Oil stones

B

banksy

Joined
Oct 21, 2009
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363
When I've used waterstones in the past, I flush all the swarf and sharpening residue with running water.

I recently bought a Norton Crystolon which came pre-oiled. Having never used oil before, what is the best way to flush all the residue from an oil stone after use?
 
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Rubbing alcohol would be my guess, I use on my stones but I use water not oil on the stones I have. It's a degreaser so it will remove the excess oil and any residue with it. And it drives away water, then evaporates in seconds making it a good water displacer without any residue. The stone will probably soak in more oil next time you use it and I'm not sure how it would affect how the stone is bonded together, may degrade it even tho it is fairly gentle. If your worried about it just use mineral oil.
 
If it gets a little loaded up you can apply a nice layer of oil to it when you're done and let it sit for a few minutes. Agitate/rub it in with a fingertip and wipe clean with a rag or paper towel.
 
What HH ^ said, except I don't wait for it to get loaded. Regular use of my stones include a dab of oil - rub - wipe with paper towel after every session.
 
With mine, I just wet the surface of the stone periodically with fresh mineral oil during the sharpening session, rub it a little with the fingertips to 'lift' the swarf, then wipe it away with a microfiber towel (which does a much better job picking up the swarf, both wet and dry). I do this after I'm finished, as well.

I specifically suggest the microfiber towels because (1) they do a great job lifting the swarf, whether wet or dry, and (2) they don't leave near as much lint debris on the stones, like cotton towels or paper towels can do. I got in the habit of using them on dry hones (diamond, mostly), and eventually figured out they work so much better on everything else as well.


David
 
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Obsessed with Edges said:
With mine, I just wet the surface of the stone periodically with fresh mineral oil during the sharpening session, rub it a little with the fingertips to 'lift' the swarf, then wipe it away with a microfiber towel (which does a much better job picking up the swarf, both wet and dry). I do this after I'm finished, as well.

I specifically suggest the microfiber towels because (1) they do a great job lifting the swarf, whether wet or dry, and (2) they don't leave near as much lint debris on the stones, like cotton towels or paper towels can do. I got in the habit of using them on dry hones (diamond, mostly), and eventually figured out they work so much better on everything else as well.


David
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Agreed, I grab the free ones you get with a coupon at harbor freight whenever possible. Handy stuff...

Russ
 
My stones (3) sit over an oil bath. They are arranged like a triangular prism. I turn the stones in the oil bath, loosen the swarf with an auto parts cleaning brush, and squeegee the dirty oil back into the bath with a rubber spatula. The particles settle to the bottom of the bath, and the oil stays very clean.
 
David Martin said:
Haa. I thought you would have one. It is a very good system to own. DM
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Grew up on those in the kitchen I worked in. I have seen some pretty rough looking stones, cracked, dished and just really uneven. I loved bringing in my pocket knives to sharpen on them. All that surface area was so luxurious compared to the 4" arkansas and crystolons my dad had at the time.
We had a treadle operated wheel with a water bath that I never used. I would give my eye teeth to have it now.





Russ
 
mycough, you're exactly right. I have seen some rough looking stones in them. And guys will still use them. I'll bet with marginal results. The size of those stones make it a joy to use for sharpening. In the 70's I thought a 2X8" stone was a nice size. DM
 
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