Inhaling metal dust when sharpening

D

davide

Joined
Apr 5, 2009
Messages
267
(Pardon me if this is a bit of a hypochondriac post but after having had a tumor on my kidney removed a couple years back I'm of the mind that one can never be too careful.)

Do you guys do anything to avoid inhaling the steel particles left over from sharpening blades? Is this something to watch out for to keep from doing by accident? I was sharpening my opinel on the back of a coffee mug today in a not very well ventilated room when these questions popped into my mind. After searching around for topics on this subject I haven't found any which I'm hoping is a good sign.

best,
davide
 
When using power equipment its a issue, doing it by hand you should not have worries.
 
I'd have to wonder how you're sharpening your knives if you have metal dust floating around everywhere.

Generally speaking the metal particles should end up on or around the stone and washed away by water or maybe oil. Even the ceramic stones like the Sharpmaker has will keep hold of the metal until you wash/brush it out. I very much doubt you are going to be breathing a hell of a lot of it unless you're putting it in little piles and snorting it.
 
also, the dust particles are much heavier than comparable dust from wood or plastic. AFAIK it isnt very likely to get in the air...
 
I think you might get more pieces flying around if you're dealing with really coarse stones, and you're grinding away. When I was flat-grinding my Delica 4 on an XXC diamond stone, I found some metal pieces pretty far from the stone. But if you're using fine stones, I never find particles off of the stone. When I'm grinding away at a blade now, I use a small computer fan blowing at the side.
 
When I grind, I wear a respirator.. most of the time. I wouldn't be worried about sharpening on a coffee mug, or any non power equipment.
 
Obviously if you're using power tools you should have a mask and certainly eye protection, but hand sharpening is not an issue IMHO.
 
It is all relative.

When using power equipment, and if you do it often a respirator is advisable. If you do it very seldom and for short periods it is probably a very low risk.

When using hand tools...sure you will breathe in some dust, but you are likely breathing in far worse on the city streets.

There is risk in everything, but at some point you need to ignore risk in the name of enjoying the life you wish to prolong. That is a tough balance for some.

Cheers.
 
ibanezplayer470 said:
also, the dust particles are much heavier than comparable dust from wood or plastic. AFAIK it isnt very likely to get in the air...
Click to expand...

Absolutely:thumbup:

I would only be concerned if one is using power equipment and sharpening many knives and doing this frequently.

Sharpen with confidence.
 
It depends on the particle size because I have metal powders that will stay floating in the air for hours when they are stirred up.

However, when just sharpening most of the metal will stick to the stone or stay in that area. If you are using power equipment it is removing more material and also blowing them into the air more. I wouldn't be worried about a simple sharpening job using stones.
 
I agree with the others. With manual sharpening, dust generation is not an issue.
It can be an issue for power sharpening
 
I am feeling paranoid too.
Last night I was sharpening my knives ... mmm sharp knives
and when I started honing with the green compound, I noticed that after every swipe, a little green cloud appeared around my strop, and then a couple of seconds later, the smell of green compound would grow a tiny bit stronger.
Also, when a bit of the cloud got to my desk lamp, it started floating up. The particles are small enough to rise with warm air!!

I hope I am not breathing 0.5 um SiC and metal particles!!! ARGH FREAKING OUT
 
thebestnoobcake said:
I am feeling paranoid too.
Last night I was sharpening my knives ... mmm sharp knives
and when I started honing with the green compound, I noticed that after every swipe, a little green cloud appeared around my strop, and then a couple of seconds later, the smell of green compound would grow a tiny bit stronger.
Also, when a bit of the cloud got to my desk lamp, it started floating up. The particles are small enough to rise with warm air!!

I hope I am not breathing 0.5 um SiC and metal particles!!! ARGH FREAKING OUT
Click to expand...


Are you seeing strange aliens from the planet A3@#!lep%z#n and are they stealing beer from your fridge?
 
gajinoz said:
Are you seeing strange aliens from the planet A3@#!lep%z#n and are they stealing beer from your fridge?
Click to expand...

:eek: I'm gonna check!

Hey you better watch out too! If you are in the SE end of Oz.. I'm from Melbourne, so once they finish up here, they might be coming for you!
 
If your noticing green dust 'puffing' off your strop when in use, then you have too much chromium oxide paste applied to your strop . Remove some by spraying a cloth lightly with WD-40 and wipe the strop . For further concerns obtain a dust mask, they're less than 1$ . DM
 
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