Lets beat this dead horse a little more : Honing Oil ?!?

Eli Chaps said:
Certainly not arguing with you,as said, I'm an oil-using proponent, but I am curious about the effects of viscosity. For example, if I use the heavier digestive-type mineral oil, I find it too thick. Maybe it is just deadening the feedback so I feel like it's not working as well?

Just curious about your thoughts there.
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To clarify, I was only taking issue with the statement in the quote, not any statement by you. A lighter oil is usually better, certainly, but thicker oils still provide benefit over dry use. :)
 
Also agree that most any oil will actually speed cutting, instead of the reverse. Multiple things playing into it, such as keeping swarf out of the way & preventing clogging and sticking of the swarf to the grit itself, etc. Whatever mechanism is actually working to that end, I've noticed it definitely makes the process easier and faster, rather than not. I've also noticed that on my diamond hones, used with oil. Makes a big difference on ceramic hones especially, which load very, very quickly otherwise.

I used to notice, in the first very few passes on a completely DRY, CLEAN stone, the cutting action feels VERY aggressive initially. That would sort of imply the stone is working better, used that way; but the problem is, the stone will begin to clog immediately as well. So that very aggressive-feeling cutting action goes away very fast, until the stone is cleaned up again.

There is some minor dulling of the feedback felt, using some of the thicker oils. But it's very minor at that, and essentially insignificant in my uses, especially when used on coarser stones (no shortage of feedback with those).
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
Also agree that most any oil will actually speed cutting, instead of the reverse. Multiple things playing into it, such as keeping swarf out of the way & preventing clogging and sticking of the swarf to the grit itself, etc. Whatever mechanism is actually working to that end, I've noticed it definitely makes the process easier and faster, rather than not. I've also noticed that on my diamond hones, used with oil. Makes a big difference on ceramic hones especially, which load very, very quickly otherwise.

I used to notice, in the first very few passes on a completely DRY, CLEAN stone, the cutting action feels VERY aggressive initially. That would sort of imply the stone is working better, used that way; but the problem is, the stone will begin to clog immediately as well. So that very aggressive-feeling cutting action goes away very fast, until the stone is cleaned up again.

There is some minor dulling of the feedback felt, using some of the thicker oils. But it's very minor at that, and essentially insignificant in my uses, especially when used on coarser stones (no shortage of feedback with those).
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This is what I've noticed. Plus, when using a finer stone it doesn't take much swarf to load it up. Then your efforts are diminished until you clean it. DM
 
Definitely the thickness of the oil should be matched to the porosity of the stone. The coarser stones generally benefit from thicker oil that can better cling to the larger spaces between grains that thinner oil would be prone to running right through. Finer stones have so many fine pores that thinner oils help keep it from feeling "sticky" or "sludgy" in use.
 
This is one slick thread for those neophytes that have the grit to get through it since some of the lessons are somewhat counterintuitive.

Nice to affirm that there is still a place for traditional sharpening methods. We are fortunate to have so many options available to us.
 
I don't typically use oil, but for light mineral oil, your local agricultural store probably carries gallon jugs of it for livestock. It's thinner than the pharmacy stuff, and while I don't believe it's rated as "food grade" for humans, it's good enough to still be given to critters, so a tiny amount that gets on food is probably of little concern.
 
While we're beating dead horses, I've mentioned a few times that I like to use glycerin, especially for ceramic stones. I just hate having to scrub with Barkeeper's Friend so often to keep the stone from loading up. The glycerin floats the swarf while sharpening, and cleans with a wipe. :thumbsup:
qZxsoZj.jpg
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cHVuq3u.jpg

It works with diamond and India stones too, but it really makes a difference on the fine ceramic.
 
Regarding oil thickness and its effect on honing/sharpening, there are several factors involved. How hard you're pushing on the item being sharpened, how fast you're moving the item on the hone, oil viscosity, surface roughness of both the item being sharpened and the hone being used, surface area in contact... All play a part.

Oil is absolutely the best lubricating medium for any hone that does not shed much dull grit, as it WILL keep the hone cutting considerably longer. You can easily see the effect of this yourself with something like an Arkansas stone. Lap one fresh - note the dull and uniform surface texture. Staying to one half of the stone, hone a chisel on it using water as the lubricant with a good bit of pressure. Have a look at the surface texture of the hone and you will see it's picked up some shine. That's wear on the surface. Now move to the other half of the stone and hone for the same length of time using the same amount of pressure with oil as the lubricant. Now again note the surface texture - it will look almost if not exactly the same as when it was lapped. You can also compare how much swarf is produced by wiping it away with a paper towel after honing - the oil side will produce a significantly larger amount.
 
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Guess I'm the oddball. I like the thick pharmacy mineral oil on everything from ~100grit silicon carbide to black/translucent Arkansas.
 
Lots of good info ! ! !
Thank you all so much.
Kind of a new world for me to explore.

For what it is worth I have that oiler. I bought it back in the mid eighties.
At the time I carried DT Lite Machine oil in it 10wt (I have a five gallon container of it).
It would leak all the time and the cap would fill up too much. I gave up on carrying it.
I still have it. Maybe I can refine it to work or the thicker honing oil might be just enough more viscous to stay behind the tip stopper. I've since gone with pocket oilers that are carried tip up but they are thin plastic and suck too.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
I don't typically use oil, but for light mineral oil, your local agricultural store probably carries gallon jugs of it for livestock. It's thinner than the pharmacy stuff, and while I don't believe it's rated as "food grade" for humans, it's good enough to still be given to critters, so a tiny amount that gets on food is probably of little concern.
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I eyeballed a gallon jug of that stuff at our local Tractor Supply store, a while back. I was tempted to buy it, but couldn't quite grasp the idea I'd actually use it all in my lifetime (for sharpening, anyway). This was after I'd already bought some of the pharmacy stuff, and had a couple small cans of Norton's oil, and I'd also acquired two bottles of the food-service lube oil at the restaurant supply store. I think I'm set for a while... :D
 
r8shell said:
While we're beating dead horses, I've mentioned a few times that I like to use glycerin, especially for ceramic stones. I just hate having to scrub with Barkeeper's Friend so often to keep the stone from loading up. The glycerin floats the swarf while sharpening, and cleans with a wipe. :thumbsup:
qZxsoZj.jpg
W99WQxs.jpg
cHVuq3u.jpg

It works with diamond and India stones too, but it really makes a difference on the fine ceramic.
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OH GEE !
Look at that !
I use the Ultra Fine Ceramic Triangle Rods hand held all the time. I'm going to try that.
I just read some where yesterday that they recommend for best performance to use them dry but if it is loaded up on the first few passes (very little surface area on those rods) then it isn't cutting but just burnishing and I want them to cut to keep the bur from forming.
:thumbsup:
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
eyeballed a gallon jug of that stuff at our local Tractor Supply store, a while back . . . . I'd already bought some of the pharmacy stuff, and had a couple small cans of Norton's oil, . . . acquired two bottles of the food-service lube oil at the restaurant supply store. I think I'm set for a while... :D
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Hahaha
I'll say.
Sounds like you need to be the state wide go to for Boy Scout sharpening lessons and . . . do they have a badge for that ?
I don't need 16oz come to think of it but I can picture having a squirt bottle at work and a larger one at home and what with hosing down the stone to clean it off . . . I'm sure I will go through at least 8oz. That's three cans at $6plus that's starting to add up.
I'm going to look for the Pint for $10 and a 3oz can to keep at work. That ought to do me for ever and a day.
Not to overlook the thicker stuff for coarser stones; that comes after I get a stone like that.
 
A pint of mineral oil at our ACE hardware was $4.99 and I had a $5 rewards card. So, I grabbed 2... I'll let you know how long this lasts me. DM
 
Wowbagger Wowbagger i thought you were talking about a pocket stone.

After you oil it the first time, or few times, it will still be “oily.” So, I don’t know how much oil you intend to use or what your technique is, but I can’t imagine it taking more than a drop or two to lubricate a pocket stone. If you overdo it, the oil just scrapes off with the first couple of passes of the edge and you will be wiping up (messy) excess oil.
 
r8shell r8shell
Have you used the glycerin with the Spyderco medium brown stone, I find it loads up pretty fast but have only used water and dish soap on them ,
I've even soaked the medium to see if that helps but it doesnt seem to, but it will soak up water for a bit and doesnt dry out as fast .
Next time I am going to try the glycerin because I like that stone if it would stay crisp longer.
 
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