

The probing tool for an electron microscope had a tungsten tip sharpened to the width of one atom.

I want the hone that sharpened that probe!! I move to start another section on Advanced-Advanced Honing for that level of sharpening.Glen stated that the best edges are about .5 microns across. Atoms are measured in nanometers, for Iron, they measure around .3 nanometers or somewhere close to that. That makes whoever hones that probe more than 1000 times better than the best of us... and the hone, well that baby had to have a effective grit rating of about 30,000,000 or for short 30,000K. I was always proud to be a passionatte amateur, but now I feel like a rank one.

To the best of my knowledge Electron Microscopes do not have tips, Atomic Force Microscopes do though.

Originally Posted by Kingfish

I want the hone that sharpened that probe!! I move to start another section on Advanced-Advanced Honing for that level of sharpening.Glen stated that the best edges are about .5 microns across. Atoms are measured in nanometers, for Iron, they measure around .3 nanometers or somewhere close to that. That makes whoever hones that probe more than 1000 times better than the best of us... and the hone, well that baby had to have a effective grit rating of about 30,000,000 or for short 30,000K. I was always proud to be a passionatte amateur, but now I feel like a rank one.

STM, AFM can get you 2-10 nm resolution so those tips are definitely as thin. They are for sure not made by hand or with tools , probably its a grown crystal of some sort.

Nanomanipulation Probe Tips

Originally Posted by Kingfish

that baby had to have a effective grit rating of about 30,000,000 or for short 30,000K.

There have been stories about the rare, but very real 30,000k hone. There are even some references to it here on SRP if you dig hard enough. Here are a couple of teasers:

Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

Let me know differences between your natural nakayama and 30000 k Please.

Originally Posted by joes978

I finally got my Japanese Suita stone and it was definatley worth the price. While I can't compare it to a man made 30,000k, I can say that....

But don't hold your breath for one - they don't grow on trees!

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

There have been stories about the rare, but very real 30,000k hone. There are even some references to it here on SRP if you dig hard enough. Here are a couple of teasers:



But don't hold your breath for one - they don't grow on trees!

I'd sell my soul for a Devonshire oilstone .....sigh....

Originally Posted by dancraig

Nanomanipulation Probe Tips

So how are those related to the Electron Microscope?

They have machines, high tech 'sandblasters', that shoot ions. Now if I were a lense polisher you know I'd stay late a few nights per week. ...
One of the things they do with these is polish the lenses of the astrophysics kinda telescopes. Again, just another aspect of the universality of sharpening(honing the lens)