Oil or water?

Hytekrednek said:
what do you guys prefer to use with diamond sharpeners? I have used them dry and with water that has the HoneRite additive in it. I much prefer the water mixture. I have not used oil with diamond sharpeners before. What do you use and why?
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I already mentioned it in my earlier post (#11), but I've grown to like using a lighter mineral oil on my diamond hones; my favorite is Norton's honing oil, so far. Water, or anything formulated or mixed with water, just evaporates too fast in my arid environment. The oil doesn't evaporate nearly as quickly, gives nice feedback, keeps swarf from clogging the hone, and cleans up very easily with dish soap and hot water in about 5 minutes' time. An old toothbrush also comes in handy for the scrubbing. In a pinch or on the fly, some Windex and a microfiber towel will also do a decent job cleaning it up. Wipe the excess oil away first, with a paper towel or whatever, then hit it with the Windex and microfiber towel.


David
 
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Nothing with diamond, I use them dry. Rinse with tap water occasionally and dry. If really dirty, rub in dish soap, rinse with water and dry.
Heavy grinding is always done on the coarse side of a Norton JB8, with oil.
 
I used 3-1 oil on one Ark stone till I broke it but I been using Simple Green and I am pleased!
 
jpm2 said:
Nothing with diamond, I use them dry. Rinse with tap water occasionally and dry. If really dirty, rub in dish soap, rinse with water and dry.
Heavy grinding is always done on the coarse side of a Norton JB8, with oil.
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I've read both dry or windex for diamond stones.
So far I am liking the windex only because it helps carry off the residue. I am assuming it is the surfactant additive in their formula.
Without the windex I can feel the residue sort of "stuttering" the blades.

Curious how "to each their own" even applies here.

I am using the DMT WM8 stones
 
David Martin said:
Jc, is it thin or thick? DM
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I have used 5 different mineral oils. Listed in order of most to least viscous (thick to thin):
1. Rite-Aid Mineral Oil USP
2. Whatever it is that the Natural Whetstone Company in Arkansas sells along with their Arkansas stones
3. Howard Cutting Board Oil (I like this product)
4. Norton Honing Oil (in the 4.5 oz cans, convenient because of the dispenser tip)
4. Williams-Sonoma Board Oil. (tied with Norton)

Nothing scientific, just from experience using them. I use the board oils with wood cutting cutting boards but they are interchangeable with the Norton product since they are all light food-safe mineral oils.

I have considered trying Ikea's SKYDD mineral oil, which is pretty cheap on a per-oz basis - $5 for almost 17 oz. Next time I need some I may run by there, though it will be a while before I run low I think.
 
Thank you. I mostly use Rite Aid mineral oil. But in a pinch I'll use 3&1 oil. Some of the thinner oils soak in quickly on a stone. So, I go with the
thick oil. DM
 
I agree - with non pre-loaded stones, a thicker oil is better. For Arkansas stones, which don't absorb anything, I like a thinner oil. Pre-loaded stones like Norton India or Crystolon as kinda more whatever is close by - though I usually grab the Norton Honing Oil since I keep it with the stones.
 
Outside the box, there are a couple of other choices I've tried.

On oil stones and Arkansas I've use a thin grade (10 - 20cSt) of pure silicone oil. This is also food safe and non irritating to skin, though not very common outside a lab or cosmetics manufacturing.

Sometimes I will rub my diamond plates with a piece of red oak and splash of water. This makes a slimy thin vehicle that prevents loading better than plain water and maybe improves feedback a bit. A pinch of baking soda ground in with the oak and water prevents the surface from tarnishing.
 
HeavyHanded said:
Sometimes I will rub my diamond plates with a piece of red oak and splash of water. This makes a slimy thin vehicle that prevents loading better than plain water and maybe improves feedback a bit. A pinch of baking soda ground in with the oak and water prevents the surface from tarnishing.
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Do you mean "red oak" like a piece of wood, or is there some product I'm not aware of? :confused: I like the idea of adding the baking soda. I'll try that with the glycerin I use. :thumbsup:
 
r8shell said:
Do you mean "red oak" like a piece of wood, or is there some product I'm not aware of? :confused: I like the idea of adding the baking soda. I'll try that with the glycerin I use. :thumbsup:
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Yep, red oak as in a small piece of dowel. Use of baking soda on anything but a coarse or xc diamond plate doesn't work well without crushing it/rubbing it in with the oak. Out of the box, the chunks hang out on the surface and inhibit grinding on finer plate surfaces.
 
jpm2 said:
Nothing with diamond, I use them dry. Rinse with tap water occasionally and dry. If really dirty, rub in dish soap, rinse with water and dry.
Heavy grinding is always done on the coarse side of a Norton JB8, with oil.
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Zombie411 said:
I've read both dry or windex for diamond stones.
So far I am liking the windex only because it helps carry off the residue. I am assuming it is the surfactant additive in their formula.
Without the windex I can feel the residue sort of "stuttering" the blades.
Curious how "to each their own" even applies here.
I am using the DMT WM8 stones
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By "stuttering" do you mean the stone is getting loaded and skipping on smooth spots, or rolling across loose metal/debris on the surface, or?.
 
jpm2 said:
By "stuttering" do you mean the stone is getting loaded and skipping on smooth spots, or rolling across loose metal/debris on the surface, or?.
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I think it is a combination of the first two parts of your question.
I feel a slick, sliding motion that is not cutting. Perhaps "loaded" is the correct term (the stone,
not me).

Metal debris on the stone is what I would describe as the "issue.
Windex seems to clear this just like using a natural stone needs something to clear itself.

Without a surfactant I can see (60x loupe) where the edge is not being cut evenly.
 
Zombie411 said:
I think it is a combination of the first two parts of your question.
I feel a slick, sliding motion that is not cutting. Perhaps "loaded" is the correct term (the stone,
not me).

Metal debris on the stone is what I would describe as the "issue.
Windex seems to clear this just like using a natural stone needs something to clear itself.

Without a surfactant I can see (60x loupe) where the edge is not being cut evenly.
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There have been a couple of Chinese gummy stainless steel knives I sharpened for others that kinda loaded up the plates. There was also a recent new purchase with a damaged edge that just crumbled as I was sharpening it, no matter how light the pressure. But otherwise, I just don't detect either of those things. I only use the plates for touching up and finishing, with very light touch.

Now the SiC stone, yeah it loads up without oil and is real gritty, but it's used to hog off steel, with heavy pressure.
 
Have any of you guys used the HoneRite Gold additive for water? I use it and have no complaints at all. I got it because I have a lot of money in my diamond plates and do not want to see them rust away. It also helps when used on non stainless blades, and keeps my K02 sharpener's steel parts from rusting when I use water on stones. I got HoneRite because it was cheaper than the Trend blue stuff, and has good reviews.
 
Hytekrednek said:
Have any of you guys used the HoneRite Gold additive for water? I use it and have no complaints at all. I got it because I have a lot of money in my diamond plates and do not want to see them rust away. It also helps when used on non stainless blades, and keeps my K02 sharpener's steel parts from rusting when I use water on stones. I got HoneRite because it was cheaper than the Trend blue stuff, and has good reviews.
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A decent quality diamond plate shouldn't rust at all, unless it's neglected and not kept clean. The plate itself is sealed in nickel (doesn't rust) and the only thing which might otherwise rust on the surface is the steel swarf from the blade. Simply clean & dry the plate after you're done with it, with dish soap, hot water and a scrub brush, and it'll stay in good shape. If you're worried about the corrosive effects of using water on it, you can always add a little bit of baking soda to the water on the hone. That alters the pH just a little bit toward alkaline, which helps control corrosion. It also helps protect non-stainless blades sharpened with water on the hones, which I think is where the HoneRite product is actually aimed, by it's description. Having said all that, I've never felt the need for doing this anyway. Just keep it clean & dry; it'll be fine.

I've been using diamond hones of one flavor or another for ~ 15 years or more. I've yet to see so much as a speck of rust on any of them, even the inexpensive ones. They've been easy to protect, simply because I've cleaned them after use. A severely abused or very worn diamond plate, upon which the nickel has started to peel or chip off, might expose the steel plate underneath to corrosion. But they need to be in pretty bad shape for that to happen.


David
 
Thanks for your info. That helps ease my mind. I have also used simple green as a lube and it worked great, but I was worried about rust. Thanks again. I will probably just use what I have of the honerite, then not bother to buy any more.
 
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