HELP!...Sharpeing stone questions

K

King Grinch

Joined
Feb 6, 2000
Messages
698
I have a silicon carbide stone and I need help. What type of oil am I supposed to use. When I try to use 3-1 oil the oil sinks into the stone. Is that normal or should I use a sharpening oil?
 
Most stones behave this way to some degree, how fast the lubricant will go through them depends on the grit and the nature of the bond. One some it is that fast that the stone needs to be actually soaked through with the lubricant before it will hold it on top. I had a Norton SiC / AO conbination hone that was marked "oil", I just used water+detergent. On SiC waterstones you obviously just use water. It is trivial to know which is which as the waterstone is *much* softer bond.

-Cliff
 
This is not a waterstone. The instructions say to use oil. What kind of oil do I soak it in? It is a SiC stone.
 
You can use water to good effect on any oilstone and it causes fewer domestic problems when sharpening on the dining room table. If you prefer oil use a heavier one and wash the table afterwards. The biggest trouble I had teaching my daughter to sharpen her knife was showing her how to work up enough spit.:)
 
If the stone is bone dry it will soak up most oils unless you use something that is really thick. Most oil stones are presoaked from the factory. Sharpening oils are really nothing fancy, a lot of people use mineral oil for sharpening as it is cheap and non-toxic. If I was going to use oil that is probably what I would use. Take the stone, drop it in a plastic container and cover it with oil. Once it saturates it will hold the oil on top. Some oil stones come in baths just like this, Norton sells a 3 in 1 hone / bath combo. A lot of people also like Kerosene, I have never tried that, but I would assume on a dry stone it would sink right in as well, unless the stone is very fine. On a coarse SiC one, the hone should lap it up.

-Cliff
 
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