How to store and care for sharpening stones (DMT Diamond and Chosera)?

T

thelastbestplace

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Jan 27, 2012
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I was wondering how to store my Chosera waterstones and DMT diamond plates. Is it OK to just stack them on top of each other? I was concerned that with the heavy DMT plates they might rub against one another and damage the diamond surface. How do you all store your sharpening stones? I called DMT and they said you can just put a paper towel between the plates but it's not really necessary. Are there any other things to do prior to storage? I just rinse them off with water. I am really happy with my sharpening stones and since they are fairly expensive I want to treat them properly.
 
I store my DMT diamond plates individually in ziplock bags and stack them. I clean them in the sink, pat dry with a towel, and set them aside to air dry. Then I stick them in the ziplock bag (not sealed) and put them away. I keep my water stones under water all the time (I use one of those Rubbermaid bus tubs with a cover) and change the water every few weeks. If I want to use them, no need to soak, just grab them from the water. I store my oil stones fully saturated in a sealed ziplock bag so they don't dry out. That way, when you need to use the again, just a few drops on the surface will stay there and float swarf.
 
For the DMT plates, I wash them with warm/hot water and dish detergent (Dawn, Palmolive, etc.) after each session. Scrub with the fingertips or with a toothbrush. Real quick cleanup, if you stay ahead of them and don't let them get too clogged. I rinse under hot water (evaporates quicker), then pat them dry with a dish towel or microfiber towel. A little isopropyl alcohol on the towel helps to further dry them, but I don't always do this. I then lay them out for a while (30 minutes or more), to make sure they're completely dry.

I store my 6" double-sided Dia-Sharp plates in zip-loc bags (sealed) after I'm sure they're completely dry. My 8" Duo-Sharp hone gets stored with it's holder in the original box for the holder, with the paper wrap originally included with the hone.

I'd personally avoid stacking the heavy Dia-Sharp plates without some sort of padding/paper/etc between them. I really don't like the thought of the heavy steel plate grinding/rubbing directly against the abrasive on the other, or against it's nickel plating, for that matter. I stack my 6" Dia-Sharps, but only after putting them in the zip-loc and wrapping the bag around each hone.


David
 
I hadn't thought about opened ziplocks for the DMTs but that makes sense. I kinda wish they had cotton bags for the high end stones. I think ideally I would have a cabinet or case for all my stones. I would just grab the case from the closet and bring them to the sink where I do my sharpening work. I'm trying to organize my house and I got all these stones laying around.
 
The DMT stones come with rubber sticky "feet" use them.

For waterstones just don't let them have direct contact with sun light. You do not soak chosera stones for extended periods.
 
I made duct tape cases for my oil and diamond stones and leave one end open. It lets them breath well enough and keeps them from rubbing together. I always wash and let air dry under an incandescent light before putting away. No experience with water stones though.
 
I like the shapton pro stone cases with the holes in the botton for breathing. You could do something similar with the "disposable" type tupperware containers or other plastic storage containers. By putting the holes in the bottom it lets the stone get fresh air without drying too fast.
 
Thanks everybody for your responses. You all are confirming what I thought, that I should keep the DMT plates separated. Seems like a good idea to keep all my stones separated, regardless of the type.
 
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