Hello Tom - the new grey stone I have is the 8000 - Huxley knew this, so I didn't elaborate further. All my others are older versions and white.
Plenty of water is certainly the key, especially when lapping on a continuous surface - underwater preferably to prevent that awful suction which sets in after very few strokes.
I used to lap them after a session - until I found that they always needed lapping before a session, as no matter what I do in my room they always shrink and expand in different areas of the same stone, even if lapped after use - no point in doing it twice in my experience. As I hone every day, and sometimes two or three sessions in one day, the build-up after a session never gets to hang around long and is a handy indication that lapping is complete when the discoloration is removed prior to a session - no need for pencil grids!
The deflection is, as you say, minor - but after having spent big bucks on a dglp that is extolled to be flat to the nth degree I intend to use it to fully perform its function - otherwise I would have considered a non-continuous DMT (especially after hearing how some people have got rid of their dglps and kept the non-continuous DMT in preference to it! - as you say, Tom, that probably makes a lot more sense for the casual honer).
I have noticed a rapid fall-off and evening-out of the abrasiveness of the dglp - expected to be sure as the coating evens out, but much more rapid than on the continuous coarse DMT plates. I just hope I haven't got a 'pup' - some people whose opinions I value on other forums have had that experience and sent their dglps back to shapton. Fingers crossed!
Regards,
Neil