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Inquisitive
- Thread starter rutcrazed
- Start date
I'm not all that experienced with waterstones, but I've done some reading. My take on splash and go versus soakers:
1. Really hard stones, like the Shapton Glass you just got, are almost like ceramic. There's really nothing in the stone that water will penetrate, so you can just wet the stone and start using it. In this case, the water is mostly a lubricant and the stone will wear very slowly.
2. Some softer stones that are called Splash and Go can actually be damaged by soaking and drying. I've read accounts of some stones cracking after drying. For a particular brand, several stone experts said those stones are not to be soaked and then dried. I think I remember the brand, but I'm not sure.
3. Stones that *do* need to be soaked absorb water. I think this allows them to build mud (swarf) more easily when sharpening. I also think that it softens the stone (binder maybe?) and makes it shed abrasive more easily.
Maybe that helps you some?
Brian.
1. Really hard stones, like the Shapton Glass you just got, are almost like ceramic. There's really nothing in the stone that water will penetrate, so you can just wet the stone and start using it. In this case, the water is mostly a lubricant and the stone will wear very slowly.
2. Some softer stones that are called Splash and Go can actually be damaged by soaking and drying. I've read accounts of some stones cracking after drying. For a particular brand, several stone experts said those stones are not to be soaked and then dried. I think I remember the brand, but I'm not sure.
3. Stones that *do* need to be soaked absorb water. I think this allows them to build mud (swarf) more easily when sharpening. I also think that it softens the stone (binder maybe?) and makes it shed abrasive more easily.
Maybe that helps you some?
Brian.
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2009
- Messages
- 2,237
There are a variety of stones that can be considered splash and go. There are stones like Shapton Pro's or Shapton Glass stones that are splash and go where the water doesn't penetrate the stone very much at all. The Chosera's, while touted as being splash and go, do absorb enough water that you need to keep a bottle for periodic re-wetting of the stone. Some splash and go stones can be soaked (like the Naniwa Super Stones if I recall correctly), yet others state that you should not soak the stone since the bonding agent could dissolve. It depends on the stone line in particular, and if in doubt, you shouldn't soak the stone.
Even stones that can be soaked can be used splash and go, they just won't work as well. The feature of being splash and go is more one of convenience--you don't have to keep stones in water, or put them in a bucket of water for 30 - 60 minutes prior to sharpening.
Even stones that can be soaked can be used splash and go, they just won't work as well. The feature of being splash and go is more one of convenience--you don't have to keep stones in water, or put them in a bucket of water for 30 - 60 minutes prior to sharpening.
- Joined
- May 19, 2007
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- 7,745
Like has been said, depends on the absorbency of the substrate of the stone. Softer stones are more likely to need soaking, but as has been said, its not for all.