I'd have to take a sample of a good hone job, and look at that under a microscope, and then I'd know what it looks like, but what good it would do me? I don't know. Appearances are sometimes counter-intuitive and deceiving.David Redszus wrote:One fact that has amazed me for many years is that many engine builders have discussed and even used plateau honing but do not know what the finished surface actually looks like. Nor can they draw a picture of it.
One would expect a microscopically flat metal surface to be smooth and brightly reflective, but it isn't smooth nor bright.
One would expect the smoothest surface to have the lowest friction, but it usually does not.
The surfaces of all metals you actually SEE are covered in oxide. When the cylinder and ring are operating as usual, they are covered in oxide.
Does a smooth surface aid in the formation of a smooth oxide film? That could be a good research project for somebody's intern.
Operators look at the color of the cylinder, and listen to the sound of the stones. If that is what they are looking at, then if I was employed to research it, I'd look at what they are paying attention to.
There is much that can be observed and the scientific method applied, but it's sometimes best done "blind".