Oil Pre-soak, and Lansky Puck

[Joezilla]

Hey Guys,

I've left my stones in a honing oil solution soak so that they become saturated with oil, thereby using less oil later. I'm pretty sure this is a normal and widely accepted practice, but my question is how long do you usually let yours soak for.


Also, I've done the same with the Lansky Axe puck. WOW is this thing porous!!!!

 

[Jason B.]

Its been years since I used a oil stone but I never remember soaking them. I actually stopped using oil and got the same results maybe even better. Oil stones also usually come pre-soaked.

What is the puck made of? is it made to be used with oil?

 

[somber]

This seems like a messy process. What advantages are there to using oil stones? When the stone becomes saturated with metal material, what do you have to do to clean it off?

That stone looks super smooth. Just... really messy.

 

[orthogonal1]

We used a heavy weight oil (90 weight or so) or melted grease to soak oil stones and SiC stones.

Seems to make the stones cut to a finer finish as well as preventing the honing oil from soaking in.

Overnight was the general practice for oil and a few hours for the melted grease (morning to the end of the workday).

 

[Joezilla]

that grease sounds like a good idea to prevent the clogging. The oil keeps the metal from clogging up the pores, and more oil is used to clean it off. It also helps prevent the metal deposits that might or might not be left over from oxidation. I started using this honing oil on my diamond stones too when I am at home, works great and I can go longer without de-clogging. I'm not sure what the puck is made out of, your normal abrasive (not diamond).

 

[thombrogan]

Never tried leaving oil stones soaked in water. I've heard the thinner oils help break vitrified bonds and the thicker oils are better at floating away swarf. Whatever and whichever, I use a shot of Ballistol and Bill DeShivs has great things to say about WD-40 for use on oilstones and diamonds (he uses it on buffing wheels, too).

Joezilla,

For your diamond stones, another way to stop them from clogging during use is to use a solution of water and baking soda. If you add enough baking soda so that it makes an oily/briny slick (but not so much that it makes a paste), it works quite well (it's how I keep my DMT coarse stone from loading). Just add more solution when the stone is covered black gunk and you're all set. Used to use the same with waterstones, but they'd stop cutting as quickly as they do with tap water.

 

[Joezilla]

I didn't pre soak mine in water, but oil. I like the baking soda technique, I'll have to try that. I wonder if that is the best way to clean the diamond stones before hand. Wayne Goddard uses mean green. I'll double check at blade show.

 

[thombrogan]

Meant to say oil when talking about presoaked. Can't figure out if my brain is still new or on its way out.