Sharpening Stone Lubricant.

the possum said:
I can't watch the video right now, but I did try boiling one of the stones for an extended period of time. It did not work. Oil deep inside stills seeps to the surface every time I use it. That's yet another reason why I like Simple Green. It makes water and oil work together.
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So I could take an oil impregnated India stone and be fine useing it with Simple Green?
 
the possum said:
I can't watch the video right now, but I did try boiling one of the stones for an extended period of time. It did not work. Oil deep inside stills seeps to the surface every time I use it. That's yet another reason why I like Simple Green. It makes water and oil work together.
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I had a similar failure trying to remove oil from a stone. Keeps coming back up.
 
garry3 said:
So I could take an oil impregnated India stone and be fine useing it with Simple Green?
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Sure. I use it all the time on 3 other stones that had been oiled in the past. It's a detergent, so it cuts oils & makes it emulsifiable in water, and also lifts/floats the swarf just like dirt. I could also swear it's less corrosive to carbon steel than plain tap water.

If the oil is old and dried, or is as thick as the wax they put in the Norton stones, even full strength Simple Green is not enough to cut it though.
 
the possum said:
Sure. I use it all the time on 3 other stones that had been oiled in the past. It's a detergent, so it cuts oils & makes it emulsifiable in water, and also lifts/floats the swarf just like dirt. I could also swear it's less corrosive to carbon steel than plain tap water.

If the oil is old and dried, or is as thick as the wax they put in the Norton stones, even full strength Simple Green is not enough to cut it though.
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Good information. I might be out of luck because I have one of those old Norton Multi oil stone systems and am not sure if the stones were impregnated from the factory. Worth a shot...
 
Square_peg said:
Norton doesn't even offer their chrystolon stones without oil anymore. They used to sell them. I even contacted the factory, it would be a special order to get them. But they have water stones now that they didn't offer before. Their tradesman's utility stone can still be had without oil. That's what I use in the shop at home for axes.
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I've not found a crystolon stone that was oiled from Norton, this purchase being 11 years back. India stones I have found come pre-oiled. DM
 
the possum said:
I can't watch the video right now, but I did try boiling one of the stones for an extended period of time. It did not work. Oil deep inside stills seeps to the surface every time I use it.
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I boiled a Norton India stone in a sauce pan on top of the stove, at a rolling boil, for 10 mins.. Pulled the stone out and laid it on a shop towel to cool and wiped it off. No oil. What came out was something like Vaseline. DM
 
Really to me oil is no mess, no problem. All my oil stays on the stone, not one drop on the counter. I don't sharpen in the house.
I sharpen on a portable table built for this purpose, outside or in my shop. It also gives a better edge than dry or using water. DM
 
Yes and it could be build up from not cleaning it thoroughly. Clean it using a fine wire brush and Lacquer thinner. This dries quickly so
brush and wipe quickly. DM
 
David Martin said:
Really to me oil is no mess, no problem. All my oil stays on the stone, not one drop on the counter. ...It also gives a better edge than dry or using water.
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See, that's one of the things I've never understood about using oil. How are you actually keeping the surface of the stone clean if you're not using enough oil/water to wash it off? Just wiping it with a rag leaves lots of steel particles and free abrasive behind (especially on coarser stones). I've always found a clean stone to make much more of a difference than whether it uses water vs. soap or oil. When I'm doing the final passes to remove a burr with a fine hone, I wash the stone under running water & rub it with my finger to scrub out any swarf, before spritzing it with cleaner again.
 
After a sharpening session I'll use more oil with a wire brush and clean the stone. In this manner I always start with a clean stone. DM
 
the possum said:
I've never been a fan of the mess of oil, and consequently don't regularly use any stones that require it. Some of my coarser stones and diamonds I use dry. Ceramic water stones get water. Simple Green for most everything else when I can. I like to use enough water/soap to actually wash and flush the swarf off the surface, even holding it under a stream of running water in the sink. If it's just moist with water or oil, it's actually worse since it just makes the gunk load up.

My Norton stone came "pre oiled" as well, but it ain't oil. The consistency is somewhere between axle grease and bee's wax. Everything sticks to it, and I hate it. Anyone know a good solvent that could wash it out? Soak it in paint thinner or something?
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I would boil it.

Oops I just read that it did not work for at least one that tried. I have never tried it but have seen that method recommended more than once. I guess try it and see.
 
David Martin said:
Really to me oil is no mess, no problem. All my oil stays on the stone, not one drop on the counter. I don't sharpen in the house.
I sharpen on a portable table built for this purpose, outside or in my shop. It also gives a better edge than dry or using water. DM
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I don't know that oil is better than water or not, but have no problem using either. I also have no real mess problems with oil. I generally use light honing oil, I tend to find cans of it at a faster rate than I use it up. I have tried mineral oil and it works, but I prefer the lighter stuff.
 
the possum said:
I'm doing the final passes to remove a burr with a fine hone, I wash the stone under running water & rub it with my finger to scrub out any swarf, before spritzing it with cleaner again.
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I hone my kitchen knives under running water. That's the best. In the shop my big utility stones get frequent dunks in a bucket of water.
 
The best oil I have found is Norton Sharpening Stone Oil. It is "a natural, highly refined light mineral oil. It is a pharmacopia grade oil so it is safe for use on kitchen tools. Mineral oil lubrication is recommended for all Norton oil stones."
That being said, I rarely sharpen with oil anymore. I have already had more than my share of exposure to toxic chemicals. I mostly use water now. But my favorite is to drink the water and then spit on the stone. This way I am reusing the resource. Just trying to stay healthy and be green at the same time. I learned this from my logger grandfather when I was a kid and he gave me my first pocket axe stone and said "spit on it boy" Also, I have found that the slimmer the better on the spit. I may have just violated some health code.
 
A lot of pre-oil-filled stones are actually filled with something similar to cosmoline. It's a crude petroleum jelly-like sludge that's designed to semi-permanently coat the interior surface of the stone so the thinner oil used on the surface doesn't just soak in. Keeps the stone from acting "thirsty" but does make it wayyyyyy more difficult to get the stuff out if that's your goal. It's part of the reason why I offer all of my stones without being pre-filled. It gives the end user way more flexibility in terms of deciding what they want to use and how.
 
Looking back, I think I'll not boil another one to remove this grease. As long as it hasn't hardened. My Ace Hardware Economy SiC stone is
more coarse and drinks oil quickly. Too quickly. What I do that helps it to work is, I'll spread a thin layer of Vaseline on it's surface then oil.
This helps the oil remain longer on the surface while working the blade. Thus, it gives me more time to work before the oil is gone.
This is the only stone I've found that needs this preparation. DM
 
Old Axeman said:
I may have just violated some health code.
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This made me smile, and I'm pretty sure you're right!

(Warning! Rambling to follow...

All in all, listening to all this "new-age" "enlightened" advice scientists/psychologists/other "smart people" come up with all the time, I'm in awe we're still on the Earth...since we've been doing everything wrong for thousands of years.

Take for example parenting. Who knows how many "mortal sins" my folks committed, yet I cannot thank them enough for each and every one; somehow, I'm better adjusted and more functional having had my ass whooped for intentional bad deeds (e.g. lying) - not honest mistakes - than "participation-trophy-given-positively-motivated-safe-space-dwelling-snowflakes-that-cannot-do-wrong". If I'll ever have kids, I'll take my Mother's advice - who has a proven track record of raising three fine adults - over that of the hottest "How to raise kids" book of the month.)
 
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